NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Friday, July 18, 2014

INCIDENTS

Arches NP

High Temperatures Cause Series Of Heat-Related Emergencies

The park experienced a series of heat-related medical emergencies involving seven visitors and one employee within a period of just over 24 hours last weekend. High temperatures both days were in the 100 to 104 degree range. Of this total, three were taken by ambulance to a local hospital and a fourth was flown to another hospital in Grand Junction. The remaining four were treated and released.

Just before 2 p.m., on Saturday, July 12th, rangers received a report of a woman having a heart attack on the Delicate Arch viewpoint trail. The first rangers to arrive were unable to find her on the trail, but were soon flagged down by the occupants of a vehicle near Wolfe Ranch. Two men inside who'd just come off that trail were suffering from heat exhaustion. They were treated by park personnel and Grand County EMS.

Around 8:30 that evening, a report was received of an unconscious man near Delicate Arch. Park, Grand County SAR and Grand County EMS personnel responded, hiking a mile and a half up from the trailhead. The man was treated for heart issues arising from heat stroke throughout the rescue and litter carryout. He was taken to Moab Regional Hospital

EMS incidents resumed the following afternoon when rangers received a report of an unconscious man near Delicate Arch. Park and Grand County personnel again responded, treated the man on scene, and littered him out to the trailhead. He refused further treatment and transportation to the hospital.

While the above rescue was in progress, an interpretive ranger preparing for a guided hike reported coming up an unconscious man in the Fiery Furnace parking lot. The responding ranger found an incoherent man with tingling in his arms and legs. A woman in the car was suffering from severe headache and cramping. Both were taken by ambulance to the hospital.

A third EMS emergency was reported while the above incidents were underway. Around 4:30 p.m., the same ranger who'd called in the above incident was leading the guided hike when a visitor collapsed. The ranger reported that the woman was unconscious and that she could not obtain a radial pulse. EMS personnel who were still in the Fiery Furnace parking lot headed down the trail. The woman was assessed and found to be suffering from heat stroke. She was flown by helicopter to St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction.

Finally, at the conclusion of the Delicate Arch carryout, one member of the park SAR team was treated on scene for heat exhaustion.

[Michael Henry, Supervisory Park Ranger]

Chattahoochee River NRA

Rangers Save Three From Drowning In River

Rangers Paul Forward and Chris Calkins and Supervisory Ranger Sean Perchalski were patrolling Diving Rock, one of the park's busiest areas, on the evening of July 6th when Forward spotted a man in the middle of the river who appeared to be in distress.

The man went under several times as two other visitors struggled to keep him afloat. He then began to pull both of them underwater.

Forward threw them a lifeguard rescue tube and a throw bag, but the people in the water couldn't reach them. Perchalski then threw a life vest and a second throw bag, which they were able to grab and use to stay afloat. The rangers then pulled all three to shore.

The 22-year-old man who'd originally gotten into trouble was checked out by EMS, but declined further treatment at a medical facility. The other two were extremely fatigued but otherwise okay.

This area has been the scene of several drownings in the past few years by people who've tried unsuccessfully to swim across the river. The most recent was on June 9th, when a 24-year-old man drowned while swimming across the river at the same exact location. The river is approximately 175 feet across at this point.

Earlier that day, rangers had discussed what they would do if this exact situation were to occur.

[Sean Perchalski, Park Ranger]

Olympic NP

Pursuit Through Park Ends With Assault On Deputy

On July 10th, rangers responded to the report of a stolen vehicle about to enter the park from the west peninsula community of Forks, Washington.

Ranger Art Sandison spotted and pursued the vehicle on Highway 101 along the shores of Lake Crescent. The operator made a panic U-turn in the middle of the road, forced logging trucks and other vehicles off the roadway, and fled back toward Forks at high speeds.

Shortly after a county deputy joined in the pursuit, the driver pulled over, stopped, and exited the vehicle. He refused to obey commands until the deputy warned him that he would deploy his taser. When they attempted to handcuff him, though, he began to physically resist.

During the ensuing struggle, the deputy's taser was knocked from his hand and picked up by the man, who attempted to fire it at the deputy. Sandison interceded, using his own taser to subdue the man and take him into custody.

Forks PD, Clallam County SO and the NPS will be charging the man with an assortment of offenses, including theft, first degree assault, attempting to disarm a police officer and resisting arrest.

[Mark O'Neill, East District Ranger]

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):

Arlington House - Philanthropist David Rubenstein yesterday donated $12.5 million through the National Park Foundation to restore and improve access to the Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, located within the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery.

Natural Sound and Night Skies Division - In honor of World Listening Day, which is today, the makes of a film entitled “In Pursuit of Silence,” which focuses in part on silence in the national parks, have released a clip on soundscape studies in Denali.

Fort Washington Park - The War of 1812 came to the Potomac River and our nation's capital 200 years ago. Fort Washington Park held a series of events and programs last weekend commemorating that anniversary.

US Park Police - On Sunday, July 13th, the United States Park Police, Montgomery County Police, and Maryland Department of Natural Resources combined efforts to participate in river patrols along the Potomac River Gorge.

Pacific West Region - David Smith has been selected as the new superintendent for Joshua Tree National Park. He is currently the superintendent of Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site.

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).

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