|
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Tuesday, July 22, 2014 INCIDENTS Mount Rainier NP Major Search For Missing Hiker Unsuccessful On Saturday, July 12th, E.B., 64, of Tacoma, Washington, set out with his son to hike a 19-mile stretch of the Wonderland Trail. E.B. dropped his son off at White River and then drove to the Box Canyon trailhead. The plan was for the son to hike south to Box Canyon, with E.B. hiking north to White River, crossing paths on the trail midway. Around 3:30 p.m., father and son intersected on the trail at an elevation of approximately 6,600 feet near Indian Bar, then continued on their respective ways. After arriving at the Box Canyon trailhead around midnight, the son retrieved the car and drove to pick up his father at White River. When his father did not appear, he notified park rangers at the White River Campground at 1:30 a.m. Formal search operations were begun on Sunday morning and continued for six days. Ground operations included 106 searchers - NPS rangers, volunteers from Bellingham, Central Washington, Everett, Inland, Olympic, Portland, Seattle, Skagit, and Tacoma Mountain Rescue, and rescue dog teams from Everett, Kittitas, and Lewis Mountain Rescue. Participating in air operations were Northwest Helicopters, CH-47 Chinook aircraft from the 214th US Air Reserve out of Joint Base Lewis McChord, and a FLIR/NVG equipped Blackhawk from CBP's Marine Division in Bellingham. The search was concentrated in the drainages surrounding the point last seen and the intended travel route. No signs or clues of E.B.'s whereabouts were discovered. On July 19th, the search operation transitioned to a continuous limited search. All searchers are out of the field. The park will continue to look for E.B., with rangers checking the area and interviewing hikers as part of their normal patrol duties. [Geoff Walker, IC] Buffalo NR Seriously Injured Hiker Evacuated From Backcountry On the evening of July 14th, an 18-year-old Jonesboro, Arkansas, man slipped and fell while attempting to cross a rock gap at the top of Eden Falls off the Lost Valley trail. He took an initial fall of 10 feet before he was stopped momentarily by a ledge, but the wet conditions caused him to once again slip and fall another 15 to 20 feet. His hiking companion lost sight of him after the final fall but was assisted in reaching him by two University of Arkansas students who were also hiking in the area. Due to lack of cellular coverage, other hikers traveled out from Lost Valley to call Buffalo National River dispatch. Once the page was received, Buffalo River Search and Rescue (BUFFSAR) team members were mobilized, with the three young men assisting team members with the recovery. BUFFSAR volunteer and EMT Chad Wilt was the first rescuer to arrive at Lost Valley and was led to the victim's location in a slot canyon by the two assisting hikers. Although badly injured, the victim was conscious, but couldn't remember the events of the fall. Those assisting with the search and rescue efforts were Air Evac, Mennonite Services, North Arkansas Medical Regional Medical Center EMS, Carroll County, Mount Sherman Volunteer Fire Department, and Ponca Volunteer Fire Department. The teams performed a high angle rescue to bring the victim back along the trail that leads to the top of Eden Falls. He was then evacuated - partly by litter team and partly by all-terrain vehicle and litter trailer - to the trailhead. From there he was transported by ambulance to Compton and then air evacuated to Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Missouri. At the time of the report late last week, he was in intensive care but in stable condition. The incident was managed under a unified command system between the National Park Service and the Newton County Sheriff's Office. [Keith A. Jefferson] 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): Maggie L. Walker NHS - On July 12th and July 15th, the park offered a series of special programs to celebrate the sesquicentennial of the birthday of Maggie Walker, including a community-based “Common Good Fair” to connect visitors with local community engagement groups working to make a difference in the Richmond area. Office of Communications - On July 18th, the NPS and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America signed a national memorandum of understanding that encourages joint field trips and programs that encourage outdoor recreation, citizen stewardship and healthy lifestyles. Southeast Region - The Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center, which houses Southeast Regional Office, will remain closed for the balance of the week due to an ongoing power outage. Regional employees are either on administrative leave or teleworking, if appropriate. Lowell NHP - Elementary school students participating in Lowell Civics Day visited the park and other public institutions, learning about how local, state and federal governments affect the life of their community. Pacific West Region - Kevin Hendricks has been selected as the new superintendent for San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. He is currently the chief ranger at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. 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). --- ### --- |