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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Thursday, February 27, 2014 INCIDENTS Crater Lake NP Two Skiers Rescued From Backcountry On the afternoon of Sunday, February 23rd, rangers received a call from a pair of skiers who asked for assistance in getting out of the park's backcountry. They reported that they were in the area of Pumice Castle along the East Rim of the lake. Weather conditions (rain, fog, and snow) along with severe fatigue were factors that led them to request assistance. They reported no medical issues or injuries at that time and said that they had sufficient supplies/equipment for another night in the backcountry. Due to the time of day, they were advised to find a suitable campsite for the night and told that a rescue team would be dispatched the following morning. On Monday morning, a team consisting of park staff and volunteer Crater Lake Ski Patrol members was assembled. The team was led by current ski patrol volunteer and retired chief ranger Pete Reinhardt. The rescue team reached the skiers at midday. They dried, warmed, fed and hydrated the couple, after which they were able to ski with them out of the backcountry before sunset. Factors contributing to the incident included poor or inadequate equipment and lack of camping/skiing experience by one member of the group. Supervisory Park Ranger Jan Lemons was the Incident Commander. [Curt R. Dimmick, Chief Ranger] Natchez Trace Parkway Suicide Victim Found Below Double Arch Bridge Late on the evening of February 16th, a local sheriff's office advised the park that they'd received a report of someone jumping from the Double Arch Bridge. The body of a 66-year-old Tennessee man was found below the bridge along the side of Highway 96 outside of Franklin, Tennessee. His vehicle was found on atop the bridge near milepost 438 on the parkway. [Calvin Farmer] OTHER NEWS The following stories are among those in today's webpage editions of InsideNPS (available to NPS employees only) and the Morning Report (available to all readers): Glen Canyon NRA - Thousands of adult quagga mussels, a highly problematic invasive species, were recently found in a survey of Lake Powell. The park is in the process of developing a new mussel management plan. Healthy Parks Healthy People - The NPS, Harvard University, and the John A. Volpe Transportation Systems Center have announced plans to advance a new research agenda with a focus on the relationship of nature, health, and the built environment. Centennial Office - The Centennial Office is seeking candidates to serve on the next iteration of the Centennial Youth Leadership Team. Nominations are due by March 21st. Jimmy Carter NHS - On Presidents' Day, President and Mrs. Carter attended a sign dedication at the Plains, Georgia, city limits. Following the dedication, they spoke to 400 visitors in the Plains High School auditorium. To see the full text of these stories, readers should go to one or the other of the following sites: NPS employees - HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index Non-NPS employees - HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/morningreport/" http://www.nps.gov/morningreport/ The Morning Report is 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). --- ### --- |