NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Thursday, August 1, 2013
INCIDENTS
Rocky Mountain NP
Three Visitors Rescued In Three Simultaneous Incidents
On Thursday, July 25th, rangers responded to three separate incidents at the same time, each one involving a visitor suffering significant lower leg injuries.
While climbing on The Left Book formation on Lumpy Ridge, a 23-year-old woman sustained a serious lower leg injury when she took a 20-foot fall on the lower section of the White Whale route. A mountain guide from Colorado Mountain School, the park climbing concessioner, was nearby and provided assistance.
Responding rangers climbed to her location, provided advance life support care, and lowered her to the base of the route. A belayed, low-angle litter lowering and wheeled litter evacuation brought her to Black Canyon meadow, where she was transferred to a ground ambulance. Thunderstorms with rain and lightning added to the challenge of the rescue, precluding use of a helicopter.
Meanwhile, a 45 year-old man was hiking off-trail on the northeast shore of Lake Haiyaha when he took a short fall off a boulder. Unable to walk due to an ankle injury, he notified the park communications center via cell phone and requested assistance. Due to the rugged and challenging terrain along the shores of this lake, responding rangers carried an inflatable raft to the scene, floated the man across the lake, and then carried him a short distance to the designated trail. From here, he was transported to the trailhead via horse.
While resolving the Lake Haiyaha incident, rangers also responded to a motorcycle accident near the east side NPS utility area. The operator of the motorcycle sustained serious lower leg injuries when he dropped his bike while maneuvering a turn. He was treated on scene by rangers then transferred to a ground ambulance.
[Mark Magnuson, Chief Ranger]
Klondike Gold Rush NHP
Ailing Man Rescued In Lengthy Overnight Operation
Rangers and park employees cooperated with Skagway Volunteer Fire Department Search and Rescue during the park's longest ever litter transport from the Chilkoot Trail last Friday night and Saturday morning.
Ten responders hiked six-and-a-half miles of the trail to reach a man who was immobile and complaining of frequent activations of his implantable cardioversion defibrillator (ICD). Due to the lateness of the day and the lack of available local helicopters for the rescue, the incident commander decided to organize a litter evacuation.
An off-duty trail maintenance employee, who just happened to be staying at the nearby Canyon City Campground, was the first to respond and provided the rescue team with an initial assessment and vitals during the team's hike-in. A physician traveling with the party assisted at the scene.
Rescuers reached the man and began the all night litter transport just before midnight. The evacuation involved moving the man five miles over mountainous terrain for six hours in the dark, transferring him to an inflatable watercraft for a swiftwater river crossing, and transferring him to an ambulance for transport to Skagway's Dahl Memorial Clinic, where he was treated and then taken to Whitehorse Hospital in Yukon Territory, Canada, on Saturday morning.
[Tim Steidel, Chief Ranger]
OTHER NEWS
The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS. To see the full text, including images, NPS employees should go to the InsideNPS home page ( HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index). Non-NPS employees can see most of them on the NPS Digest page ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/):
Korean War Veterans Memorial - President Obama paid tribute to the veterans of the Korean War on the 60th anniversary of the war's end at an event at the Korean War Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington on July 27th.
Today's Almanac - Severe thunderstorms are possible today from eastern Wyoming to Iowa and Missouri.
Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services - The next version of IMARS will be available to the field on August 14th. The look and feel of the mobile and full versions remains the same with several improvements and changes included.
Fire and Aviation Management - Nominations are now being accepted for the 10th annual Jeanie Harris Award, which recognizes exceptional service by a fire program management assistant or fire budget analyst at the park or regional level.
Voyageurs NP - Ranger/Pilot Steve Mazur participated in a fundraising bike ride this spring to honor his friend, Ranger Margaret Anderson, who died in the line of duty at Mount Rainier last year.
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The Morning Report is a publication of the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, produced by the Office of Communications with the support of the Office of the Associate Director for Information Resources. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@contractor.nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@contractor.nps.gov).
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