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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MORNING REPORT Thursday, October 16, 2014 INCIDENTS Catoctin Mountain Park Retired USPP Officer Dies While Hiking In Park On October 14th, retired U.S. Park Police Sergeant Andrew Smith was visiting Catoctin Mountain Park with his family when he collapsed while hiking the Hog Rock Trail. He was treated on scene by NPS rangers and transferred to Frederick Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The staff at Catoctin Mountain Park and U.S. Park Police wish to send their condolences to the family. More information on services will be shared as it becomes available. [Michelle Schonzeit, Supervisory Park Ranger] Zion NP Rangers Conduct Two Simultaneous Rescues Over a span of ten minutes on the afternoon of October 10th, the park received reports of two visitors requiring evacuation by means of technical rope rescues from two separate locations. A 35-year-old canyoneer in Pine Creek Canyon had jumped five feet into a pool of water. He thought that the pool was deep enough to cushion his landing, but landed on a ledge hidden just below the surface. He broke his fibula and was unable to bear any weight on his injured leg. Ranger/Medic Matthew Chuvarsky rappelled through the canyoneering route to the man's location. The Canyon Overlook Trail follows the rim of Pine Creek Canyon; rangers set up a lowering system to lower a litter and attendant from the trail to the man's location, then raised him and two attendants 350 feet back to the trail. The second injury occurred in Hidden Canyon, where a 51-year-old woman jumped a short distance while she was down climbing an obstacle. She also suffered from a broken fibula. Evacuation of a victim from Hidden Canyon requires the construction of a 400-foot-high line to bypass a section of the trail carved into a cliff face. Ranger/Medic Matthew McCarthy hiked to the woman's location and explained the challenges of a litter evacuation to her. She decided to attempt to hobble out of the canyon with assistance from crutches and rangers and was able to complete the task. A litter team met her just past the cliff face and carried her to the trailhead. Twenty-five SAR team members assisted during the two incidents. Jumping, as opposed to using a rope or down climbing, is the leading cause of preventable injuries in the Zion Wilderness. INCLUDEPICTURE "https://ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/images/cleardot.gif" \* MERGEFORMATINET [Ray O'Neil, Plateau District Ranger] Crater Lake NP Firefighters Respond To Oil Spill At Concession Facility On August 20th, the park's structural fire engine company responded to a reported hazmat incident at Rim Café and Gift Shop. Approximately 150 gallons of fuel oil had spilled while being transferred between the main tank and the day tank located in the basement of the building. The spill was confined to the basement. A portion of the spill had been contained in an overflow chamber, but it was determined that a significant amount of the fuel might have entered the park sewage system by means of floor drains. Engine company personnel used spill kits and absorbent pads to remove remaining fuel on the basement floor, ventilated the building, and flushed all the drains with water from the engine. There were no injuries to employees or visitors in the building. [Curt Dimmick, Chief 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): Olympic NP - The three-year-long effort to remove two dams on the Elwha River - the first step in restoring the river to is natural state - came to a successful conclusion at the end of September. Park staff are now beginning to prepare the area for its public reopening next year. Today's Almanac - Flashflood and flood watches have been posted for eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey and adjacent areas. Tropical Storm Ana continues on a track toward the Hawaiian Islands. Office of Communications - Last week, Director Jarvis hosted an employee webchat to discuss the centennial goal and ways that you can find your part in centennial activities now through 2016. A transcript of the webchat is now available. Wolf Trap Farm for the Performing Arts - Thirty-five fifth and sixth grade students from nine local elementary schools participated in Wolf Trap's inaugural “Campout for First Time Campers” in September. President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace NHS - Nearly 500 people gathered at Hempstead Hall on Saturday, October 4th, to view a park-hosted outdoor screening of the Disney animated film “Planes: Fire and Rescue.” Colorado NM - The park has constructed a new hard-packed natural surface trail of crushed granite that is suitable for people who use wheeled assistance devices. Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island NMs - Sean Reynolds has joined the staff at the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island as a facility operations specialist. Chickasaw NRA - National Park Service volunteer Carlton Combs passed away at his home in Arlington, Virginia on Friday, October 3rd. He was 79 years old. 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). --- ### --- |