Big Bend |  |
The following Incident Reports were extracted from the NPS Morning Reports/Coalition Reports from 1989-2024. They are not a complete record of all incidents which occurred in this park during this timeframe. INCIDENTS | |
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Monday, May 12, 1986 DUI. Driver was standing on running board of pickup, driving & reaching to guy in bed of truck to get beer. Massive head & chest injuries. Rangers did tracheotomy, and got him to hospital alive.
Incident location: San Vincenti Crossing -- legal crossing of Rio Grande Summary: 4 people crossing river on 2 horses,, doubled-up. Person killed was R.L.B., age 23, of San Vincenti, Mexico. Murder suspect is M. Z-S., +/- 26. The two were next door neighbors. M. Z-S. known to park for car theft at Big Bend in 10/85. Just got out of prison. R.L.B. shot, apparently with .38, single gun shot to chest. FBI has primary jurisdiction. Body to Ft. Bliss, TX, for autopsy. FBI/NPS have interviewed 3 witnesses; suspect not in custody. One of witnesses is cook for concessioner at Basin Lodge. No drug involvement suspected. All had been drinking a lot. No motive yet.
Location: Rio Grande River Mr. F.L.G., a maintenance employee at Big Bend, had been drinking with friends in the Mexican town of Boques. When returning to the park, he refused a boat ride across the Rio Grande, and instead chose to wade the river. The current was stronger than he anticipated and he was swept down the river. A search was begun and continues as of this report (12/12, 1030), but he has not yet been found.
Location: Rio Grande River Follow up on 12/10 report: The body of park employee F.L.G., who attempted to swim the Rio Grande on the eighth, was found on the morning of the 17th a mile and a half away from the point at which he was last seen.
Location: Santa Elina Canyon Mr. R.C.N., his daughter and a friend were rafting through Santa Elina Canyon when the raft hit the canyon wall and capsized. R.N. went under, but his daughter and friend made it to shore, where they spent two nights without food or supplies. The park began a search on the January 5th when the party failed to appear as scheduled; at the same time, another party of rafters on the river found the two survivors. The body was recovered 18 miles downstream on the same day.
Location: River Road Castolon Area Ranger Kathy Hambly observed a motor home stuck on the River Road leading to Rio Grande Village. She went to the assistance of the the couple driving it, and helped them get unstuck. Her suspicions as to their activities in the area were aroused, however, so she took their names and identifying information. After passing this information on to Border Patrol, she went back to the scene and traced the vehicle's tracks back to the border, where she found that it intersected with three sets of horse tracks. Since its a known practice of drug dealers in the area to rendezvous in such a fashion, she then passed this on to Border Patrol, thereby giving them enough probable cause to stop the vehicle about 50 miles north of the park at 11 a.m. The vehicle was searched, and a little over 663 pounds of cocaine was found within. The couple was arrested, the vehicle impounded, and the drugs taken into custody by DEA. DBA appraised the street value of the latter as about $148.5 million. The female was originally from Boquillas, Mexico, and is part of a family well-known locally for drug dealing.
Location: Campground Canyon Mr. B.B. was scrambling on a rock slope in Campground Canyon, which is north of Chisos Basin Campground. He lost his footing and fell 35' - 40'. The park was notified about two hours later; rangers arrived shortly thereafter and performed CPR on him for an hour and a half. He was transported to the hospital via park ambulance, where he later died. Cause of death: severe head injuries.
Location: 5 miles downriver from Salise An unidentified male was found caught in trot lines on the Rio Grande by fisherman. Rangers arrived on the scene early in the afternoon. Although the body had been in the river from four to seven days and was badly decomposed, it was still possible to determine that there was a probable bullet wound in the left side of the chest. There is a fair possibility that the fatality is drug-related, as there have been similar incidents in that area. The FBI is investigating.
Location: Laguna Meadow Trail L.B. went hiking with her husband and 2 y.o. son on Sunday 4/19 on the Laguna Meadow Trail. The party spotted a mountain lion approximately 12' ahead on the trail. The animal then disappeared into the vegetation. The party continued on and the cat reappeared and jumped on L.B.'s back. She began to roll on the ground and scream as her husband threw rocks. The animal left the scene. L.B. returned to the Ranger Station and was treated for wounds to the buttocks and thighs from the claws of the cat. She was released. L.B.'s husband accompanied 4 rangers to the site of the attack. The mountain lion was again sighted approximately 100 yds off the trail in the same vicinity. It began to stalk Ranger Dale Thompson. The cat came within 20' of Thompson before Thompson shot and wounded it. Black Gap State of Texas Game Refuge was contacted and sent a handler with dogs to locate the cat. The cat was treed and destroyed at 2:55pm. Texas public health was immediately notified. The cat (a 65 lb., 15 month, collared, male) was iced and shipped from Alpine, Texas at 4:25am this morning. It will be taken to the public health facility in El Paso for autopsy. A press release is being composed at the park at this time. The Regional office is determining if a board of inquiry will be conducted.
Location: Mariscal Trail On 4/19 J.N.W., his wife, and 9 y.o. son went for a hike on the Mariscal Run Trail (located at the East end of the park). They started at approximately 11:00am. Off-duty park ranger Terry LaFrance spoke to the party at 11:30am. The W.'s said they were doing fine. At 1:00pm they ran out of water. J.N.W. left his wife and son in the shade at the side of the trail and went to the river to obtain water (temp, was 104 degrees). J.N.W.'s wife reported him as missing on Sunday morning at 10:00am. District Ranger Alan Cox initiated a search of the area involving one aircraft and nine ground searchers (temp. 104 degrees). J.N.W.'s body was found by maintenance employee "Stoney" at 7:43pm 200' from the river in a thicket of river cane. Body was evacuated at 1:00am Monday. Autopsy to be performed.
Location: Castolon On April 23rd, the FBI advised Chief Ranger Ott that the Mexican Federal Judicial Police had received a tip that P.A., a. major drug dealer, was in Santa Elena, immediately across from Castalon in Big Bend, and that they would be staging a raid on the town on Friday. Since there was on outstanding warrant against P.A. in the U.S., the FBI would be sending a SWAT team to the park side of the Rio Grande in case Acosta attempted to flee across the river. The 16-man FBI SWAT team arrived in the park around 6:30 pm, and were joined by five park rangers - four as support and one to close the area to visitors during the incident. Mexican federales went into the town by helicopter and engaged in a firefight with P.A. and his body guards that lasted almost 90 minutes; automatic weapons were employed. A federale who was wounded was transported to the pork, then medeveced to a hospital in Alpine. P.A.'s house was finally sot afire, and he committed suicide before he could be captured. Boring this incident, rangers and FBI took positions in the park near the river but did not intervene. P.A.'s body was brought to the pork, where it: was guarded by rangers until the next day when it was taken to Juarez.
Location: 5 1/2 miles West of Jet. 13 and Rt 14 R.R. was the driver of a Jeep Wagoneer which left the roadway and rolled over. He was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the vehicle and decapitated. An off-duty interpretive ranger came upon the scene and notified protection rangers. Additional personnel including the Chief Ranger were on the scene within 20 minutes. Alcohol is believed to have been a contributing factor, a blood alcohol test is to be performed. Next of kin have not been located.
A woman was mauled by a mountain lion, who was later tracked down and destroyed. Update: The autopsy of the cat showed that it was a healthy, 15-month-old male. He had nothing in his intestines, and was not rabid. A month before, he had been drugged, captured and collared by the park. Drugs used were Ace Promazine and Ketamine. He had lost a few pounds since then, but was nutritionally healthy.
A man hiking with his family left them to get water. He was found dead the next day. Update: An autopsy was performed and the cause of death was determined to have been heat stroke (it was 104 degrees that day).
Location: Mule Ears View Point Forty-five pounds (20.4118 kg.) of marijuana was removed from a vehicle that had been stopped by Ranger Kathy Hambley at the above mentioned location within Big Bend National Park. The marijuana had been concealed inside the interior portion of the vehicle. One subject was arrested in connection with the case. The contraband along with the arrested subject was turned over to representatives of the Drug Enforcement Administration (D.E.A.) for prosecution.
Location: As noted A number of drug incidents have occurred in Big Bend and Padre Island over the last two months. Host of these operations were conducted jointly with US Customs, Border Patrol and/or DEA: - November 26th - Three Mexican nationals in possession of 17 pounds of marijuana were arrested by park rangers and Border Patrol officers on Glen Springs Road in Big Bend. The contraband, valued at $13,600, was turned over to DEA, and Border Patrol maintained custody over the prisoners. - December 1st - Another 17 pounds of marijuana was seized from the trunk of a sedan by Big Bend rangers and Border Patrol officers, this time in the Castolon area. One person was arrested, and both vehicle and contraband were placed in the custody of the Border Patrol. Valuation - $13,600. - December 8th - US Customs asked Padre Island rangers to be on the lookout for a four-wheel drive pickup thought to be involved with drug trafficking; the rangers established a check point at the park entrance station, but had to discontinue the operation due to intense fog which moved onto the island. Customs, however, made two arrests and seized 300 pounds of marijuana in the vicinity of Mansfield Channel on the south side of the park. Valuation - $240,000. - December 12th - A local oil company called Padre Island rangers early on the morning of the 12th and reported bales of marijuana on the shore 12 miles south of Malaquite Beach. Rangers recovered 29 bales totaling 870 pounds. It appeared that the marijuana was brought ashore in a small boat and off-loaded. The boat apparently made several trips, and cached some of the marijuana behind sand dunes at that location. The bales were turned over to US Customs. Valuation - $696,000. - December 13th - Big Bend rangers and Border Patrol officers seized 53 pounds of marijuana from a false compartment located in a tool box affixed to a pickup truck which had been stopped in Rio Grande Village. One person was arrested. All contraband and the vehicle were placed in the custody of the Border Patrol. Valuation - $42,000. - December 15th - Border Patrol officers and rangers recovered 48 pounds of marijuana and arrested one person at Big Bend's San Vincente Crossing. Further investigation revealed 3 1/2 pounds of heroin secreted within one of the bricks of marijuana. Border Patrol again assumed custody of the contraband. Valuation - $38,000 for the marijuana and $105,000 for the heroin. - January 12th - At 1 am on the 12th, Big Bend rangers responded to Route 12 and River Road - a known drug trafficking route - at the request of the Border Patrol, and took into custody a Mexican pickup truck and its driver. The truck was taken to the maintenance shop, where a metal plate was removed from the rear of the truck, revealing a hidden compartment between the truck's bed and frame. 139 pounds of marijuana were removed from the compartment. Customs took custody of the truck, and DEA took custody of the marijuana. Valuation - $111,200.
Location: Outside of park The Texas Department of Public Safety asked Big Bend rangers to be on the lookout for a pickup truck which was believed to be carrying drugs. The truck had been seen going into San Vincente, which is one of the known drug distribution areas in Big Bend. The pickup was observed leaving the park early on the morning of the 7th. State officers were advised, and the truck was stopped in Fort Stockton. Approximately 150 pounds of marijuana (with a street value of $120,000) was found in a false compartment that had been completely welded shut. Two people were arrested and the truck was confiscated. Rangers had been notified on the 6th that an Aztec Piper Cub, the type of aircraft employed to transport drugs between Mexico and the US, had crashed near San Vicente. The incidents are not known to be related.
Location: Santa Elena Canyon Border Patrol officers who were patrolling Santa Elena Canyon, a known narcotics trafficking area, observed three persons with pack animals leaving the park and entering Terlinqua. The agents followed the pack string into the town, where the animals had been off-loaded and the cargo stored in an outbuilding. Investigation revealed that the cargo included 16,000 ringtail cat, 695 fox and 94 bobcat pelts. The furs are valued at $23,000. No arrests were made, and the identity of the three individuals is as yet unknown. The furs are believed to be from Mexico, but some may also be from the park.
Location: Santa Elena Border Patrol Officers followed horse tracks leading from Santa Elena through the park to Highway 170 north of the park. From the highway the tracks returned to Mexico. The officers discovered 52 pounds of marijuana in 4 nylon sugar sacks stashed in a culvert at the highway.
On the morning of February 24th, park ranger Earnest Scott and agent John Davies of the Border Patrol were traveling together in Scott's patrol vehicle when they spotted an older model pickup which aroused their suspicions. River vegetation was noticed on the undercarriage and the direction of travel indicated that the truck might have recently crossed into the park from Mexico. The vehicle was stopped at Panther Junction and taken to park headquarters for further investigation. Measurements of the bed area revealed what appeared to be a hidden compartment between the truck's cab and rear bed area. The park's narcotics dog, "Judge Roy Bean", was brought in, and he alerted on the area suspected to contain the hidden compartment. The compartment was forcibly opened, and 115 pounds of marijuana, valued at $92,000, were found within. The driver was arrested and the case has been turned over to DEA. (Phil Koepp, CR, BIBE).
Ranger Kathy Hambly and Border Patrolman John Davies arrested two Mexican nationals and seized 7 1/2 pounds of marijuana following a stakeout of a well-used horse trail in Castolon on the 13th. A pick-up truck and two horses were also seized. (Phil Koepp, CR, BIBE).
Late on the afternoon of the 22nd, three college students rafting on the Rio Grande in San Vicente Canyon were fired upon from the Mexican side of the river. The three jumped into the water; as they swam toward shore, more shots were fired at them. The shots continued after they took cover in river cane on the park side of the river, and the rafters soon heard the sound of someone crossing the river and scrambling toward higher ground above them. Since one of the rafters carried a .38 revolver and another had a .45, they returned fire. At that point, the shooting stopped. During the course of the incident, about 35 rounds were fired - more than 30 by the assailants and four by the rafters. The three rafters were able to get down to Rio Grande Village by dawn on the 23rd. Two park rangers and a Mexican officer immediately headed to the scene of the incident, the park closed about 20 miles of river (from Mariscal Canyon to below San Vicente) and the Border Patrol put an aircraft in the air over the area. The rangers and Mexican officer arrived at the scene late in the day on the 23rd, and were able to follow tracks to a goat herder's camp in Mexico. They found the students' raft and gear hidden in rocks near the camp, but could not locate the two young, temporary caretakers of the camp, one of whom owns a .22 caliber rifle. Both appear to have fled into Mexico and are under suspicion. No motive for the shooting is apparent. The Coahuila Judicial del Estado has assumed jurisdiction of the case, and the rafters have filed a complaint with the Coahuila state police. The governor of the State of Coahuila has sent four state police officers to the scene, and the chief ranger from Big Bend was to have met with them on Friday. The river remains closed. The press is showing a high degree of interest in the incident. (Initial report from BIBE through Bill Tanner, RAD/SWRO; follow-up report by Charlie Peterson, BIBE, to RAD/SWRO and RAD/WASO).
The section of the Rio Grande in the park which was closed to travel following the shooting incident has been reopened. Coahuila state police are working with the park's chief ranger on the investigation. They believe that the Mexican police official for San Vicente knows the names and possibly the whereabouts of the two assailants, and expect to have that information shortly. The three rafters who were targets of the shooting have since reported that one of the assailants actively chased them through the brush on the American side of the border, and that one round came so close that it took off a button on one man's shirt. (Bill Tanner, RAD/SWRO).
On May 1st, Border Patrol agents stopped a car on Highway 170 just north of Big Bend on suspicion of drug trafficking through the park. During a search of the vehicle, the agents found just over 19 pounds of marijuana valued at $15,440. The driver, L.Z.L., was arrested. On the morning of May 3rd, Customs agents stopped a pick-up truck inside the park near the Highway 118 entrance for the same reason. The agents found 22 pounds of marijuana valued at $17,600 in the truck. Three individuals were taken into custody. The two incidents appear to be related. Both stops were based on information the park keeps on border crossings and on observations made by a park ranger regarding suspicious activities. (Charlie Peterson, Acting CR, BIBE).
On the afternoon of the 4th, a park ranger observed two pickup trucks parked across the Rio Grande from each other - one in Mexico and one in the park - near Santa Elena. When checking the latter, he found a drug transaction taking place, and arrested a 38-year-old Texas man for possession of a pound and a half of marijuana. The suspect's 1985 Ford pickup truck was seized. A check of records revealed that the man had been operating out of Big Bend campgrounds while in the area. (Phone report from RAD/SWRO).
On August 3d, Border Patrol and DBA agents stopped a 1980 Chevrolet truck and travel trailer 30 miles north of the park and found 923 pounds of cocaine hidden in compartments in the trailer. The driver, D.P. of Bobbs, New Mexico, was taken into custody and the vehicle impounded. The cocaine was valued at over $29 million. Although no NPS units were involved in the incident, the drugs were transported through the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River at Adams Ranch one mile east of the park. This is the largest seizure to take place in the vicinity of Big Bend. (CompuServe message from Charlie Peterson, BIBE, to RAD/SWRO and RAD/WASO).
Late on the afternoon of the 11th, K.H., a peregrine falcon researcher, fell while retrieving a falcon egg shell for pesticides analysis on Lost Mine Peak in the Chisos Basin. K.H. was jumaring up a 700-foot face when he had some type of equipment failure and fell 30 feet. His companions sought assistance from the park, and a Customs Blackhawk helicopter was subsequently employed to ferry climbers and equipment to the mountain top. A ranger was lowered 550 feet over the edge to secure K.H., who was then lowered an additional 150 feet to the ground. He was admitted to Brewster Memorial Hospital with fractured ribs and vertebrae. (Charlie Petersen, BIBE, via CompuServe message to RAD/SWRO and RAD/WASO).
On the morning of the 13th, ranger Clyde Stonaker made a vehicle stop on a 1975 pickup truck five miles north of Castolon in Big Bend to warn the driver about driving with unrestrained children in the front seat of the vehicle. Upon approaching the truck, he noticed fresh body work and what appeared to be a false compartment covering the entire bed of the pickup. The park's drug detection dog, Judge Roy Bean, was called in, and he alerted on the rear bed of the truck. The driver and three passengers were transported to park headquarters, where the truck was disassembled. A 4 1/2 inch by 8 foot by 5 foot compartment was opened and 337 pounds of marijuana were found within. The driver, L.A. of Midland, Texas, was arrested. The street value of the marijuana was estimated at $269,000. (Charlie Peterson, BIBE, via CompuServe messages to RAD/WASO and RAD/SWRO).
Armando Moreno, the maintenance foreman for the park's Castillon subdistrict, died at his residence of an apparent heart attack on the late on the morning of the 23rd. Earlier that day, Moreno had reported that he was not feeling well and that he was preparing to see a doctor in Alpine. Local EMT personnel attempted to revive him, but were unsuccessful in their efforts. (Telefax report from Jim Walters, RAD/SWRO).
On the evening of October 14th, a park ranger stopped a 1988 Subaru with two occupants at Castolon. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of five pounds of marijuana and a half gram of methamphetamine with a combined street value of $2,500. On the 24th, Border Patrol agents stopped I.E.J. of Odessa, Texas, in the San Vicente District and arrested him for possession and transportation of 186 pounds of marijuana. The driver and a second passenger were arrested and held under state charges; their vehicle was also seized by the state. (CompuServe message from Phil Young, RAD/SWRO).
Just after noon on the 26th, the park's narcotics detection dog, "Judge Roy Bean", sniffed out marijuana in a 1981 Chevrolet truck owned and driven by M.A.P. of Rio Grande City, Texas. The marijuana - a total of 32 pounds with a street value of $25,000 - was found concealed in secret compartments in the side panels of the truck. M.A.P. was arrested and the vehicle was turned over to Customs for disposal. (CompuServe message from Capt. Jim Radney, RAD/SWRO).
On the afternoon of the 10th, a 16-year-old male became separated from his party while backpacking in the park's backcountry with a commercial outfitter. The boy is a known diabetic who was treated for low blood sugar on the day that he became lost. An unsuccessful hasty search was conducted by Big Bend rangers on the night of the 10th; a full-scale search employing a helicopter was begun yesterday morning. (CompuServe report from Phil Young, RAD/SWRO).
The search for P.P., 16, of Miami, Florida, entered its fourth day yesterday. It's since been learned that P.P. was hiking with a "peer reintegration into society" group and that he had chosen to join the group rather than be assigned to a halfway house. P.P. was reported to have become agitated last Sunday when members of the group started "getting on his case." He was last seen by counselors around 2:30 that afternoon. P.P., a diabetic, left his pack with the group, but took insulin, needles, cheese, fruit, nuts, Gatoraid and water with him. P.P.'s journal was later found to contain several references to suicide. The search is currently focused in an area known as Reed's Camp, three to four miles north of the river in the park's Castollon Subdistrict. Three helicopters, seven search teams and several dog teams are now involved in the search. On the 12th, a bloodhound picked up P.P.'s scent and followed it for three miles; the dog was to have been put back on the trail again yesterday. Searchers are concerned about P.P.'s condition because area temperatures were in the teens during two of the first three nights since he left the group, and he did not take either a jacket or hat with him. (Telephone and CompuServe reports from Phil Young, RAD/SWRO).
Late on the afternoon of the 14th, 16-year-old P.P., who'd been the subject of a major search since his disappearance on the 10th, walked out onto a highway about 40 miles from the point where he was last seen. P.P. flagged down a passing car; the driver recognized him and drove him to a ranger station. P.P. is in good shape and spent the night at a lodge in the park with his mother, who'd flown to the scene earlier in the week. He will be debriefed today. (Telephone report from Phil Young, RAD/SWRO).
According to press reports, P.P. has told rangers that he deliberately ran away from the wilderness survival group he was hiking with and avoided detection by the helicopters, dogs and ground searchers who searched more than 25,000 acres looking for brim. P.P., a diabetic, said that he had enough insulin with him to take care of himself. He told rangers that he buried his trash to avoid detection, buried himself in dirt so that helicopters would not see him, and used a false name when he was eventually found by three hikers. (United Press, 7 p.m. EST, 12/15).
On December 16th, Border Patrol agents stopped a Texas man 30 miles south of Marathon, seized 72 pounds of marijuana from his vehicle, and arrested him. According to investigators, The man met an unidentified Mexican male at Rio Grande Village in Big Bend and gave him the keys to his vehicle. The Mexican then drove it to either Boquillas or San Vicente, loaded the marijuana, then returned the vehicle to the man an hour and a half later. Two days later, the Border Patrol seized 55 pounds of marijuana in another stop near Marathon and arrested a second Texas man. It is believed that the marijuana was delivered to him in Santa Elena, also in the park. The marijuana seizures were valued at $57,800 and $43,680, respectively. (CompuServe message from RAD/SWRO, 1 p.m. EST, 12/29).
On March 19th, a visitor and her three-year-old child encountered a young mountain lion while hiking on the Basin Loop Trail in the park. The lion reportedly came onto the trail, crouched into a springing positions, and bared its teeth. The visitor picked up her child and yelled at the lion. The lion remained in the crouched position with its teeth bared, however, until another hiker approaching from the other direction spooked the animal. The lion was reported to have been within three to five feet of the woman and her child. Because of other recent lion encounters and prior attacks by lions on humans in this area, the Loop Trail was temporarily closed on the morning of the 20th. At this point, the behavior of the lions in the Basin area is not considered to be unusual or particularly threatening to visitors, but precautions are nonetheless being taken to prevent attacks from occurring. Appropriate barricades and signs have been placed throughout the area, including all campsites. Interpreters have also stepped up their public information campaign on mountain lion encounters. Research staff have flown the area to locate all the radio-collared cats thereabouts. Researchers and resource management personnel, utilizing the skills of a local lion hunter and his dogs, tracked and successfully collared a young, 65-pound male lion by mid-morning. It is thought that this is the animal which has been involved in the recent encounters. It will be intensively monitored over the next few months. (Acting Superintendent, BIBE, via telefax forwarded from RAD/SWRO, 3/22/90).
On March 16th, U.S. Border Patrol officers arrested J.R., an illegal alien from Piedras, Mexico, for possession of just over 13 pounds of marijuana which he had brought into the United States through the park. J.R. was arrested ten miles south of Marathon, Texas. (Andy Ferguson, DR, BIBE, via telefax from Phil Young, RAD/SWRO, 3/28/90).
On April 10th, Customs officials stopped a pickup driven by R.R. of Elsa, Texas, near the Mariscal Crossing in the park. The truck, which is owned by J.R. of Houston, was searched and found to contain 256.5 pounds of cocaine in hidden compartments. Customs was acting on a tip received from the park which indicated that two vehicles would be crossing the Rio Grande at that location. There was no sign of the second vehicle, but an investigation is continuing. (Andy Ferguson, Acting CR, BIBE, via CompuServe message from Bill Tanner, RAD/SWRO, 12:30 EDT, 4/10/90).
According to a July 3rd story in the Houston Chronicle, a mountain lion attacked a dog at a campsite in the Basin area on June 27th. The dog's owner, K.P. of Houston, said that she jumped out of her tent and "tried to beat (the lion) to death" with a pair of flip-flops. Two neighboring campers scared the lion with a flare, and pulled the dog from its jaws. The dog reportedly suffered gashes on its head and stomach. A park spokesman said that park staff had been tracking the 60-pound lion, but had not publicized its whereabouts because it didn't pose a danger to humans. The lion was subsequently captured and moved to another area. It is being monitored by radio collar. (Kelly Rucker, Houston Chronicle, via WASO Public Affairs, 7/5).
A government-owned trailer in the Panther Junction housing area burned to the ground on the night of March 3rd. The two SCA employees who were living in the trailer were not at home at the time of the fire. The fire was first reported at 11:00 p.m. The park fire brigade responded, but was not able to save the structure. The trailer was a total loss; both residents lost all their personal effects. Also lost was a 1990 Ford Probe which was parked adjacent to the trailer. A second vehicle was saved. The cause of the fire is under investigation. [Roger Moder, BIBE, via telefax from Cliff Chetwin, RAD/SWRO, 3/4]
The valuation of the 14 foot by 60 foot government-owned trailer which burned to the ground in the Panther Junction housing area on the night of March 3rd has been placed at approximately $1,000. One SCA who resided in the trailer lost about $3,000 in personal effects; her Volkswagen received an unspecified amount of damage from the heat of the fire. The second SCA lost an unknown amount of personal property and a 1990 Ford Probe valued at $13,500. A Toyota pickup also sustained damage when a window was broken out so that firefighters could gain access and move it away from the fire. [Roger Moder, BIBE, via telefax from Cliff Chetwin, RAD/SWRO, 3/5]
The sole occupant of a 1986 Ford Bronco was killed when it rolled over on Route 11 near the north entrance to the park early on the morning of April 15th. The name of the driver is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. The driver was not wearing a seat belt and was thrown from the vehicle. [CompuServe message from RAD/SWRO, 4/15]
While working at Glenn Springs historic cemetery, archeologist Tom Alex discovered what appeared to be a new grave. The local FBI office was contacted, and the grave is being treated as a crime scene pending complete investigation. Further information will follow. [Roger Moder, BIBE, via telefax from Cliff Chetwin, RAD/SWRO, 5/10]
Ranger Clyde Stonaker saw an individual acting in a suspicious manner in the Castalon District on the 15th and requested assistance from ranger Kathy Hambly and her drug-scenting dog, Judge Roy Bean. Subsequent investigation by the rangers, ably assisted by the Judge, led to the discovery that the man had crossed the river from Mexico and was in possession of 32 peyote buttons. He claimed exemption from drug regulations on the grounds that he was engaging in protected religious practices and presented a letter from a church which claimed that he used peyote in religious ceremonies. He was arrested and incarcerated. [CompuServe message from Jim Radney, RAD/SWRO, 6/17]
Early in May, park archeologist Tom Alex discovered what appeared to be a new grave in an historic cemetery near Glenn Springs. Due to the possibility of foul play, the grave was excavated on May 24th by Alex, park rangers, a Texas ranger and local sheriff's deputies. The body of an Irish setter was found in the grave. The reamins were removed and the site was restored to preserve its historic integrity. Although backcountry camping permittees in the area were checked, no one admitted to the burial. [SEAdog message from Rob Arnberger, Superintendent, BIBE, 6/11]
A body was found in the park near the San Vicente Crossing of the Rio Grande River on July 19th. Responding rangers received the body from residents of San Vicente, Mexico, and conducted a preliminary examination into his death. No identification was found, and the cause of death could not be determined. Rangers and FBI agents are investigating the incident. [Dave Evans, BIBE, via CompuServe message from Lois Hoddenbach, RAD/SWRO, 7/22]
The investigation of the death of the person whose body was found in the Rio Grande on the 19th continues. The victim's teeth and finger pads were found to have been removed, and it has been determined that he died from blunt trauma to the head. According to the coroner, the body had been in the river for more than ten days. A Chevrolet sedan registered to a female at a fictitious address in Houston was found in the nearby Blackdyke area hidden under brush, and investigators are attempting to determine if there is a linkage between the body and the vehicle. The two people last seen with the vehicle are still missing. The FBI has assigned an agent to the investigation. [Roger Moder, BIBE, via telefax from RAD/SWRO, 7/24]
The body of a child was found in a burned van in the Solis backcountry campground recently. It's been determined that the van arrived in the park some time between July 13th and the 20th. The van's owner reportedly was to have given custody of his daughter to her mother on July 11th. When the father and child failed to arrive, she contacted authorities. The father is still missing. Solis and Blackdyke, scene of the above incident, are separated by four hours of backcountry roads, and it is unknown whether the incidents are related. [Roger Moder, BIBE, via telefax from RAD/SWRO, 7/24]
The man found in the Rio Grande River on the 19th has been identified as D.T., 26, of Irving, Texas, and investigators have determined that the green Volkswagen van found burned at the Solis campground belonged to him. No identification has yet been made of the child's body found in the van, but D.T. is known to have left Irving for a camping trip with his five-year-old daughter B.T. on July 11th. The investigation of the incident continues. [United Press International, 7/27]
Unidentified river runners advised the park last weekend that they had been contacted by Mexican nationals who reported finding the body of a "gringo" in the river on the 27th. The Mexicans said that they removed the body and buried it in a shallow grave adjacent to a pumphouse near the Brewster Terrell county line. Rangers and officers from the county sheriff's office are en route to recover the body and begin an investigation. The body was found 100 miles east of the Solis incident at a point which is outside the park but along the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River. [Phil Koepp, CR, BIBE, via CompuServe message from RAD/SWRO, 7/29]
Investigators have learned that D.T., 26, whose body was found in the Rio Grande on the 19th, had been involved in drug activity and owed large gambling debts in the Dallas Fort Worth area. No identification has yet been made of the body found in D.T.'s Volkswagen van at Solis Campground. Current information indicates that the report which was received on Monday and appeared in yesterday's morning report regarding a body found by Mexican nationals in the Rio Grande was false. [Phil Koepp, CR, BIBE, via telefax from Jim Radney, RLES, RAD/SWRO, 7/30]
A team comprised of rangers, volunteers and medics from Terlingua, Texas, rescued G.M., a twenty-six-year-old concession employee, from a rock chute in Mouse Canyon on August 1st. G.M. had fallen 30 feet down the chute and had suffered multiple broken bones, cuts, contusions and lacerations. It took rescuers five hours to carry G.M. to the nearest road. He was then flown to a hospital in Lubbock, where he is reported to be in stable condition. [Roger Moder, BIBE, via CompuServe message from Bonnie Winslow, RAD/SWRO, 8/8]
Over the past few days, flood waters from Mexico's Rio Conchos have run into the Rio Grande, causing the river to rise above flood stage and leading to the closure of some highways, trails and campgrounds in the park. The National Weather Service has issued a flood advisory for the section of the river from Presidio, Texas, downstream about 200 miles to Amistad. The park closed the Old Maverick Road, roads to Santa Elena Canyon and Paint Gap, and other backcountry roads and trails. The flooding is occurring because two weeks of rain in the Mexican state of Chihuahua caused reservoirs to overflow dams along the Rio Conchos. [UPI news story, 9/29]
A female Mexican national, age 19, approached ranger Kathy Hambly at Castellon at 3:00 a.m. on the morning of December 18th and asked for medical assistance for an unspecified illness. Shortly thereafter, the woman went into convulsions. She was kept alive through the administration of advanced life support measures and transported to the medical center in Alpine, where she later died. The cause of death is not presently known. An investigation is underway. [Phil Koepp, BIBE, via telefax from Cliff Chetwin, RAD/SWRO, 12/18]
United Press International reports this morning that several smugglers have been stopped and arrested in the park this month. On December 6th, rangers stopped a truck carrying a load of fireworks which was attempting to enter the country from Mexico and turned it back. Two pickup trucks carrying more than 3,000 pairs of new shoes were also stopped and turned around that day. The drivers were cited and brought before federal magistrate's court. The story also notes that a van carrying a load of electronic equipment, including VCR's, TV's and microwave ovens, caught fire on River Road on December 17th. Superintendent Rob Arnberger said that rangers and Border Patrol agents have increased patrols along the border in an effort to curtail these and other illegal activities. [UPI, 12/26]
On January 4th, ranger Gary Carver received a report of a motorist with two flat tires who needed assistance. When he arrived at the scene, he recognized the vehicle as one driven by a person he'd cited the previous day for possession of an open container of alcohol and called for backup. Ranger Jim Vukonich and two Border Patrol agents responded. Meanwhile, Carver spoke briefly with the driver and determined that he was intoxicated. As soon as Vukonich and the agents were in place and briefed on the situation, Carver approached the driver to get him out of the vehicle and administer field sobriety tests. He asked the driver to get out of the vehicle; without saying a word, the driver pointed a sawed-off shotgun out of the window and in a direction between the two rangers. The shotgun was loaded and cocked, and the driver had two additional shells in his hand and more in his shirt pocket. All officers drew their weapons and ordered him to drop the shotgun. After a short delay, he complied. The driver was taken into custody and charged with assault on federal officers. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has been made aware of the illegal weapon, but has not yet filed charges. Following a review of the case by the U.S. attorney, the assault charge was dropped in exchange for a guilty plea on misprision of a felony. The driver had claimed that the shotgun belonged to a hitchhiker who was no longer with him, but rangers found evidence that the shotgun did in fact belong to the driver. Upon further investigation, it was learned that the driver was using an alias, that he was on parole in Michigan for kidnapping, and that he was wanted for a parole violation. The plea bargain was then canceled, and the driver pled guilty to the assault charge. He is now awaiting sentencing. [Telefax from Roger Moder, BIBE, 3/5]
Kenneth B. Grisgby, 38, was killed in a one-car accident on the evening of Sunday, March 8th, just outside the park near Study Butte on Highway 118. He was the only person in the vehicle. Grisgby was the park's trails foreman and had been at Big Bend since 1987. He also worked as a park ranger at the Harte Ranch and in the Chisos Basin. Grisgby was an Army veteran and had worked seasonally at a number of other NPS areas, including Lake Meredith, Hot Springs, Crater Lake, Coulee Dam, Death Valley, Curecanti and Guadalupe Mountains. Superintendent Rob Arnberger had this to say about him: "Ken Grisgby was an outstanding trails foreman. He looked at trail work with an artist's eye. He contoured trails to take advantage of special features and vistas. In his trail work, he found a balance among function, resource protection and aesthetic values. He had a great love for his work and the Big Bend country." Grisgby is survived by his mother, sister, two brothers and a grandmother. Funeral services will be held today in Dumas, Texas. [Telefax from Hallie Locklear, RAD/SWRO, 3/10]
On the evening of April 3rd, Border Patrol agent Dannie Burns and rangers Fred Moosman, Dave Evans and Kathy Hambley searched a vehicle which Burns had stopped at the Boquillas Crossing and discovered 112 pounds of marijuana packaged in two 50-pound flour sacks. The two female occupants of the vehicle, R.E. and M.G., one a former NPS employee, had been hiding in Boquillas, Mexico, since last December. The pair had fled the United States after Texas DPS officers conducted an undercover drug sting in a community on the west border of the park. Burns is one of the two Border Patrol agents who reside in the park. [Roger Moder, BIBE, via CompuServe message from Bonnie Winslow, RAD/SWRO, 4/9]
On the afternoon of April 12th, a van carrying 15 students from the Keystone School in San Antonio left the road near Panther Junction and overturned. One student, C.R., 13, was killed. Two others were flown to a hospital in Odessa, were they are reported to be in stable condition, and another eight were treated at the Big Bend Regional Medical Center in Alpine and released. The van, which was driven by R.R., the boy's mother, was one of two vans containing about 30 students who had come to the park on a field trip. [UPI news report, 4/13]
Of the ten students who were injured in the accident, all but two have been released from the hospital. One remains unconscious but is in stable condition; the other is being held for observation for possible internal injuries. Among the injuries incurred in the accident were a fractured pelvis, fractured limbs, a critical head injury and a spinal injury. District ranger Andy Ferguson, who was first on scene, performed triage and served as the incident commander. Other rangers and Terlingua medics provided EMS care. Two Park Police officers in Big Bend for the Secretary's visit assisted on scene; Border Patrol, school district and other park personnel provided a variety of support services, including comforting survivors who were emotionally distressed by the fatality. The cause of the accident is under investigation. [CompuServe message from Bonnie Winslow, RAD/SWRO, 4/15]
M.P., a.k.a. J.M., has been sentenced to five years without possibility of parole for pulling a sawed-off shotgun on rangers during a traffic stop in the park on January 4th. Rangers Gary Carver and James Vukonich had ordered M.P. out of his vehicle to conduct a sobriety test on him; M.P. had pointed a loaded and cocked weapon at the two rangers and the two Border Patrol officers who were backing them up. The officers had drawn their weapons and ordered him to drop the shotgun, which he did after a short delay. Upon further investigation, rangers learned that M.P. was on parole in Michigan for kidnapping and that he was wanted for a parole violation. Once he completes his sentence, he will be serving eight more years for the parole violation. [CompuServe message from Bonnie Winslow, RAD/SWRO, 4/16]
Secretary of Interior Lujan visited the park for the first time between April 13th and 15th. While there, he took a two-day river trip through Santa Elena Canyon. Secretary Lujan was accompanied by Regional Director Cook and Deputy Assistant Secretary Jennifer Salisbury, and was met at the park and accompanied on the river by Eliseo Mendoza, Governor of Coahuila, Mexico, Director of SEDUE Graciela de la Garza, and Congressman Albert Bustamante. U.S. Customs staged a helicopter and crew in the park to provide security and medical evacuation. Park Police assigned to the Secretary and park rangers were assisted by an incident management team. [CompuServe message from Bonnie Winslow, RAD/SWRO, 4/21]
On the evening of May 30th, rangers received information that a fugitive from a drug trafficking warrant who was hiding in Boquillas, Mexico, would be arriving in the park shortly. When the rangers located and approached her, she falsely identified herself. When her true identity and the warrant were confirmed, she attempted to escape but was taken into custody. The rangers found a pile of personal belongings 100 yards from her, but she denied they were hers. While unsuccessfully searching the apparently abandoned belongings for the owner's identification, they found a brick of marijuana. The fugitive was subsequently taken into custody by a Brewster County deputy. Two more fugitives from drug trafficking warrants remain with their children in Boquillas. [Assistant CR, BIBE, via telefax from Jim Radney, RLES, RAD/SWRO, 6/1]
M.M., 61, was visiting The Window in the Chisos Mountains as part of a Chisos Remuda trail ride on the afternoon of June 12th when she fell and broker her right arm while being assisted over a slippery spot in the foot trail by one of the wranglers. Ranger Gary Carver was the first responder on scene; he conducted the initial assessment and stabilized M.M. The extent of her injuries and her intense pain necessitated a carryout by a nine-person park team. [Andy Ferguson, BIBE, via fax from Bonnie Winslow, RAD/SWRO, 6/15]
On June 28th, a park ranger in an observation point guided Border Patrol agents on horseback and in a vehicle to three illegal aliens who were hiking cross country through the park. at 1:30 a.m. on the following morning, a Border Patrol agent stopped a vehicle by park headquarters; all the occupants of the vehicle ran for cover. None were found in the darkness, and the car was impounded. That afternoon, an interpretive ranger noticed six Hispanic males drinking from a spigot by his office window and alerted rangers and the Border Patrol, who subsequently apprehended the men. All were occupants of the vehicle. A seventh occupant was later spotted on foot 12 miles away and apprehended. [Roger Moder, ACR, BIBE, 7/7]
On August 25th, rangers and Department of Agriculture APHIS agents rounded up eight head of trespass horses near San Vicente Crossing on the border with Mexico. The owner tried to take them back from the APHIS agents, but rangers intervened. Although the owner made a number of threats, they were not specific enough to warrant an arrest. The livestock may be recovered after they have been tested for disease and fines and impoundment fees have been paid. Ever since the park was created, Mexican owners have allowed their livestock to trespass in the park all along the border and have even driven livestock into the park for grazing. Significant resource damages have resulted. Six horses were impounded in a roundup in this area two months ago, but livestock owners continue the practice even though they cannot afford to recover impounded animals. [Roger Moder, ACR, BIBE, 8/26]
Ranger Marcos Paredes was on river patrol on September 6th when he came upon a young Mexican crossing the river on horseback. The young man floated off his horse in deep water with a swift current, began thrashing about, then rolled over. Paredes jumped out of his canoe and towed the man to shore. After pulling him out of the water, Paredes was able to open the man's airway; he began coughing and retching and spontaneously resumed breathing. As Paredes went to retrieve his canoe, which was floating downstream, the man left the area. His identity is unknown. [Pat Grediagin, BIBE, 9/10]
On September 17th, rangers and Border Patrol agents completed a three-day surveillance of suspicious activity in the Cottonwood campground with the arrest of S.B. of Brookville, Pennsylvania, for possession of about ten pounds of marijuana. When S.B. left the campground, he was followed and stopped inside the park. "Judge Roy Bean", the park's narcotics detection dog, was brought to the scene and alerted on a spare tire in the vehicle. The tire was dismantled in the park auto shop and the marijuana was found inside. [RAD/SWRO, 9/25]
A joint National Park Service - Department of Agriculture round-up conducted between October 29th and 31st led to the capture of trespass livestock from Mexico. Rangers and a USDA agent loaded their saddles and gear into rafts and floated six miles down the Rio Grande to Santa Elena Canyon. They built a trap at a spring, waited for the livestock to come to the water, then captured eight horses and burros. They saddled three of the animals and herded the rest eight miles across Mesa De Anguila to Lajitas. The Mexican owners had been informed of the park round-ups, but apparently thought that their livestock was safe in this portion of the park, since it is only accessible from the river. [Roger Moder, BIBE, 11/4]
A joint drug interdiction operation conducted by the park, Border Patrol, DEA and Customs led to the netting of a 200-pound load of marijuana on the evening of November 10th. The load was transported across the Rio Grande and into the park via horse, and was interdicted at a backcountry campsite in Big Bend. Two Mexicans from Santa Elena were arrested with the load; three others escaped into Mexico despite efforts by rangers to unseat the horsemen. [RAD/SWRO, 11/13]
On December 29th, M.W., a 34-year-old professional rodeo clown, experienced extreme back pain and numbness in his leg while hiking in the Chisos Mountains. A team of eight protection, resource management and maintenance employees responded on December 30th and carried M.W. a mile and a quarter to a clearing large enough for a Border Patrol helicopter to land. M.W. was flown to park headquarters, where Terlingua medics administered morphine for the pain. Due to the severity of the injury, which turned out to be a broken coccyx and a spinal compression fracture, the morphine had little effect. Rangers then took M.W. to the hospital in Alpine for further treatment. M.W.'s comment regarding the pain: "When I was gored by a bull through the cheek and flung around the stadium, that was a ten; by comparison, this was an eight." Ranger Connie Cox served as incident commander for the rescue operation. [RAD/SWRO, 1/6]
Three rangers, two Border Patrol agents and a Department of Agriculture agent infiltrated the San Vicente Crossing area on foot at 1 a.m. on January 6th and captured trespass horses. Following the last two successful roundups, residents of the Mexican town of San Vicente said that they would hobble their horses in the park close to the river so they could be retrieved before rangers could round them up. An unexpected bonus was realized when the team spotted and stopped three vehicles at the crossing at 3 a.m. and found that the drivers were attempting to illegally transport commercial goods through the park and into Mexico. The haulers were trying to bypass Mexican customs. [RAD/SWRO, 1/7]
On the afternoon of February 10th, Charley Wayne Gladden, 49, an employee and resident of the park, died at his home of an apparent heart attack. Gladden had complained of not feeling well earlier in the day, and had apparently taken a nitroglycerine pill shortly before suffering the fatal attack. Rangers responded and immediately began resuscitation efforts; Terlingua medics began administering advanced life support measures shortly thereafter. All were efforts to revive him proved fruitless. Gladden was a lead engineering equipment operator and had joined the NPS last year. He is survived by his wife, Sharon, seven children, and 13 grandchildren. [Jim Northup, CR, BIBE, 2/11]
Border Patrol agents intercepted a truck loaded with boxes of frozen chickens which was heading for Mexico through the park at 3:30 a.m. on February 9th. At about the same time the following morning, the agents intercepted two more trucks which were also loaded with boxes of frozen chickens. One of the drivers had been cited by rangers in December for commercial hauling of chickens. The operators were headed for the crossing at San Vicente, where they could drive across the river and avoid both U.S. and Mexican customs. Apparently, there is an excellent market for relatively cheap chickens smuggled from the U.S. because of high prices in Mexico. Rangers issued citations to all involved in the smuggling efforts. [Roger Moder, CR, BIBE, 2/12]
On January 13th, B.B., a former NPS employee who resides outside the park, observed what he thought was suspicious activity in a park area known for archeological resources. When the vehicle returned, B.B. was ready and employed a spotting scope to monitor the occupants' activities. He saw them take a rock that appeared to be a metate (grinding stone) and advised the park. Ranger Gary Carver responded, but was unable to find the vehicle. The next day, ranger Connie Cox located the vehicle in a neighboring community. Cox, Carver and a county deputy contacted the owners, Mr. and Mrs. T.M., who are from the Dallas area; they admitted to stealing the metate and showed the park staff the exact spot from which it had been taken. Rangers are working with an assistant U.S. attorney to determine the method of prosecution. [Roger Moder, CR, BIBE, 2/12]
On the morning of February 21st, a Border Patrol agent spotted a vehicle traveling through the park which had earlier been reported as a possible suspect vehicle being utilized for narcotics smuggling through the park. Drugs were thought to be hidden in the spare tire. Rangers and "Judge Roy Bean", the park's narcotics detection dog, were called in to assist. Following positive confirmation of the vehicle description and tag number, contact was made with the vehicle's two occupants at an overlook. The dog alerted to the area surrounding the spare tire and air stem. Subsequent investigation led to the discovery of 31 pounds of marijuana in the tire. Two suspects in their 40s were arrested. [Jim Northup, BIBE, 2/23]
On March 9th, family members brought M.C.-G. of Santa Elena, Mexico, to rangers at Castolon for medical care. They had not been able to rouse him for several hours; by the time rangers Bill Wright and Kathy Hambly saw him, he was pulseless and not breathing. They began CPR on him and continued it for more than an hour until medics from Terlingua arrived on scene and were able to get a doctor to authorize termination of resuscitation efforts. Between 20 and 30 family members watched the two rangers perform CPR. Cardiac arrest is the suspected cause of death. M.C.-G. was taken back to Mexico for burial. [Roger Moder, CR, BIBE, 3/18]
The park is experiencing the busiest spring break it has ever had. Record- setting amounts have been collected in entrance fees and cooperating association book sales, lines of visitors extend outside the Panther Junction visitor center and restrooms, and all visitor facilities are being taxed beyond limits. The waste water system at Panther Junction has been overwhelmed and emergency repairs have been required. Campsites have remained full throughout the period; over 350 groups camped in overflow campgrounds each night last week, double the number of established camping sites. All primitive backcountry walk-in and drive-in campsites have been full throughout the week. Thirty law enforcement actions occurred over the weekend before last. The shortage of patrol staff has meant long response times to visitor assist calls. Rangers are reportedly "moving from one incident to another, trying to provide temporary resolutions...before moving on to the next call." [RAD/SWRO, 3/19]
Chief ranger Jim Northup and his family were walking down the shoulder of the main park road on March 7th when a motorist swerved towards them twice, apparently attempting to scare them. Northup ran a mile to the nearest telephone to report the incident and found that ranger Wesloh was already interviewing the driver regarding other complaints. The driver, who doesn't remember ever seeing Northup and his family, was arrested for DUI and reckless conduct. [Roger Moder, BIBE, 3/18]
Ruben Ramirez, a maintenance worker at Big Bend, was killed in a one-car rollover accident in the early morning hours of April 17th. The accident occurred in the park and is currently under investigation. No further details are available. [Jim Northup, CR, BIBE, 4/19]
Fourteen-year-old S.G. of El Paso, Texas, drowned in the Rio Grande a mile upstream from the entrance to Boquillas Canyon on the afternoon of June 6th. S.G. was swimming in the river with a friend when he began to experience difficulties. His father jumped into the river, but was unable to save him. The body was recovered by rangers in 15 feet of water only a few feet from the point last seen. Critical incident stress services were provided to the family throughout the incident. [Jim Northup, CR, BIBE, 6/7]
On August 31st, an American visitor to the park reported that she'd been sexually assaulted while visiting Boquillas, a village adjacent to the park in Mexico which is frequented by visitors. The woman, who was traveling alone, was walking along the road which connects the town to the crossing to the park when a man hit her in the face with a rock, threw her to the ground, and attempted to disrobe her. The woman began to talk to her assailant, challenging his reasons for wanting to assault her. This approach, together with the sounds of a person approaching them, appeared to scare the assailant away. The passerby, who was another American tourist, helped the woman back into the park, where she reported the incident to rangers. Her injuries included several scrapes and bruises and several loose teeth. She said she could easily identify her assailant, as she'd gotten a good look at him and had seen two distinctive tattoos on his chest, including one of his nickname, "L.." Although several village residents were able to name the suspect based on the description provided by rangers, town officials were at first uncooperative, fearing retribution from the assailant. Mexican law enforcement authorities and the governor's office were accordingly contacted for assistance. On September 1st, the superintendent issued a closure order for the park area surrounding the crossing and sent several rangers to Boquillas to meet with town officials, explain the park's concerns, and advise them that the crossing from the park into Mexico had been closed. Tourists in Boquillas were informed of the imminent closure of the crossing and advised to return to the United States. Once all of them had returned, the closure was put into effect. Within hours, word was received in the park that the suspect had been captured by town residents and was being held pending the arrival of Mexican law enforcement authorities. Arrangements were made to have the victim identify her assailant. Identification proved difficult as the suspect could not be brought into the United States and the victim refused to cross the river into Mexico. An effort at photographic identification proved inconclusive. Mexican law enforcement officers arrived the next day and were briefed by park staff. The suspect was questioned in Boquillas. The man, who had at least one prior conviction for sexual assault in the United States, had two tatoos, one of which read "Lalo". He was taken into custody, then taken into another room. The Mexican authorities emerged shortly thereafter with a full confession. The suspect was taken to the interior of Mexico for prosecution. The superintendent's closure order was rescinded the following day, and regular travel across the border resumed. [Jim Northup, CR, BIBE, 9/8]
On August 29th, a resident of Santa Elena, Mexico, a small village along the park's boundary, crossed the border to report that a group of five "bandits" had come into town and killed one of his goats. He believed that the men, who threatened him with weapons, were drug smugglers, and asked the park to notify Mexican law enforcement authorities, based about 30 miles from the town. Four Mexican federal police and ten state police officers arrived in the village at 11 p.m. After gathering some intelligence, they raided the home of Manuel Acosta, the brother of Pablo Acosta, the notorious drug smuggler who was gunned down in Santa Elena during a joint Mexican/United States law enforcement operation in 1987 (incident 87-52, which involved DEA and FBI agents but no park rangers). During the raid, an undetermined quantity of marijuana was seized along with a handgun, a .223 semi-auto rifle, and a Thompson submachine gun. A Mexican state policeman shot himself in the foot while unloading rounds from the .223; he was transported to the park, treated by rangers, then taken to a hospital. One arrest was made during the raid. Four men fled, including one U.S. citizen who made it across the river before being captured by the Mexican authorities. He was extensively interviewed by rangers, Border Patrol agents, and Mexican officers, but was not arrested due to a lack of probable cause or outstanding warrants. During the interviews, the man told authorities that a half ton of marijuana was being prepared for shipment on the other side of the border. Surveillance is accordingly being conducted at several locations. The investigation continues. [Jim Northup, CR, BIBE, 9/8]
On January 12th, Judge Roy Bean, the park narcotics detection dog, alerted on the trunk of a vehicle belonging to visitors suspected of selling marijuana. The visitors had solicited someone to sell guns for drugs, so rangers and a Border Patrol officer began surveillance on the suspects. When the dog alerted to the vehicle, a search was conducted and yielded 13 ounces of marijuana packaged for resale. According to the subjects, they bought the marijuana in Boquillas, Mexico, and were trying to re-sell it in the park to earn money to work their way across the country. [Bonnie Winslow, RAD/SWRO, 1/31]
While on patrol last weekend, Chisos district ranger Connie Cox pulled alongside a flagman at a road construction project who had stopped traffic in such a way as to prevent access to one of the park's major trailhead lots during one of the busiest weekends of the year. The flagman almost immediately became very argumentative, sticking the antenna from his radio in Cox's face and telling her that he "didn't have to take this" and that she should talk to his supervisor. The flagman continued to stick his radio antenna in Cox's face and verbally abuse her after she exited her vehicle to seek out the supervisor. As Cox reached up to push the radio away from her face, the flagman attacked, shoving her against the patrol car and grabbing her by the throat with both hands. The flagman continued to choke Cox until confronted by several park visitors. Cox advised her assailant that he was under arrest and ordered him to the ground, but he refused to comply. Upon arrival of backup, Cox's assailant was arrested and charged with assault on a federal officer and interfering with an agency function by failing to obey a lawful command. Cox did not suffer any serious injuries. The FBI has been notified and is participating in the continuing investigation. [CRO, BIBE, 3/7]
H.A., Jr., of Terlingua, Texas, has been convicted of felony assault on ranger Connie Cox and sentenced to six months in federal prison and a year's supervised probation. Cox was on patrol on a weekend early in March when she came upon a road construction project. H.A., who was a flagman for the project, had stopped traffic in such a way as to prevent access to one of the park's major trailhead lots during one of the busiest weekends of the year. Cox stopped to talk to H.A., who almost immediately became very argumentative, sticking the antenna from his radio in Cox's face and telling her that he "didn't have to take this" and that she should talk to his supervisor. The flagman continued to stick his radio antenna in Cox's face and verbally abuse her after she exited her vehicle to seek out the supervisor. As Cox reached up to push the radio away from her face, the flagman attacked, shoving her against the patrol car and grabbing her by the throat with both hands. The flagman continued to choke Cox until confronted by several park visitors. He was subsequently arrested and charged with assault on a federal officer and interfering with an agency function by failing to obey a lawful command. [CRO, BIBE, 7/6]
Earlier this year, rangers at Big Bend initiated Operation Rockcut, a lengthy undercover investigation into illegal reptile poaching in the park. The operation eventually led to the discovery of poaching activities in which many protected species were being illegally collected in Big Bend, Chiricahua, Organ Pipe, Coronado, Fort Davis and on other non-NPS public lands. On the morning of July 20th, Big Bend rangers, Southwest Region special agents and Texas parks and wildlife officers executed federal and state search and arrest warrants in Lajitas, a community just outside park boundaries. At the same time, rangers from Organ Pipe, Montezuma's Castle, Saguaro, Hot Springs, Everglades, Independence, Amistad and San Antonio Missions, together with Park Police officers from New York, executed federal search warrants and interviewed suspects in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, New York, New Jersey, and Texas. Arizona, Florida and New York game and conservation officers were also instrumental in this coordinated interagency effort. James Chisum, Lance Benton, and Wayne Matthews, all of Lajitas, Texas, were arrested on numerous state charges stemming from the investigation into federal Lacey Act violations. Evidence seized in Lajitas included approximately 50 reptiles, articles for hunting and transporting reptiles, documents, photos, cacti, and a firearm. A quantity of illegal drugs was also seized. The investigation into Lacey Act and resource and firearms violations involving both plant and animal poaching from the parks is continuing. As of this date, investigators have identified 27 suspects and 288 state and federal violations, 80 of them Lacey Act offenses. Additional details will follow. The park extends its appreciation to the cooperative interagency efforts of all the law enforcement units involved in this investigation. [Superintendent, BIBE, 7/26]
On the evening of Sunday, September 4th, G.G., an off-duty deputy U.S. marshall, and a companion, J.H., took a drive on Old Ore Road, a 25-mile-long, rough backcountry road. About 15 miles down the road, the couple's Ford pickup became stuck; in the process of attempting to free the truck, it became overheated and broke down. After making several attempts to start the vehicle, G.G. used the only available water they had, meltwater from ice in a cooler, to refill the radiator. All efforts to get the pickup going again failed, however, so the couple spent the night in the desert without food or water, then began walking out the next morning to seek help. After walking about ten miles in over 100 degree heat, G.G. became exhausted and delirious. J.H. employed a handgun G.G. was carrying to fire several shots as a distress signal, then pressed on when it became apparent that G.G. would walk no further. She walked several more miles, firing additional rounds to attract attention, then took shelter under a small creosote bush for shade. She rested for several hours, then began walking again around 8 p.m. After walking a total of 16 miles in beach thongs with no water, J.H. reached a paved park road, where she was discovered by a park concession employee and transported to park headquarters. A search was immediately initiated for G.G., who was found dead a short time later at the location where J.H. had last seen him. Although a number of spent bullet cartridges were found next to his body, there is no indication of foul play at this time. An autopsy is being performed and the investigation continues. [Roger Moder, LES, Big Bend, 9/8]
On the afternoon of Tuesday, November 2nd, park visitors reported finding a body in Pine Canyon #1, a roadside designated backcountry campsite in the park. The reporting parties said that they had seen an individual lying on the ground outside his tent at this campsite as they drove by earlier in the day to reach the Pine Canyon trail head, but had assumed at the time that the individual was asleep. When returning from their hike several hours later, they noted that he had not moved and accordingly investigated. Although they did not touch the body or observe any obvious signs of foul play, they did report blood coming from his nose and mouth. Rangers immediately sealed off all roads leading from this area of the park; all departing parties were identified and interviewed. Border Patrol checkpoints were established north of the park, and officers stopped and identified all parties traveling north from the vicinity of the park. An investigative team was dispatched to protect the scene and interview nearby camping parties. Since darkness was rapidly approaching, a decision was made not to attempt to process the scene until the following morning. An FBI evidence collection team was also requested. Scene protection and egress checkpoints were maintained throughout the night. The park airplane was dispatched to transport the evidence collection team, which arrived in the park at approximately 11 a.m. the following morning. The aircraft was later used to search for additional evidence and to identify the location of backcountry parties who had not yet been contacted by rangers. Upon initial examination, it appeared that the victim, identified as G.M., 43, of San Antonio, Texas, might have died accidentally from a fall and an associated head wound. There was no clear evidence of a struggle or foul play, although it appeared that the G.M.'s body and personal belongings might have been pilfered after his death. An empty cartridge was soon found lying beneath a bush approximately six feet away from the victim, and a second empty cartridge of the same caliber was found nearby a short time later. When the body was examined, two gunshot wounds were found - one to the chest, the other to the head. There were no exit wounds. At this time, robbery appears to be the motive for this homicide. It is believed that a small handgun and some of the contents of the victim's wallet were the main items stolen. There are no suspects. A joint FBI/NPS investigation continues. Notification of next of kin was performed by rangers from San Antonio Missions. [Jim Northup, CR, Big Bend, 11/4]
On the evening of March 1st, rangers assisted Border Patrol agents in a surveillance operation near Terlingua that resulted in the seizure of almost 250 pounds of marijuana. The agents had requested assistance from rangers when they received information that a load of drugs would be smuggled through the park's West District. The delivery was made by horseback, and was intercepted at a drop-off point just outside the park's west boundary. One arrest was made at the scene. Investigation revealed that the load of marijuana had originated in Mexico and crossed into the park near the Castolon area. [Bill Wright, DR, BIBE, 3/13]
On March 31st, park VIPs reported a man unconscious in his vehicle at the Boquillas overlook. Responding ranger Martinez and park medic Cox found a medic alert tag on the man indicating he was a diabetic; a patient assessment revealed that he was hypoglycemic. Glucagon was administered, and the victim quickly responded. Indications are that he would have suffered brain damage or death without Martinez and Cox's timely intervention. [Jim Northup, CR, BIBE, 4/7]
On April 8th, B.R., 25, and R.K., 22, left their campsite in the park to visit the village of Boquillas. After darkness fell, they began the mile walk back to the river and the international boundary. As they walked down the road, they heard gun shots behind them, at least one of which was clearly fired in their direction. A man began chasing them and eventually confronted them with a small handgun at the river's edge. The couple waded into the shallows in an attempt to cross the river on foot. As they did so, B.R. was struck around the head and shoulders with the butt of the gun and received several facial lacerations. The struggle continued across the river and continued in the park. Although they surrendered their money, B.R. reported that the assailant continued to point his gun directly at him, saying that he wanted R.K. The assailant fled back to Mexico when other visitors appeared at the crossing. Park officials have closed the crossing. A joint U.S./Mexican investigation is underway. [Jim Northup, Cr, BIBE, 4/7]
On May 29th, M.C. and Ju.C., their son, Je.C., 14, and a 14-year-old friend of the family hiked into the park backcountry along the Marufa Vega trail, a 12-mile loop leading into Boquillas Canyon, one of the more remote and rugged areas of the park. After several hours of hiking, members of the group became separated and lost, but eventually reunited along the Rio Grande, six miles from the trailhead. Temperatures were in the 100s, and the group was out of water. After spending a night near the river, they met two other parties that offered assistance - one to lead them out, the other to filter water for them - but they refused both offers and instead attempted to leave the backcountry by retracing their route. They again became lost, so returned to the river to hike up the river corridor towards a small Mexican village about eight miles upstream. Meanwhile, rangers, apprised of the C.'s situation by one of the parties that had contacted them, began a search for them with a Border Patrol helicopter. They found the party along the river late in the afternoon, still six miles from their destination. Members of the group were sunburned, dehydrated and hypothermic from wading in the river. All members of the party had consumed untreated river water in order to survive. The party was flown out to the trailhead. Ju.C. was hospitalized for several days with intestinal problems which came from drinking the river water. [Gus Martinez, DR, East District, BIBE, 6/9]
A Border Patrol agent stopped a suspicious van near the Boquillas Canyon area of the park on the evening of July 30th. Ranger Brian Lakes immediately responded as backup. The van had been under surveillance earlier in the day by both agents and rangers. A cursory customs search of the van led to the discovery of some marijuana, so the driver, J.G., of Fort Stockton, Texas, was placed under arrest and taken to park headquarters. A further search of the vehicle led to the discovery of more than 460 pounds of marijuana. [DR, East District, BIBE]
On September 21st, J.M.V., a Mexican national, disappeared in the Rio Grande as he was crossing by horseback from the park to Mexico. J.M.V. had been in the park looking for his family's livestock. His brother and others searched for him, but without success. The park was notified early on the following day, and employed the park plane and a boat in a search for him. J.M.V.'s drowned horse was found in Santa Elena Canyon, about nine miles downstream; J.M.V.s's body was found on the bank of the river in the park the following day. The body was returned to family members in Mexico. [Pat Grediagin, DR, River District, BIBE]
Jeff Winterrowd, 25, a park VIP, died on December 11th in an off-duty accident. Winterrowd and a fellow park employee had hiked to the Mesa de Anguila, one of the most rugged and remote portions of the park, for an overnight camping trip. As they prepared for bed, Winterrowd walked over to the edge of a canyon rim overlooking Tinaja Rena. His companion heard him cry out and saw him fall off the edge. Winterrowd's friend rushed to the edge, called out, and searched for him in the dark with a flashlight. His efforts proved futile, however, so he packed up his belongings and hiked six miles to seek help. An initial response team was immediately dispatched to the scene and arrived at 5:30 a.m. They discovered that Winterrowd had fallen about 165 feet to his death. A park rescue team, assisted by a Border Patrol helicopter, recovered the body. The investigation into his death continues. Further details will follow. Winterrowd had worked at the park since September. [Jim Northup, CR, BIBE]
On the afternoon of February 10th, A.L., 19, a trail volunteer who had just arrived in the park, headed out for a hike to the summit of Emory Peak, the highest peak in the park. A.L. missed a critical trail junction, however, and ended up climbing the very steep, north facing scree slopes on Toll Mountain. A.L. climbed a 90-foot vertical face to reach what she thought was the summit, only to find herself stranded on an isolated pinnacle with no safe descent route. Visitors heard her cries for help and notified rangers late in the afternoon. Ranger Gary Carver reached an area near A.L. within two hours, but was unable to climb safely to her by himself. Rescuers could not be flown to a safe location above A.L. before dark, so rescue efforts were suspended for the night. Carver spent the night on a ledge near A.L. and maintained voice contact with her throughout the night. A.L. was dressed in only thin pants and a t-shirt; the temperature dropped to 34 degrees and was accompanied by strong, gusty winds. Chief ranger Jim Northup led a technical climb to the victim at first light. She was safely lowered and treated for hypothermia. [CRO, BIBE]
On February 6th, backpackers reported finding human remains along a trail in Ernst Basin, a remote and seldom visited portion of the park's backcountry. Investigation ruled out foul play at the scene; an autopsy ruled out gunshot or blunt trauma as the cause of death. The remains are believed to be those of a Mexican national who was reported missing by his family last August - two months after a companion, who insisted he was traveling alone, was apprehended by the Border Patrol while walking cross-country through the park. There are no dental records or skeletal features which would make a positive identification possible. The Army's forensic pathology lab has offered to conduct DNA analysis in an effort to make a positive identification. Arrangements are being pursued through the U.S. consulate and Mexican law enforcement authorities to obtain a donation of blood from a member of the missing man's family. [Jim Northup, CR, BIBE]
A year-long investigation into suspected looting of archeological sites in the park culminated on March 11th in the conviction of four defendants on six charges of disturbing and possessing archeological, cultural and natural resources. Over the year, rangers investigated several seasonal residents of the area in connection with reports of illegal collecting in the park. On March 9th, a vehicle belonging to one of the suspected collectors was found parked at an access point to several archeological sites. Rangers hiked in, began surveillance of the area, and watched four people collect items for about an hour. They were stopped near the west entrance as they attempted to leave the park. Among the 35 objects that they'd taken were arrowheads, points, chips, a knife and a rainbow cactus. [Bill Wright, DR, West District, BIBE]
A three-day undercover surveillance operation resulted in the arrests of two Mexican nationals on plant poaching charges on the Mesa De Anguila on March 21st. The two men, J.G.-C. and G.G.-C., were charged in connection with illegally gathering and attempting to smuggle candelilla, an indigenous plant that can be processed into a form of wax. The operation was begun on March 19th in response to numerous reports of candelilla poaching occuring along the Rio Grande near the entrance to Santa Elena Canyon. A wax camp had been established in Mexico across the river from the suspected poaching location. Both men had been contacted previously by rangers and warned not to collect candelilla on the United States side of the river. Rangers also confiscated three burros, pack saddles, and approximately 80 pounds of illegally harvested candelilla. The men and their burros were escorted on foot across the mesa, a very remote section of the western end of the park, to Lajitas, where they were then trasported to a jail in Alpine, Texas. Both pled guilty in magistrate's court to misdemeanor Lacey Act charges and 36 CFR violations for distributing and possessing natural resources. J.G.-C. was sentenced to 19 days in jail and G.G.-C. was sentenced to 15 days in jail. Both men, who were in the country illegally, will be turned over to Border Patrol for deportation after serving out their sentences. [Bill Wright, DR, West District, BIBE]
A 78-year-old male visitor became separated from his spouse while the couple hiked on the Rio Grande Village nature trail on the morning of Wednesday, April 3rd. A search was mounted which employed over 40 people, including park employees, volunteers, SCAs, Border Patrol personnel, and residents of adjacent villages in Mexico; district ranger Gus Martinez was incident commander. Temperatures rose to 92 degrees on Wednesday. The man was found by local Mexican residents on Thursday afternoon. The man had spent a day and a night in a dense thicket of river cane. He was hungry and thirsty when found, but otherwise in good condition. [CRO, BIBE]
In 1994, rangers at Big Bend initiated Operation Rockcut, a lengthy undercover investigation into illegal reptile poaching in the park. The operation eventually led to the discovery of poaching activities in which many protected species were being illegally collected in Big Bend, Chiricahua, Organ Pipe, Coronado, Fort Davis and on other non-NPS public lands. Cases against 13 of the 27 individuals subsequently identified by investigators were submitted to the U.S. attorney in Austin, Texas, and another nine were referred to the state for possible prosecution (the remaining individuals were cited for 36 CFR violations). Of the nine referred to Texas, three resulted in plea convictions; of the 13 federal cases, four were adjudicated via pleas to 36 CFR violations, and four to Arizona state charges. The remainder were not prosecuted for various reasons. Three cases are still pending. [Phil Young, SA, OSFT, IMFA]
R.P., 71, and L.P., 56, were reported overdue from a day hike on the Marufa Vega trail on the evening of March 7th. The P.s are volunteers at the park, but were unfamiliar with the area. The trail is an 18-mile-long loop and is a difficult trail to finish in one day, as it is in steep and rugged terrain and is hard to follow. Temperatures at the time were in the mid-80s. A hasty team was sent out that night, but was unable to locate the couple. A full-scale search was begun on Saturday, with district ranger Gus Martinez as IC. Border Patrol and Customs helicopters (the latter with infra-red detection capability) were employed, and a dog team was ordered. About 35 people, mostly from the park, were committed to the search. A ground search team consisting of trail crew members Tim Onstott and Shelly Lane found the P.s on Sunday. They were off the trail and on a ledge on the canyon rim above the Rio Grande. Both were suffering from severe exhaustion and dehydration. Follow-up interviews revealed that they had run out of water on Saturday morning after having hiked late into the evening on Friday. On Saturday afternoon they were recycling their urine and beginning to hallucinate, seeing boulders that they believed were canteens or tents with water and food in them. They also said that the helicopter flew over them several times on Saturday; at one point they thought that they had been spotted, so the stayed on the ledge where they were found. It is important to note that they were found by ground searchers who were able to point out their exact location, even though they made every effort to attract the helicopters's attention. This is due in part to the fact that they were wearing light colored clothing, which is appropriate in a desert environment but not conducive to being spotted from the air. [Gus Martinez, DR, East District, BIBE, 3/11]
On May 3rd, rangers received a report of a hiker experiencing difficulties who had been left unconscious about three to four miles from the Juniper Canyon trailhead, a remote trailhead on the east end of the Dodson trail. Rangers arrived on the scene around 10:30 p.m. and found that the victim, E.P., 49, of Bertram, Texas, had expired. According to the initial report, E.P. had become delirious and passed out around 3 p.m. that afternoon. A member of his party hiked out and drove to park headquarters to report the incident. The initial report was received in park dispatch just after 7 p.m. E.P. had been on a three day backpacking trip with three companions. The initial autopsy results indicate that E.P. died from heat stroke. According to the members of the party, E.P. was carrying about two quarts of water with him at the time of his death. Ranger Steve Spanyer was IC on the incident. [Bill Wright, CR, BIBE, 5/5]
A large amount of marijuana was seized in the park recently during "Operation Rio Grande," a multi-agency operation involving the NPS, Customs, DEA, Border Patrol and county sheriffs. On September 30th, Border Patrol agents requested assistance in stopping and searching a Chevy Blazer S-10 operated by S.A., 33, a Mexican national. A search of the vehicle's undercarriage revealed wrapped packages that smelled of marijuana. The vehicle was taken to the park's auto shop, where rangers Gary Carver and Gus Martinez employed an air chisel to remove the vehicle's false floor. Inside were 446 pounds of marijuana. S.A. was arraigned in magistrate's court on October 2nd on one felony count of transporting/delivering a controlled substance. This was the seventh (and largest) seizure in as many days in the park's Presidio area. It is important to note that during this operation an elderly couple from the northeast was arrested for transporting approximately 300 pounds of marijuana in their motorhome while crossing the border at the Presidio. [DR, East District, BIBE, 10/26]
M.M., 25, of Pecos, Texas, was sentenced to five years supervised probation for felony possession of a controlled substance in federal court in October. On May 20th, ranger Gary Carver received information from Customs regarding a suspicious vehicle. Carver subsequently contacted the occupants of the vehicle - M.M. and a juvenile companion - in front of the Panther Junction visitor center. M.M. was arrested for outstanding traffic warrants and the juvenile was cited for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. A Border Patrol narcotics detection dog was employed to check the vehicle. The dog alerted to the rear seat area. Two bottles of valium and rohypnol were found. Rohypnol is known on the street as the "date rape" drug and is being used and sold in border cities. [Gus Martinez, DR, East District, BIBE, 10/29]
On January 2nd, visitors reported discovering the body of a man in a remote section of the park near the Smoky Creek drainage. The body was discovered on the afternoon of January 1st, but the report could not be made until the next day due to the distance from the nearest trailhead. Ranger Curt Dimmick flew to the area in a Border Patrol helicopter. Dimmick began an investigation and secured the scene for the evening. Dimmick and ranger David Horner transported the body back to Panther Junction in the Border Patrol helicopter the following day. The victim was identified as H.W., Jr., of Midland, Texas, who had a permit for an extended backcountry trip. H.W. was familiar with the park and had visited on several occasions. The cause of death has not been determined and is pending autopsy results. The investigation is continuing. [Bill Wright, CR, BIBE, 1/6]
On the evening of January 17th, ranger Gary Carver received a report that a 14-year old boy had become separated from his school group and was missing in the vicinity of Emory Peak in the Chisos Mountains. The boy had been on a hike to the highest point in the park with other students from the Talented and Gifted Magnet School of Dallas. He was found to be missing after the group returned from the hike. A hasty search was conducted to the top of the peak. Searchers found the boy's day pack, jacket and tee-shirt about 25 feet from the summit, but no other clues or signs were found. The search was suspended at 11 p.m. due to darkness, then resumed the next morning. A team of 20 people searched all trails and a technical SAR team checked cliffs in the vicinity. A Border Patrol helicopter overflew the area. All efforts to find the boy proved unsuccessful. Over 40 searchers were in the field in various locations in the Chisos Mountains on Monday, including instructors from an Outward Bound school. Search dogs and helicopters from three agencies were also brought in. Personnel in a Customs helicopter spotted the boy's body among trees and boulders at the base of a steep cliff near the top of Emory Peak late on Monday morning. Ranger Dave Horne led a technical rescue team to the location; extrication from the rugged and hazardous site was done with the assistance of a Marine Corps emergency response helicopter. The search and recovery was a joint effort by employees from all park divisions, by volunteers from several volunteer groups, including Americorps, the national Civilian Conservation Corps and Voyageurs Outward Bound, and by personnel from Customs, the Border Patrol, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and county sheriff departments. The boy would have turned 15 on January 18th. [William J. Wright, CR, BIBE, 1/20]
Ranger Curt Dimmick conducted surveillance on a suspicious vehicle in the Santa Elena District on January 17th. The vehicle was stopped by rangers and Border Patrol agents at 1:35 a.m. the following morning. Approximately 60 pounds of marijuana and a loaded 12-gauge shotgun were found in the vehicle's trunk. The narcotics were probably smuggled across the Rio Grande at the Santa Elena river crossing. [Kathi Hambly, DR, BIBE, 1/28]
On January 1st, hikers found the body of H.W. in a remote section of the backcountry near the Smoky Creek drainage. H.W. had been backpacking and camping in the area and had a permit from the park. An investigation into the cause and circumstances of his death ensued. No food of any kind or sign of food was found in H.W.'s camp, but some native vegetation was found hidden under rocks in plastic bags near the campsite. Among the plants was Mexican buckeye, which is poisonous. Autopsy results were inconclusive. H.W. was an untreated diabetic, and he apparently died of complications brought on by diabetes mellitus. He was also found to be in advanced stages of arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease and chronic pulmonary obstructive disease. It's not known why he was on an extended trip without any food. [Bill Wright, CR, BIBE/RIGR, 3/25]
Earlier this week, national media carried a report about the crash of a small plane loaded with 300 pounds of marijuana in a baseball field near Detroit on the night of April 19th. Some of the area residents who came to the assistance of the dying pilot instead fled with bundles of marijuana. The plane had crossed into the United States from Mexico earlier that day. A ranger at Big Bend spotted it as it flew very low over the park and advised Customs. Three Customs aircraft began following the plane covertly. The pilot, who did not know he was being followed and may have been heading for Canada, apparently attempted to land at the field because he was running low on fuel. The airplane was a home-built craft, made mostly of fiberglass and wood, making it hard to track on radar. [Associated Press, 4/20; Bob Marriott, RAD/WASO, 4/20]
Ranger/pilot Jim Unruh was conducting an aerial patrol of the international border near the Santa Elena crossing early on the morning of June 3rd when he spotted a truck crossing the Rio Grande River into the United States. Ranger Lorante Veress and a Border Patrol agent responded and stopped the vehicle. The nervous driver consented to a search. Forty-three pounds of marijuana in brick form were found in two zippered nylon bags in the vehicle's trunk. The driver was arrested. [Kathy Hambly, DR, BIBE, 6/5]
Rangers received a report of a rape of an 18-year-old concession employee on June 15th. The incident had occurred at 2 a.m. that morning. The FBI was notified, and two agents from the Midland office came to the park and assisted with the investigation. The suspect in the incident, O.L.F., 33, is also a concession employee. O.L.F. has family and ties in Mexico, and he left the park and crossed the border shortly after the incident. An arrest warrant was issued for him on June 17th. He's believed to still be in Mexico, attempting to avoid arrest and possible prosecution. The investigation is continuing and assistance from Mexican authorities will be requested if he does not return to the United States. O.L.F. is a U.S. citizen. [Bill Wright, BIBE, 6/19]
Rangers received a report that a concession employee was overdue from a hike late on the evening of Sunday, February 21st. J.B., 19, had failed to show up for work that morning. According to his roommate, J.B. had departed from his residence in Panther Junction on the 19th for an overnight trip to Panther Peak, a prominent point overlooking the Panther Junction housing area. A search was begun at first light on Monday morning. At 8:30 a.m., ranger/pilot Jim Unruh spotted J.B. a short distance from the mountain's summit. Ranger Gary Carver was flown to J.B.'s location by a Border Patrol helicopter. J.B. had fractured his ankle while hiking down from the peak on Saturday, then had crawled to a high spot and waited for rescuers to find him. Except for his injury, he was in good condition. J.B. was evacuated by helicopter, then taken to a hospital by his parents. The IC for the incident was Dave Horne. [Bill Wright, CR, BIBE, 2/22]
On March 3rd, an extended investigation into resource violations in the park concluded when D.B. of Frederick, Wisconsin, pled guilty in magistrate's court to charges of possession of a loaded weapon and disturbing/possessing natural features (minerals). D.B. had been the center of an investigation into the theft of archeological artifacts and minerals from the park since 1995. Information led investigators to believe that D.B. had been coming to the Big Bend area for ten to twenty years to collect such items. Five of his associates have been convicted on similar charges in recent years. D.B. moved to the Tucson area not long ago, and returned to the park for a two-day collection trip on December 28th. Ranger Lorant Veress found D.B. and his wife collecting items in the Sierra Aguja area. They were stopped by district ranger Cary Brown as they were leaving the park and agreed to a consent search of their vehicle and possessions. Brown found eight pounds of agate and a loaded pistol in a backpack that D.B. had been carrying. The magistrate accepted D.B.'s guilty plea and sentenced him to a $100 fine on the weapons charge and a $500 fine on the disturbing natural resources charge. He was also banned for life from entering either Big Bend NP or Saguaro NP. Assistance in this investigation came from criminal investigators Phil Young and Dan Wirth, Phillip Clous of the Geological Resources Division, and ranger Steve Spanyer from Great Smoky Mountains NP. [Bill Wright, CR, BIBE, 3/9]
A ranger and a Border Patrol agent intercepted a pickup carrying 218 pounds of marijuana on March 21st. The 20-year-old male driver had previously met with Mexican cowboys at the San Vicente crossing on the Rio Grande River. The latter had loaded sugar sacks containing the marijuana into the bed of the truck. The case was referred to a local drug task force for prosecution. The value of the marijuana was estimated at just under $175,000. [CRO, BIBE, 3/24]
On May 22nd, rangers responded to a rollover motor vehicle accident with injuries which occurred on Park Route 11 near the park's north boundary. They found four victims with multiple injuries. Two of the victims had already extricated themselves and were being assisted by first responders. The two remaining in the vehicle were more seriously injured and had to be extricated. All four occupants were then transported to Big Bend Regional Medical Center in Alpine. Two were then medevaced to Lubbock for advanced care. All occupants were wearing seat belts. Alcohol was a contributing factor. [CRO, BIBE, 6/16]
District ranger Cary Brown stopped a vehicle for a routine traffic violation at 6:30 a.m. on the morning of Sunday, May 23rd. Due to inconsistencies in statements made by the driver, Brown became suspicious of his story and activities and asked for assistance from the Border Patrol. A dog and handler were dispatched. After several tries, the search dog hit on an area near the front of the bed of the pickup. Further investigation revealed 245 pounds of marijuana hidden in a false bottom and other hidden compartments. The drugs were coated with oil and mustard in an attempt to deter detection. The driver was arrested and turned over to the joint DEA task force. [CRO, BIBE, 6/16]
Ranger Lorant Veress encountered a visitor who appeared to be in the process of collecting a rattlesnake on the road to Castolon just before 10 p.m. on June 22nd. The man was identified as J.B. from Glen Gardner, New Jersey. J.B. had reptiles in his possession that he claimed to have collected west of Phoenix. Veress pursued a misdemeanor Lacey Act violation because J.B. had collected the reptiles in Arizona without a state hunting license and because he transported them across state lines into the park. He was fined $500 in court for 36 CFR violations and sentenced to a year's prohibition from the park, but was found not guilty on the Lacey Act violation. [Kathi Hambly, DR, BIBE, 6/29]
Between November 30th and December 9th, rangers made three significant drug cases. On the 30th, rangers and Border Patrol agents stopped a vehicle coming into the park from Mexico that was found to contain about six pounds of marijuana. Investigation and interrogation of the driver revealed that he'd originally planned to transport 400 pounds of marijuana into the country, but that his vehicle proved to be too small. The driver, a resident of Austin, Texas, was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute (less than 100 kilograms). Based on his confession, he was also charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance (more than 100 kilograms). During the early morning hours of December 2nd, district ranger Cary Brown saw a suspicious vehicle in the park and stopped it. It was occupied by a man, woman and three-year-old child. Brown conducted a consent search and found a hidden compartment in the bed of the truck which contained 52 packages of marijuana that together weighed almost 200 pounds. The adults were arrested and turned over to DEA; the child was remanded to appropriate state authorities. On the 9th, Brown made a routine traffic stop on a park road. He became suspicious of the driver's story, checked with Customs, and found that the vehicle had entered Mexico a few days previously. The driver, a resident of Nevada, consented to a search of the pickup. Brown found ten large packages of marijuana, also totaling about 200 pounds, concealed in the bed of the pickup and behind the seat. The driver was arrested and turned over to the DEA task force for prosecution. [Bill Wright, BIBE, 12/14]
On October 4th, rangers and Border Patrol agents stopped a pickup truck within the park for traffic violations. A consent search of the vehicle revealed a false bed under the pickup truck's bed and 246 pounds of packaged marijuana. On December 11th, a suppression hearing was held in federal district court. The traffic stop was found to be legal, which made the evidence admissible. The court determined that the stop was fully legal even though the stop for a traffic violation was pretextual in nature. The charge of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute will therefore move forward. [Cary Brown, DR, BIBE, 12/22]
A body was found in a remote section of the park on the morning of March 31st. The chance discovery of the partially buried remains was made by a Border Patrol agent who had been assisting rangers in the search for a person who fled from the scene of a drug arrest. Due to the nature of the incident, assistance with the investigation was sought and received from the FBI. An FBI evidence recovery team from El Paso assisted with body recovery and collected evidence from the area where it was found. A local Texas Department of Public Safety ranger also assisted. An autopsy will be conducted to determine cause of death. The investigation continues. [Bill Wright, CR, BIBE, 4/3]
Ranger Jason Smith saw a recreational vehicle with two men operating in a suspicious manner in the Castolon area of the park on the afternoon of March 31st. A Mexican national from the village of Santa Elena contacted the pair in the Cottonwood campground. Rangers and Border Patrol agents kept them under surveillance and witnessed the apparent delivery of contraband to the RV during the early hours of April 1st. The RV left the campground during the normal flow of morning traffic. Rangers stopped it, seized 504 pounds of marijuana, and made two arrests. The marijuana had been concealed under beds in the RV. [Kathleen Hambly, DR, BIBE, 4/2]
On the morning of March 31st, district ranger Cary Brown saw a pickup heading north on a park road at Panther Junction. The condition of the truck and time of day caught his attention, and he followed it for about five miles. During that time, he ran a check on the pickup, which was traveling at speeds above the posted limit, and discovered that the plates had expired. Brown stopped the pickup; as he approached it on the driver's side, he noticed bundles stacked in the extended cab. Both occupants of the truck were Hispanic and spoke no English. As Brown returned to his vehicle to call for backup, the passenger jumped out of the truck and ran into the desert. The driver also got out, but was immediately placed under arrest. A search for the fleeing passenger was begun with the help of Border Patrol agents, but he was not found and probably returned to Mexico. A total of 463 pounds of marijuana was seized. The driver said that the truck had been loaded in Mexico, crossed the river at Lajitas (just west of the park's boundary), then drove through the park in an effort to avoid the Border Patrol. [Bill Wright, CR, BIBE, 4/2]
The body discovered in the park on March 31st has been positively identified as that of S.R., 43, of San Antonio, Texas. Identification was made through dental records. Investigators were able to narrow down their search when they matched up the remains with the description in a missing persons report filed with San Antonio police earlier this year. Rangers, FBI agents, and Texas DPS investigators are continuing the investigation into the death, which was officially listed as a homicide by the medical examiner's office. A forensic anthropologist was brought in to assist with the autopsy. The exact cause of death has not been determined. Rangers from Lake Roosevelt NRA assisted with notifications to the victim's family in Idaho. [CRO, BIBE, 4/14]
Ranger Jason Smith saw a 65-year-old man acting suspiciously near the Santa Elena crossing gate between the U.S. and Mexico on the afternoon of August 6th. Smith later returned to the crossing and interrupted a narcotics delivery. Three unidentified men fled the area on foot with a vehicle tire. Smith pursued. They discarded the tire and escaped by crossing the Rio Grande in to Mexico. Smith retrieved the tire, which contained about 13 pounds of marijuana valued at over $10,000. The tire matched those on the vehicle the 65-year-old man was driving. No arrests were made. [Kathi Hambly, DR, Santa Elena District, BIBE, 8/10]
On September 21st, a visitor told rangers that he'd been fired upon by a man with a rifle while hiking about a mile north of the K-Bar Ranch. The shooter was described as a member of a group of five people hiking cross-country, two of whom were carrying large backpacks. A major search was begun which involved 13 park personnel, 18 Border Patrol agents (including a special response team), two Customs Citation jets with infrared equipment, and two Border Patrol aircraft, one with night vision equipment. Ranger Nick Herring was overall incident commander. Rangers, Border Patrol trackers and a Border Patrol helicopter checked the area of the alleged shooting at first light on September 22nd. The visitor was asked to help put the trackers on the trail by identifying the spot where he'd seen the five people. A thorough investigation was made, but no physical evidence was found to indicate the presence of anyone in the area. The subsequent investigation and interviews with the visitor led to serious doubts about the veracity of his report. During one of the interviews, the man suffered a panic attack, requiring assistance from a ranger/park medic. He refused further medical treatment once stabilized. A joint NPS-FBI investigation continues. [Mark Spier, Acting CR, BIBE, 9/22]
On September 28th, a Border Patrol officer contacted park dispatch and reported fresh footprints of four people headed north near Harte Ranch. Ranger/pilot Nick Herring, who was conducting a resource protection flight, flew to the area in the park's Cessna 206; ranger Cary Brown also responded. Herring soon spotted the tracks from the air on an old abandoned road northeast of the park airstrip at the ranch. The four illegal immigrants stopped and sought cover in a small arroyo. Herring circled above until a Border Patrol helicopter arrived. Ground units were directed in and the four were taken into custody. No drugs were found with them. They told officers that they'd entered the park from Mexico. [Bill Wright, CR, BIBE, 10/4]
On October 17th, a federal grand jury indicted a man who had been arrested on September 24th by ranger Jason Smith on a charge of felony importation of controlled substances. He was caught with a quantity of marijuana and five peyote cacti after entering the park from Mexico at the Santa Elena crossing. Four days later, ranger Matt Stoffolano made an undercover purchase of 682 grams of peyote cactus from two Mexican nationals at the Boquillas crossing on the Rio Grande. On October 24th, a joint NPS/DEA task force returned to the crossing and attempted to contact the original drug sellers. Stoffolano and a DEA special agent were approached by two other Mexican nationals and negotiated a deal for peyote and cocaine. The drugs were brought across the river from Mexico. After an undercover arrest team was maneuvered into position, the drug sellers were arrested and 965 grams of peyote were seized. [Mark Spier, LES, BIBE, 10/26]
Ranger Matt Stoffolano made a traffic stop for speeding in the park on November 10th. During a consent search of the vehicle, he found and seized a small amount of marijuana, a scale, paraphernalia, and a number of plastic baggies. The two occupants, ages 18 and 20, were from Colorado. The driver also had $2,700 in cash on his person in a manila envelope and later admitted that he intended to purchase at least a pound of marijuana in Boquillas, Mexico. The crossing at Boquillas was closed at the time, though, due to an on-going drug investigation. The driver was therefore on his way to the west end of the park in an attempt to make the purchase in Santa Elena, Mexico. DEA agents were called in for joint prosecution. The two men were arrested; the cash was seized and will likely be forfeited. [Bill Wright, CR, BIBE, 11/13]
Rangers intercepted drug smugglers in separate instances last week. A park employee noticed several white sacks in the bed of Alamo Creek near the Castolon area on January 23rd. Rangers and a Border Patrol agent investigated and found 15 bales of marijuana weighing 519 pounds. The street value has been placed at $415,200. Tracks indicated that two riders with a total of four horses had crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico. A pack train accident occurred about a half mile from the river, with one of the hoses bolting and spilling its cargo while running back to Mexico. A pack saddle with eight bales was cut off another horse and cached near a park road. These were the sacks the employee first spotted. The rangers and agent backtracked down the horses' trail and recovered the other seven bales. On January 24th, DR Cary Brown stopped a vehicle for speeding. The vehicle had what appeared to be an altered temporary tag in the rear window along with Texas license plates, and was found to registered to an individual other than the driver. The driver, a 20-year-old criminal justice major, also gave inconsistent statements about his visit to the park. Brown conducted a consent search of the vehicle and found just under 21 pounds of marijuana in ten bundles in a nylon bag in the trunk. The driver said that he had no money, so had agreed to drive to a border crossing area in the park, leave the car and take a walk, then deliver the vehicle to Odessa, Texas. [Mark Spier, Acting CR, BIBE, 1/29]
On June 17, 2000, a rented vehicle transporting eight illegal aliens attempted to elude pursuing Border Patrol agents by driving off-road through the desert, causing damage to nearly 13,000 square feet of terrain and flora. The driver fled. Rangers worked closely with resource management staff to prepare a damage assessment itemizing investigation and restoration costs, including replacement of cacti and other desert plants. Through the provisions found in 16 USC 19jj, the park billed Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company for the damages caused by their vehicle. Enterprise was able to shift the costs to the insurance carrier for the person who rented the van. The park has received a check from that company for $2,054 and has now established a procedure to facilitate future resource damage cost recovery cases. [Mark Spier, Acting CR, BIBE, 1/29]
Visitors reported the discovery of a body about 300 feet below the south rim of the Chisos Mountains on March 31st. A Border Patrol helicopter was employed to make an initial search, but failed to find the victim. Rangers were subsequently dispatched to the area and found the remains of a man who'd been dead for several days. Due to the location of the victim and the unknown cause of death, they spent two days processing the scene. The victim has been tentatively identified, but his name is being withheld pending release of the medical examiner's report. [Cary Brown, ACR, BIBE, 4/4]
C.M., 23, fell to her death while climbing on the south peak of the Mule Ears on Saturday, April 28th. C.M. was on a camping trip with her boyfriend at the time. As her boyfriend was hiking out for help, he encountered four visitors; they all returned to the scene, but found that C.M. had expired. Another visitor hiked out and contacted rangers, who reached the area with a park medic about four-and-a-half hours after the accident. Due to extremely hazardous exposures and bad rock, a safe carryout of the body was not possible. A Forest Service helicopter from Gila NF flew to the area the following evening and recovered the body. C.M. was a French national who was pursuing a graduate degree at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. The park is working with the French consulate in Houston to assist the family with arrangements. [Mark Spier, Acting CR, BIBE, 4/30]
A single-vehicle accident occurred on Route 13 about four-and-a-half miles west of park headquarters on the afternoon of June 6th. A 1996 Ford Explorer driven by L.A., 29, of Houston, was eastbound when she lost control of the vehicle. The Explorer went off the road onto the right shoulder, then across both lanes of traffic and off the left shoulder, at which point it rolled over and came to rest on its right side. Two-year-old A.A. was sleeping unrestrained on the rear seat and was ejected from the vehicle. Park rangers and medics were on scene within 15 minutes and took over treatment of the injured girl from bystanders who stopped to assist. The child was taken by park ambulance to Big Bend Regional Medical Center in Alpine, where she was pronounced dead. A passenger sustained minor injuries. L.A. was not injured. Evidence found at the scene indicated that alcohol and/or drugs were a contributing factor in the accident. Rangers are pursuing felony charges through the U.S. Attorney's Office. (Mark Spier, Acting CR, BIBE, 6/7)
On June 13th, ranger Jason Smith saw an open container of alcohol and drug paraphernalia in plain sight in a vehicle at the Santa Elena border crossing. Smith and ranger Matt Stoffolano stopped the vehicle when it left the crossing. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery and seizure of more than 300 Valium pills, a small piece of a substance that may be peyote, some prescription medications, and a 12-ounce brick of marijuana that the operator had bought in Mexico. The driver had his two children - ages two and four - with him. He was arrested for felony possession of controlled substances; his children were turned over to Texas child protective services. [Matt Stoffolano, PR, BIBE, 6/19]
Ranger Matt Stoffolano was directing traffic around a disabled vehicle on June 16th when a passing visitor informed him that a large U-Haul style rental truck had pulled off the road about a mile behind him and let out between 20 and 30 people, all of whom ran north into the desert. Stoffolano, another ranger, and Border Patrol agents pursued. Nine undocumented aliens were apprehended that evening, and the remaining twelve were picked up the next day. This is the first known case of a rental-style truck being used to smuggle a large group of illegal immigrants into the park. [Matt Stoffolano, PR, BIBE, 6/19]
The park is experiencing an upsurge in incidents of Mexican nationals attempting to enter the United States through the park: o June 22nd - Visitors reported a man walking along the road between Rio Grande Village and Panther Junction who appeared to need assistance. Ranger Cary Brown located him and found that he was an undocumented immigrant from Mexico who was out of water and subsisting on prickly pear cactus fruits. While this contact was in progress, three more illegal aliens were reported near the park entrance station at Persimmon Gap. Ranger Lance Mattson apprehended the trio. All four were turned over to the Border Patrol. o June 24th - Ranger Gary Carver spotted a suspicious rental van in the Rio Grande Village area and kept an eye on it for most of the day. The van headed northbound from the village as Border Patrol agents were en route to assist Carver. The agents passed the van on the way and turned around to stop it. The driver quickly pulled into the main visitor center parking lot and four people got out and ran into the restroom to hide before the agents got there. Two nationals from Guatemala and two more from El Salvador were later found and arrested. Due to communications problems, however, the agents had already released the driver and van. o June 25th - The next morning, the dispatcher who had been unable to reach the agents was telling another ranger what had happened when they saw the same van drive into the parking lot. The driver got out and checked the restrooms. The vehicle was subsequently stopped north of Panther Junction and the driver was arrested and turned over to the Border Patrol. Although the U.S. attorney declined to take the smuggling case, rangers discovered that the van was stolen from a rental car company and will be prosecuting the driver on theft charges. o June 26th - While off-duty and walking his dog near the housing area at Rio Grande Village, Carver encountered seven people walking north. He asked where they were headed, and they said "America." He asked where they from and was told that they came from El Salvador. He held them there until other rangers could arrive to convey them to Border Patrol agents. Although the agents had been in the park earlier that day, they had left to follow three suspicious vehicles that Carver had discovered. They were stopped outside the park, and two of the three drivers were arrested as illegal immigrants from El Salvador. The vehicles were seized. [Mark Spier, Acting CR, BIBE, 6/27]
Six undocumented aliens were arrested north of the park on July 4th by Border Patrol agents. The six - all Mexican nationals - said that they entered the park at Boquillas Crossing and were going to Chicago to look for employment. All were deported to Mexico. Ten days later, rangers received a report of aliens being smuggled into the park near Rio Grande Village. The report was forwarded to the Border Patrol, and agents intercepted the vehicle north of the park at 1 a.m. Six Mexican nationals were arrested; five were deported, but the driver will be prosecuted. [Cary Brown, ACR, BIBE, 7/16]
On July 7th, Border Patrol agents asked rangers to help them find a vehicle that was heading toward the park on US 385. The vehicle had turned around at an immigration check station and was heading back south. Rangers intercepted the vehicle, arrested three people, and seized 444 pounds of marijuana. The vehicle had evidently crossed the border at Lajitas, Texas, and traveled through the park before being stopped just outside the park's boundary. [Cary Brown, DR, BIBE, 8/8]
An extensive eight day search for a missing hiker ended late Tuesday with the discovery of the body of 18-year-old D.K., a concessions employee of Forever Resorts, Inc. and a resident of Alpine, Texas. D.K. was last seen on Sunday, July 29th, but was not reported as missing until two days later when he failed to report for work at the Chisos Mountains Lodge. Park rangers immediately investigated and began an intensive ground search, with air support provided by a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) helicopter and a Civil Air Patrol airplane. Searchers were hampered by extremely rugged terrain and an almost complete lack of information on where to look, or if D.K. was indeed even within Big Bend. The search intensified through the week of August 1st. NPS personnel were assisted by volunteers from the Terlingua area, seven search dogs from U.S. Tactical K-9 out of Abilene, and an AeroWest contract helicopter from Albuquerque. On August 4th and 5th, search dogs alerted to a remote area of rocky cliffs and talus slopes within the Chisos Basin. The unstable and steep nature of this location made it impossible for the dogs to continue, however, and ground teams and helicopter observers combed the area for two more days. At 3 p.m., August 7th, during the last flight of the day, helicopter observers spotted Kicherer's body in an almost inaccessible location at the base of a series of rocky ledges. Ground searchers reached the body at 5:20 p.m. The body was recovered on the morning of August 8th. Kicherer appears to have died from injuries sustained in a fall. The body is being transferred to the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office in San Antonio for positive identification and further investigation. Ranger Matt Stoffolano was IC. [Mark Spier, Acting CR, BIBE, 8/8]
On August 10th, visitor E.W. called ranger Lance Mattson and reported that his car had been stolen the previous night. E.W. said that he had consumed copious amounts of alcohol during the evening and that he found his vehicle was gone when he woke up in the morning. Mattson and Brewster County deputies questioned E.W. closely and eventually determined that he had stolen the car in Oklahoma and had driven it into the park. After a significant drinking binge, he had lost track of it, so called and reported it stolen. As it turned out, E.W. had not had enough money to enter the park, so had taken a cross-country route in order to bypass the entrance station. The vehicle was eventually found about a half mile into the desert, where it ended up after plowing through the park's boundary fence. E.W. is being extradited to Oklahoma. Federal charges are being considered for interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle (18 USC 2312). [Cary Brown, DR, BIBE, 8/15]
During a surveillance operation on September 27th, a Border Patrol agent saw a Mexican national arrive in the Santa Elena parking area near Castolon carrying a spare tire. The obvious weight of the tire and the method for handling it suggested that it contained drugs. Later that day, two cars arrived in the parking area and the occupants met with other Mexican nationals. The agent saw the tire being loaded into one of the vehicles, and radioed a complete description of both vehicles to waiting rangers. The first vehicle was stopped and a consent search was conducted. The tire was recovered and found to have over eleven pounds of marijuana inside. The female driver was arrested. The Border Patrol subsequently determined that the male and female occupants of the second car were co-conspirators, so they were also arrested. Ranger Glenn Yanagi is the case ranger. On October 4th, district ranger Kathi Hambly found fresh horse tracks intersecting with a vehicle on River Road east of Castolon. Signs indicated that a drug load had been transferred at that location, and the information was passed on to rangers and Border Patrol agents assigned to the park. Vehicles leaving the park were monitored. In the pre-dawn hours of October 9th, agents saw two vehicles leaving Panther Junction, heading northbound out of the park. A checkpoint on Highway 385 north of the park was alerted. When the agents found that the vehicles had not made it to the checkpoint, they suspected that the vehicles were probing the checkpoint to see if it was open. The vehicles were found returning to Panther Junction and were stopped. In plain view in the rear of a 1998 Ford Expedition was a cargo of 441 pounds of marijuana. The driver, an employee of Forever Resorts, the park concessioner, was arrested, as was the driver of the second vehicle. The drivers, drugs and vehicles were all turned over to DEA. [Mark Spier, LES, BIBE, 10/10]
As rangers were gathering at the park's emergency services building on the morning of January 9th to begin EMS training, dispatch received a report of a single vehicle rollover accident on Maverick Road at the west end of the park. All necessary resources were dispatched to the scene, including Terlingua medics and the park's ambulance and structural fire engine and crews. They found that a 1987 Ford Bronco II had rolled several times about a half mile down the dirt road from the park entrance. The five people in the vehicle - a young woman, her two children, ages one and five, her 17-year-old nephew, and her 68-year old mother-in-law --all sustained injuries and were transported to Big Bend Regional Hospital. The older woman's injuries proved fatal. None of the passengers was wearing a seatbelt. Excessive speed for conditions was a contributing factor. [Marcos Paredes, IC, BIBE, 1/11]
Over the past four months, rangers have been involved in a number of significant border incidents involving smuggling, illegal border crossings and related violations: • On December 21st, a visitor contacted rangers about an out of bounds campsite near Rio Grande Village. The site was located and a backpack and bedroll were found there. During the inventory of the backpack, the rangers found two scales and a waterproof bag that had a strong odor of marijuana. All of the items were returned and a surveillance operation was begun. The next day, the backpack's owner was stopped as he was leaving the park. Rangers conducted a consent search of his belongings and found both the above items and $4,000 in cash on his person. The man admitted that he'd arranged to purchase ten kilograms of marijuana in Mexico, which he was then going to bring back to Louisiana and sell. He didn't go through with the deal, though, because he was afraid of being caught. He was issued mandatory citations for possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, off-road travel, and out-of-bounds camping. • Santa Elena ranger Jason Smith saw a suspicious person headed towards Mexico on January 3rd and contacted him about 20 minutes later as he returned from Mexico. Smith and a Border Patrol agent found marijuana and cocaine on his person and arrested him. He was identified as an employee of Forever Resorts, the park concession. Smith and ranger Matt Stoffolano conducted follow-up investigations the next day. The found more drugs and drug paraphernalia at two concession residences. The employees residing there provided additional information about drug sales in the housing area that was used to obtain a search warrant for a concession trailer. The investigation team found more drugs, drug paraphernalia and a firearm in the trailer. The occupant has been indicted for felony importation of drugs; additional charges are pending. Since the residence is located within 500 feet of a school zone, penalty enhancement provisions will apply. • On January 18th, Stoffolano apprehended a fugitive on a felony warrant originating from a series of undercover drug purchases made along the U.S./Mexico border. In October of 2000, Stoffolano purchased approximately 682 grams of peyote from Thomas Ureste. Ureste, a U.S. citizen living in Boquillas, Mexico, had been a fugitive from justice since the joint NPS/DEA operation took place. The park law enforcement specialist learned that he was in Fort Stockton, Texas. Rangers traveled there and arrested him in a grocery store. • Park dispatch received a report of two undocumented aliens in the Dugout Wells area around 9 a.m. on February 7th. Rangers and Border Patrol agents found and followed their tracks for about a half mile down a wash, where they found four illegal aliens asleep around a small campfire. The foursome, who were lost and out of food, were turned over to the Border Patrol. • On March 2nd, ranger David Yim stopped a pickup for speeding near Panther Junction. During the course of the stop, Yim found two unopened bottles of liquor in the vehicle. All the occupants were under age and admitted that they'd just returned from Mexico. Yim searched the pickup and found a plastic bag bearing Mexican logos and containing several fresh peyote cacti in the truck's bed. Yim subsequently determined that one of the vehicle's occupants had purchased 263 grams of peyote while in Mexico. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance. Five days later, ranger Cary Brown stopped a vehicle for speeding and discovered a plastic bag containing several peyote cacti. The total weight was 159 grams. The occupants of the vehicle said that they'd found it lying next to a backcountry road in the park near the Mexican border. One of them was charged with possession of a controlled substance and driving with an expired license. Intelligence reports indicate that Mexican drug dealers in the small border towns adjacent to the park stockpiled peyote, which is harvested in the mountains further south of the border, in anticipation of the rush of spring break visitors to the park.
Border Patrol agents working in the park saw a vehicle driving slowly on a backcountry road near Rio Grande Village on the evening of March 23rd and subsequently determined that the vehicle was disabled and that the two occupants were intoxicated. Rangers were asked to assist. Driver S.F. became combative after being arrested and repeatedly resisted attempts to be placed in a cruiser for transport. S.F. kicked and spit on the rangers, kicked and damaged the door of a Border Patrol vehicle, and kicked out the window of an NPS vehicle. He was eventually secured for the 120-mile transport to the county jail in Alpine. S.F. was charged with six offenses, including assault on a federal officer. [CRO, BIBE, 4/2]
Rangers assisted Brewster County officers with a motorcycle accident outside the park on Highway 385 on the morning of March 30th. The motorcyclist ran off the roadway while going through a curve and hit a barbed wire fence. The park ambulance and three rangers responded and transported the 62-year-old male operator to the Big Bend Regional Medical Center in Alpine, a drive of about an hour. The man died at the hospital. [CRO, BIBE, 4/2]
On February 11th, J.B. of Houston was reported overdue from a solo hike on the Marufo Vega trail in the Sierra Del Caballo Muerto near Rio Grand Village. A search was begun, and J.B. was found by a dog team two days later. He said that he had planned to camp for one night (February 9th), but that he'd become disoriented and eventually lost. Over 50 employees and volunteers were involved in the search; a Texas DPS helicopter was also utilized, as were searchers with tracking dogs from the U.S. Tactical K-9 unit in Abilene. Boquillas DR David Van Inwagen was IC. Then, at 10 p.m. on February 16th, rangers received a report that four teachers and nine high school students from Bucksport, Maine, were overdue from a strenuous 14-mile hike on the same trail. A hasty team was deployed, and Customs aircraft equipped with infrared detection gear were summoned to assist in an effort to find the group during the night. The group was spotted six miles off course north of the trail from one of the aircraft. The next morning, a Texas DPS helicopter provided group members with food and water, and a hasty team hiked to their location and led them out. Van Inwagen was again IC. [CRO, BIBE, 4/2]
Seasonal trail worker R.A., 33, was killed in a motor vehicle accident on the Chisos Basin Road on the evening of April 14th. Rangers arrived at the accident scene at 8:40 p.m. and discovered that R.A.had been ejected from his personal pickup truck, which had left the roadway and flipped several times. He was transported to Big Bend Regional Hospital in Alpine, where he was pronounced dead at 10:50 p.m. Superintendent Frank Deckert had this to say: "We regret this unfortunate incident and extend our sympathies to Mr. R.A.'s family. We, his National Park Service family by extension, grieve with them in the loss of their son." The investigation continues with the assistance of the Texas Department of Safety. [Todd Brindle, BIBE, 4/16]
On the afternoon of May 2nd, four mounted Mexican state judicial police agents looking for stolen cattle along the southern bank of the Rio Grande discovered five acres of marijuana being tended by four men who had set up a camp and were irrigating the plants with water from the river. A gun battle ensued; one of the growers was shot in the leg and subsequently bled to death. The other three escaped, one reportedly across the river into the park. A .30-.30 rifle was found in the growers' camp. The marijuana patch was about 20 miles east of the Castolon area and directly south of two backcountry campsites on the river within the park. Rangers were not involved in the incident, nor did they find any sign of the fleeing felon. The Mexican officers did not pursue him across the Rio Grande. [Mark Spier, LES, BIBE, 5/10
On March 23rd, rangers, with help from Border Patrol agents, arrested S.F. for DUI. S.F. became combative and repeatedly resisted attempts to get him into a vehicle for transport. S.F. kicked and spit on officers, kicked and damaged the door of a Border Patrol vehicle, and kicked out the window of an NPS vehicle. He was eventually secured for the 120-mile trip to the county jail in Alpine, where he was charged with six offenses, including assault on federal officers. S.F. subsequently hired an attorney and launched a media campaign, claiming excessive force was used against him, and threatened to bring criminal charges against the officers involved. He contacted his congressman, the FBI, and the Office Of Inspector General, claiming he was physically abused and his civil rights were violated. The local paper filed a Freedom Of Information Act request, seeking any past records of allegations of abuse by park rangers. The case received extensive local media coverage. On August 27th, S.F. signed a plea agreement in federal district court in which he pled guilty to five of the six charges in exchange for dismissal of the assault on federal officers charge. He agreed to pay restitution for damage to the NPS vehicle, agreed to pay for and submit to a test for communicable diseases, and stated that "...none of the Rangers and/or Agents assaulted him or used excessive force against him...that all of the Rangers and Agents acted professionally, reasonably, and within the law..." S.F. wrote a letter to the NPS and Border Patrol, apologizing for his actions and withdrawing the false statements he made to the local newspaper. He was sentenced by the federal magistrate to 75 days on two of the counts and is awaiting sentencing by the federal court on the remaining three counts. [Submitted by Chief Rangers Office, Big Bend NP]
Park employees rescued a hiker stranded on a cliff face in the Chisos Mountains on Friday, October 4. J.W., a Forever Resorts concession employee, made a day hike to the Oak Springs area on October 2, then attempted a return to the basin via a cross-country route over Vernon Bailey Peak. J.W. ran out of daylight and water that evening, then attempted to descend the rocky and steep south side of the peak on the following morning. Tired and out of water, J.W. stopped several hundred feet above the Window Trail. At 9 p.m. that evening, campers in the Basin saw J.W.'s flashlight beam and heard his calls for help. Rangers were contacted through a 911 call and were able to make voice contact with the stranded hiker at 1 a.m. J.W. was advised to stay where he was, and was told that rescuers would attempt to reach him at daylight. Thirty rescuers, including six volunteer climbers from the Voyager Outward Bound School in Redford, Texas, began the technical rescue attempt on the morning of October 4. A helicopter was called in from the Border Patrol, but the mission was cancelled due to the steep terrain and high winds. At 3:30 p.m., rescuers reached J.W., who was in an area of cliffs, ledges, and loose rock. He was tired, dehydrated, and had suffered minor injuries after sliding 30 feet down a slope and striking his head. In spite of his ordeal, J.W. was able to walk out under his own power after being safely lowered by rope to level ground about sunset. Mark Spier was IC. [Submitted by Chief Ranger's Office]
Rangers received a report of a dehydrated hiker on the Marufo Vega trail in the Dead Horse Mountains area of the Boquillas District on the evening of October 12. About an hour later, they found 29-year-old C.S. of Austin Texas, lying near the trail. He was unresponsive and showed no signs of life. His friend, who had been day hiking the rugged 14-mile trail with C.S., said that he'd attempted CPR, but had been unsuccessful. Rangers and Border Patrol officers began a death investigation. Rangers spent the night on scene and assisted the Brewster County justice of the peace with the removal of the body the next morning. Autopsy results are pending. David Yim was IC. [Submitted by CRO]
On October 29 and 30, rangers, members of a DEA drug task force and Border Patrol agents, supported by a Border Patrol UH-1 helicopter, conducted a search in heavy mesquite brush and river cane for a reported marijuana plantation within the park near the banks of the Rio Grande down river from Castolon. During the afternoon, U.S. marshals arrived in the park with two Mexican Judicial Federal Police officers who had recently arrested two Mexican nationals in Santa Elena, Mexico (just across the border from Castolon), with freshly harvested marijuana in their possession. The Mexican police provided information that helped pinpoint the site. Late in the day, the site was finally located in thick brush by the crew in the helicopter. Rangers and Border Patrol officers remained on scene overnight, and an investigation/eradication operation was conducted the next day. The large site was set back about 20 yards from the river and was well concealed by thick mesquite and river cane. The vegetation under the canopy had been cleared and garden rows extended 200 to 300 yards parallel to the river bank. To avoid detection by river patrols, the growers had hand dug a 20-foot-deep well, then piped the water to the garden through PVC pipe. A small jacal or dug-out dwelling was used by the growers who lived at the site during the operation. Four hundred live plants, with a street value of $704,000, were pulled and confiscated. Evidence indicates that a large number of plants had been rapidly pulled sometime prior to the discovery of the site. A conservative estimate of the size of the garden placed the total number of plants at 1,400, with a street value of $2,464,000. Physical evidence was gathered by the task force in an attempt to tie the individuals arrested in Mexico to the plantation. Documentation of resource impacts and site cleanup are continuing. [Submitted by Chief Ranger's Office]
On November 6, R.T., 68, of Louisiana hiked to the 3,700-foot summit of Talley Mountain with two companions. The trio reached the summit around noon. At 3 p.m., R.T. left the other two and headed down the steep and rocky slope alone. His two companions began their descent one hour later, but were unable to locate R.T. anywhere along the return route. By sunset, R.T. had not yet returned to their vehicle. Nighttime lows were forecast in the 30s and R.T. was wearing only light clothes and had no food and very little water. Rangers were contacted and a search was immediately begun. A collaborative search team of park rangers, park volunteers, park trail crew members, and a search dog team from Terlingua spent the night searching the summit and slopes of Talley Mountain. Several times they heard distant calls for help but were unable to locate R.T. in the rough topography. By sunrise, approximately 50 people were involved in the search, and a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) helicopter was combing the mountainous terrain. At 10 a.m., the DPS helicopter crew was able to locate R.T. in the remote foothills of Talley Mountain. He was picked up and returned to park headquarters. Other than being cold, tired, sore, and hungry, R.T. was in good condition. While descending the mountain, R.T. had become disoriented and headed in the wrong direction, missing his vehicle and hiking companions. Boquillas DR David Van Inwagen was IC. [Submitted by Chief Ranger's Office]
Rangers have been involved this month in a number of incidents of smuggling drugs and illegal aliens:
[Submitted by Chief Ranger's Office]
Rangers and Border Patrol agents combined efforts led to the seizure
of 1,023 pounds of marijuana, three arrests and the seizure of two
vehicles just before Christmas. On the morning of December 23, the
Border Patrol notified the park that a white Oldsmobile known to be
associated with a drug smuggling group had been seen heading southbound
toward the park. A ranger spotted the Oldsmobile driving east on River
Road near a known border crossing area. The vehicle was being followed
by a Ford pickup truck, and it was evident that both vehicles were
equipped with two-way radios. Rangers continued to shadow the vehicles
as they traveled north through the park. At Panther Junction, they split
up, with the Oldsmobile headed west and the truck heading north. A
ranger in an unmarked vehicle continued to follow the pickup out of the
park. Prior to reaching a Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway 385, the
truck abruptly turned off the highway into a labyrinth of private ranch
roads leading northwest around the checkpoint. Border Patrol agents,
assisted by a helicopter, were able to seal the exits on the north end
of the ranch and stop the truck. Without this combined enforcement
effort, the driver of the truck would have been able to circumvent the
checkpoint and escape. A total of 420 bundles of marijuana were
discovered in the rear of the extended cab and a tool box in the bed of
the truck. Both occupants were arrested without incident. The driver of
the white Oldsmobile was detained at the Highway 118 checkpoint. He
denied any knowledge of the smuggling operation, even though the Ford
pickup was registered to him and the two-way radio in his vehicle was
tuned to the same frequency as the radio in the pickup truck. All those
arrested had prior criminal histories.
Rangers and Border Patrol officers seized more than three tons of
processed marijuana within the park on January 3. While on routine
patrol, district ranger Cary Brown spotted a suspicious vehicle heading
north toward the park's exit. The truck had an external antenna on the
roof, commonly used for two-way radios; a similarly equipped vehicle had
been seized the previous week and found to contain a substantial load of
marijuana. Brown stopped the truck, which he found was being driven by
Jamie Cazares, 20, of Pecos, Texas. Brown noticed that several large
plastic barrels were sitting on what appeared to be a raised bed.
Cazares could not produce a driver's license and was asked to exit the
vehicle, at which time he admitted to transporting marijuana. The truck
was transported to a detention facility near park headquarters with the
assistance of other rangers and Border Patrol officers. It was
inventoried and found to contain 2,854 pounds of processed marijuana,
hidden in the plastic barrels, bed, toolbox and rear seat. Rangers and
officers were then notified to be on the lookout for other vehicles with
external antennae. A short time later, they found a Ford F-350 pickup
abandoned near the north exit. It was also equipped with a two-way
radio. It was impounded, inventoried, and found to contain 3,218 pounds
of processed marijuana, packaged similarly to the contraband found in
the first vehicle. The frequencies on both radios were the same. The
case was turned over to DEA for further investigation and prosecution.
Rangers have seized over four-and-a-half tons of processed marijuana in
the park within the past two-and-a-half weeks.
On February 21, a woman called the park and reported that her husband
had failed to return from an overnight hike that he'd taken in Chisos
Basin the previous day. E.V., 54, of Menomonie, Wisconsin,
planned to hike to the summit of Emory Peak on February 19, camp
overnight at a backcountry campsite just below the peak, then return on
February 20. A front with thunderstorms passed through the area on
Wednesday night, and rain fell intermittently throughout Thursday before
turning to snow at higher elevations. About three hours after receiving
this report, a searcher found E.V.'s snow-covered body at the
backcountry site. Based on the condition of his clothing and other
indicators, investigators believe that E.V. was the victim of a
lightning strike. The autopsy confirmed this finding. David Yim was the
investigator, Marcos Pardes was IC.
On March 2, ranger/medics were dispatched to the scene of a
motorcycle accident north of the park's boundary. The operator, A.G."T."A.,
55, a long-time employee of the park's maintenance
division, was declared dead at the scene. Funeral arrangements are
pending. The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating the
accident.
On March 2nd, ranger/medics were dispatched to the scene of a
motorcycle accident north of the park's boundary. The operator, Antonio
G. "Tony" Aguilar, 55, a long-time employee of the park's maintenance
division, was declared dead at the scene. Tony had worked at the park
for ten years. He was a Vietnam veteran, a welder in the park, and a
very skilled artist in metal sculptures. His funeral will be held on
Thursday, March 6th, at the Catholic Church in his home town of
Marathon.
On the afternoon of April 17th, the park received a mutual aid
request for assistance in dealing with a structural fire at the Ocotillo
Restaurant at Lajitas Resort, located 50 miles west of park headquarters
at Panther Junction. Six park firefighters responded on two structural
engines. Ranger Kathi Hambly arrived from the Castolon area about 40
minutes after the initial call was received and assumed command of the
incident. The first engine arrived 20 minutes later and assisted
Terlingua VFD, already on scene. The deck gun on the Terlingua engine
was trained on fire venting through the roof of the kitchen. Park
firefighters with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) entered the
building through the dining area and ventilated that part of the
structure. Interior attack was made into the kitchen from the dining
room, halting the spread of the fire. Alpine FD, responding from 100
miles north of the resort, arrived a little over two hours after the
first call for mutual aid. Command of the fire was handed off to them
and park firefighters assisted with extinguishing the remainder of the
fire. Fire suppression efforts were hampered by lack of either water or
a fire hydrant system. Water for one park engine was shuttled from a
wellhead about a mile away by the second park engine. Tank trucks from
the resort's golf course shuttled water for the other engines. Although
the kitchen was destroyed, the restaurant's dining rooms were saved.
There were no injuries, and all park units cleared the scene at
midnight.
During a search for a fleeing drug smuggler on March 31st, rangers
and officers discovered the partially-exposed remains of a body in a
remote area of the park. The body, wrapped in chicken wire and buried in
a shallow grave, was subsequently identified as that of S.S.R.,
42, a third year medical student at the University of Texas
Medical School in San Antonio. FBI agents processed the crime scene for
evidence, but little information was obtained from the site to identify
the victim or direct investigators toward his killer. Park backcountry
use permits led investigators towards a tentative identification of
S.S.R. as the victim, subsequently confirmed by forensic evidence.
District ranger Cary Brown, FBI agents, and the Texas rangers embarked
upon a three-and-a-half year investigation to identify the killer.
Brown, FBI agent Steve French and Texas ranger David Duncan conducted
dozens of interviews and pursued leads obtained from the victim's
apartment, email, credit card use and information from friends and
family. During the investigation, rangers from San Antonio Missions NHP
and Lake Roosevelt NRA and special agents from Olympic NP and the IMR
Regional Office were asked to follow leads, interview witnesses and
collect information that was critical to the investigation. Once a
suspect was identified, the lead investigators drove to San Antonio and
conducted an interview that resulted in a verbal confession. The case
was initially viewed as an assisted suicide, but continued examination
of the evidence convinced the investigators and the U.S. Attorney's
Office that the crime was a murder for profit. The investigators then
returned to the suspect and obtain a written confession. On May 1st, a
federal grand jury in Pecos, Texas, indicted J.M.B., 25, of
San Antonio, for first degree murder. J.M.B. was arrested by the FBI on
May 8th and is currently in custody. It is doubtful that this crime
would have been solved but for the outstanding partnerships, cooperation
and assistance rendered by all the agencies involved and the dogged
determination of the three lead investigator.
On May 13th, a 30-year-old hiker encountered a mountain lion in an
open area while hiking the mile-long Chisos Basin Loop Trail. Over a
20-minute period, the lion approached him three times as he backed down
the trail away from the animal. He threw stones and shouted at it, but
it was not deterred. The lion subsequently attacked him and brought him
to the ground. While on the ground, the hiker was able to strike the
lion in the head with a rock, ending the attack. He suffered puncture
wounds on one leg and one hand, but was able to hike to the Chisos Basin
Visitor Center to report the attack. He was treated by a Park Medic and
released. The injuries were not serious enough to require transportation
to a hospital. Rangers closed the trail system in the Chisos Basin and
began a search for the animal. A dog team trained for lion tracking has
been brought into the park to assist in locating the animal.
J.H.G., 52, of San Antonio, Texas, died in a hundred
foot fall from the South Rim trail in the Chisos Mountains on June 21st.
J.H.G. arrived in the park the day before and stopped at the visitor
center to ask about hiking to the South Rim. Visitors to the South Rim
found items near the rim's edge belonging to the victim on the 21st,
then discovered his body about 100 feet below the rim's edge. They hiked
down late that evening and reported the death. An investigative team
hiked to the scene early on the morning of June 22nd and confirmed
J.H.G.'s death. A recovery team comprised of staff from all park
divisions recovered the body.
A structural fire occurred in the Science and Resource Management
Division offices of Big Bend at approximately 10:30 p.m. on July 9th.
The fire was brought under control and confined to a single office due
to the rapid reporting and response by park employees and the structural
fire brigade. A fire investigator with the state fire marshal's office
will be in the park today to conduct an investigation. Arson is not
suspected at this time. The building was not occupied at the time of the
fire. No injuries were reported as a result of firefighting efforts.
On August 25th, J.M.B., 23, of San Antonio, entered a
guilty plea to second degree murder in the case of a body found buried
in the park three years ago. J.M.B. appeared before a federal district
court judge and admitted to the February, 2000, strangulation of S.R.,
a 43-year-old medical student at the University of Texas. J.M.B.
then buried him in a shallow grave in a remote area of the park. J.M.B.
claimed that S.R. asked to be killed and even dug his own grave.
S.R.'s remains were discovered in March, 2000, when Border Patrol
agents and rangers were pursuing a fleeing drug smuggling suspect in an
unrelated incident. J.M.B. entered the plea after authorities agreed not
to prosecute him for his August 13th escape from a Pecos jail. J.M.B. was
able to climb through an unsecured door, gain access to the roof of the
jail, scale a tree, then descend to the ground and walk away. He turned
himself in 24 hours later after conferring with his attorney. J.M.B.
faces up to life in prison and will be sentenced on November 13th.
A 50-year-old Austin man was found dead in his vehicle at a
backcountry campsite on the morning of December 30th. A note was found
in the permit drop box advising park staff that he intended to commit
suicide. Other evidence found at the scene indicated that he was
suffering from health problems.
On Thursday, May 20th, park searchers, aided by a Border Patrol
helicopter, found the body of a 42-year-old New York man who became lost
on a day hike the previous day. Another hiker reported seeing the
man around 11 a.m.on Wednesday on the Grapevine Hills trail. When the
hiker returned to his car at 4 p.m., he noted that the other hiker's
vehicle was still at the trailhead. He reported this fact to rangers,
noting that the man had no pack, water or hat on a day when temperatures
hovered near 100 degrees. Several hasty teams aided by a Border Patrol
tracker searched until dark, following an intermittent track. Terrain
and darkness halted their efforts, which resumed the next morning.
Searchers picked up tracks near the last known point shortly after
sunup. An observer in the helicopter spotted the body of the hiker
as the helicopter flew ahead of searchers who were on the
track trail. It appears that dehydration and heat were the cause of
death. Ranger Kathy Hambly was IC.
A search was begun for two overdue hikers on Monday, May 31st. The
hikers had set out on a day hike through Cattail Canyon on Sunday, but
had also left a note at their campsite asking that help be sent if they
failed to return by 10 a.m.on Monday. Park ranger/pilot Nick Herring,
flying the park's Cessna Turbo 206, quickly located one of the two
hikers, who was seen signaling with a space blanket from atop a 700 foot
pour-off. A Texas DPS helicopter was called in to assist with area
reconnaissance and to establish communications via a radio drop. Both
hikers reported that they were in good condition, but were ledged out
and could not move up or down the canyon. The helicopter
transported two rangers and technical rescue gear to the area. The
rangers and hikers spent the night in the canyon and were met by a
second team of rescuers coming up from Oak Springs the next
morning. The four rescuers and two hikers continued down Cattail
Canyon and safely arrived at the trailhead around 0 a.m. Ranger
Kathi Hambly was IC.
On June 3rd, rangers noted a Ford Taurus parked at the Mule Ears
parking lot, routinely used by backpackers heading out on extended
hikes. When they found that the vehicle was still there four days later,
they began a search and associated investigation. The latter revealed
that the Taurus' owner was P.B., 37, of Dallas. Search
operations were expanded over the next several days, and employed ground
teams, Border Patrol and Texas DPS helicopters, the park's airplane,
horse-mounted units and dog teams. The effort was scaled back to a
limited extended-search operation on June 14th following checks of all
likely areas and investigation of available clues and leads. As of that
date, ground teams had searched about 5,600 acres and aircraft had
covered about 33,000 acres.
A 20-year-old man from Round Rock, Texas, was killed when he was thrown from his motorcycle on the Old Ore Road on Saturday, December 17th. He had been riding with a group of friends on the secondary dirt road when he lost control of the motorcycle and was thrown off. Although he was wearing a helmet and other protective equipment, he reportedly lost consciousness after the accident and remained unresponsive. Rangers arrived and provided medical attention. Life support helicopters were dispatched from both Midland and San Angelo, but were unable to reach the park due to prevailing weather conditions. He was transported by park ambulance, but died while en route to Alpine. [Mark Spier, Chief Ranger)
On the afternoon of February 1st, a visitor was attacked by a bobcat while visiting the Hot Springs area in Big Bend NP. The visitor, a 49-year old woman from Wisconsin, had just gotten out of the hot springs pool when the bobcat leapt towards her, sinking its teeth into her left arm and wrapping both front legs around her torso. The woman was able to shake the cat loose and it fell into the pool. The cat then got out of the pool, walked a short distance away, defecated and departed. About half a dozen visitors were in the area when the attack occurred. One visitor who was approaching the hot springs on the trail saw the cat about 50 feet away, loping towards the visitors in the spring. He said that the cat broke into a run when it was about ten feet from the woman, then jumped on her. The woman sustained deep puncture wounds to her left arm and scratches and punctures from claws to both the front and rear of her abdominal area. She was treated by park medics and sent to a local hospital for a follow-up exam and tetanus shot. All witnesses agreed the cat was acting normally and appeared healthy. Rangers closed the area to visitors and began attempting to locate the bobcat. [Mark Spier, Chief Ranger]
A 41-year-old visitor from Conroe, Texas, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in at the Solis #4 backcountry campsite in a remote area of the park on the Rio Grande River. The man was camping with his father, who drove out to the Rio Grande Village area to report the incident. Rangers, assisted by the FBI, investigated the incident. [Mark Spier, Chief Ranger]
Rangers began a search for 71-year-old C.S. of Conroe, Texas, on the afternoon of Sunday, October 22nd, when a routine check of solo hiker forms revealed that he was 24 hours overdue from a four-day hike. His vehicle was quickly located and it was determined that he had not checked out of his motel room. The park's ranger/pilot began an aerial reconnaissance of C.S.'s proposed route - the Outer Mountain Loop Trail, an arduous mountain and desert hike around the southern half of the Chisos Mountains. On Monday morning, ground teams began a search of the entire 28-mile route with the assistance of the park aircraft and a Customs and Border Protection OH-6 helicopter. C.S. was spotted from the airplane around 3:30 p.m. The CBP helicopter ferried a SAR team member to his location, which was in a rugged drainage over a mile from the trail. C.S. was alert and oriented but too weak to stand. He said that he'd run out of water four days before being found. Attempts were made to re-hydrate C.S. and move him to the helicopter, but his condition deteriorated. A park medic was flown to the scene and IV therapy was begun. Other searchers climbed to his location and helped move him to the small, two-seat helicopter. C.S. was flown to the helipad at Panther Junction, then transferred to the park's ambulance. Care was provided by park medics and a physician who was in the park to instruct an EMT-I refresher course. Despite their efforts, C.S. was pronounced dead while en route to a rendezvous with a life flight helicopter. [Mark Spier, Chief Park Ranger]
On the evening of December 30th, the U.S. Air Force notified the park that a personal locator beacon (PLB) signal had been received from a backcountry location within the park. Rangers headed to a backcountry campsite about six miles from the coordinates given by the PLB and found a vehicle registered to a visitor who had a solo hiker permit for that zone of the park. Two rangers then hiked to the approximate PLB coordinates, but were unable to find anyone in that area. They were joined by another team of searchers and a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) helicopter the following morning. The crew of the helicopter homed in on the 121.5 MHz distress transmission from the PLB within minutes of arriving on scene and soon spotted the hiker, who was waving a space blanket at them. He had "cliffed out" on the side of Elephant Tusk peak, but gave the helicopter crew a thumbs-up signal indicating that he was okay. Although the helicopter was unable to land, the crew directed searchers to the man's location, then ferried rope and climbing equipment to the rangers on scene. They climbed to his location and helped him down. The man told rangers that he'd attempted to climb to the top of Elephant Tusk the day before. He'd cached his backpack, tent and sleeping bag and had made the ascent carrying only a space blanket, food, water, a whistle, an LED light, and a PLB. After topping a 40-foot chimney, he decided to turn back - only to find he couldn't climb down from his location. He spent the night on a 6-foot by 50-foot ledge wrapped in the space blanket, with his PLB tied to a bush to keep it from being blown away by high winds. Overnight temperatures were just below freezing. This incident marks the first time in Big Bend that a PLB was used by a hiker to call in rescuers. Without the PLB and assistance from the DPS helicopter, it would have been extremely difficult to find and rescue the man in a timely fashion. The PLB probably saved his life. [Mark Spier, Chief Ranger]
On March 3rd, rangers learned that a 68-year-old man who'd left his spouse on the Grapevine Hills trail had not returned to the trailhead by the time darkness set in. They conducted a hasty search of the trail and established containment points around the area. Due to the hiker's age, medical history, and lack of cold weather equipment (nighttime lows were predicted to dip into the low 20s), an incident command was established and the search was pursued through the night. A Texas Department of Public Safety aircraft with forward-looking infrared (FLIR) capabilities was requested and searched the area all night without finding the missing man. He was located around 8:30 a.m. the next morning near Balanced Rock, about 75 yards off trail. Investigation revealed that he'd lost the trail and become exhausted. When night fell, he huddled under a rock overhang, maintaining his body heat by wrapping his head with his jacket. He was found to be cold, tired and hungry, but in good health. Ranger Michael Ryan was the incident commander. [Kevin Tillman, West District Ranger]
One of those unwanted telemarketer calls finally paid off for a recipient. A 24-year-old man from Alpine was hiking off-trail in the Lost Mine Peak area when he received a call from a telemarketer on his cell phone, which he thought he'd turned off due to lack of service. Following this brief interruption, he resumed his wilderness hike. Later that day, he dislodged a large boulder while descending a slope. It struck him on the head, then landed on his leg, causing a possible broken ankle. Remembering the earlier phone call, he dragged himself to a location where he believed he might be able to get a cellular signal. He was successful and was able to reach park dispatch and provide the dispatcher with his GPS location. Rangers reached his location after dark, and, due to the terrain, opted to bivouac overnight with him. A litter team reached their location at daylight and the man was carried back to the trail, transported by horseback to a waiting ambulance at the trailhead, and taken to a hospital. Since the hiker was well of the park's trail system, the prospect of learning about and locating him in a timely fashion would have been extremely difficult without the 911 call. Ranger/pilot Jim Traub was IC. [Mark Spier, Chief Ranger]
On June 5th, rangers received a visitor report through 911 of a body off the side of Old Ore Road, an isolated dirt road located in the northeast portion of the park. Rangers and Border Patrol agents responded and confirmed the report. The park has experienced triple digit temperatures for over a month, making any cross country desert travel or search extremely hazardous. Rangers conducted interviews with individuals living in the border town of Boquillas, Mexico, adjacent to the park. They obtained tentative identification of a man matching the description of the deceased along with information that he crossed into the U.S. with two others on May 30th. Backtracking further from the location where the first individual was located, rangers found a second body on June 9th. The systematic search of the 30-mile-long suspected travel route of the three individuals concluded on June 16th with the discovery of the body of the third person on an abandoned road near Telephone Canyon. Three backpacks were also found nearby. Identification of at least one of the victims was found within a pack. The bodies were transported to El Paso for autopsies and positive identification. Because the deceased were citizens of Mexico, park officials are in contact with a Mexican consulate office. Rangers continue to interview relatives in the U.S. and Mexico by phone for information to assist with identification. Additional information was received concerning others who may have entered the U.S. through the park and failed to arrive on schedule at their intended destinations. [Mark Spier, Chief Ranger]
Some parks in Midwest Region that were hit by the remnants of Hurricane Ike have reported in, with others are unable to communicate yet due to power and phone outages. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Lowell, which came ashore in the U.S. from the Pacific Ocean, has caused closures and evacuations at Big Bend due to rising waters in the Rio Grande. Here's today's update: Big Bend NP - Due to significant rainfall, from Pacific Tropical Storm Lowell in west Texas and northern Mexico, the Rio Grande is at flood stage. Mexican officials continue to release water from reservoirs into the Rio Conchos. That flow combined with rain has forced the evacuation of low-lying areas in Presidio, Texas, 70 miles upstream from Big Bend NP. Roadways adjacent to the river are closed due to high water. Backcountry roads and campsites along the river are impassible due to water and mud. Two riverside campgrounds in the park, Cottonwood at Castolon and the campground at Rio Grande Village, are closed due to high water. River levels at Castolon yesterday morning were at flood stage at 20.0 feet. River levels at Rio Grande Village were at 21.20 feet, with flood stage there occurring at 13.00 feet. The National Weather Service is predicting the river will crest at 33.00 ft on Friday. Predicted river levels may reach the Forever Resorts store, the visitor center, and employee housing and maintenance areas at Rio Grande Village later in the week. The NPS will be evacuating the Rio Grande Village area, including a 100-site class A campground, visitor center (which is closed May through October), concession operated store, laundry, and shower facility. The store also runs the Rio Grande Village 25 site RV hookup campground (the only RV hookups in the park.). [Mike Bremer, INDU; DOI Watch Office; Jackie Henman, MWRO; Leta Parker, BITH]
Due to significant rainfall from Pacific Tropical Storm Lowell in west Texas and northern Mexico, the Rio Grande is at flood stage. Mexican officials continue to release water from reservoirs into the Rio Conchos, which, combined with rain, has caused flooding and evacuations along the Rio Grande - including within the park. Big Bend has established an incident command post and has activated its incident management team. Fourteen employees and family members and four concession employees and family members have been evacuated from the Rio Grand Village area. Water was expected to reach the housing area yesterday. The river is due to crest on Friday and water levels are expected to be six to eight feet over pre-flood levels. There is a potential for a dam to breach on the Mexico side, with unknown consequences. Also at risk are an endangered species of fish which resides in a pond located in the area. Resource crews are working to relocate these fish to a safe location. Four employees from Ft. Davis have been sent to Big Bend to assist the park. If flooding is significant, cleanup issues may include both water and sewage contamination and damage to employee housing and a gas-station and general store. [Department of the Interior Watch Office]
A levee in Mexico South of the town of Ojinaja, Mexico, just south of Presidio, Texas, gave way on Monday, temporarily lowering the peak water levels of the Rio Grande and giving the park some extra time prior to the coming high water crest. Semi-permanent arrangements have been made for six NPS families affected by the flood evacuation of Rio Grande Village as well as for two concession employees and their families. Sandbagging is underway at Rio Grande Village to help protect the park's housing, visitor center, and concessions store. The objective is to mitigate water damage to these structures, assuming that the water does not rise above the sandbags. Other actions being taken include the following: 200 Big Bend mosquito fish (Gambusia) have been captured, and 150 of these that are considered to have the purest genetic strain are being transferred to the fish hatchery in Dexter, New Mexico. Efforts are being made to stabilize historic structures in the path of the flooding. Historic adobe buildings at Rio Grande Village and Castolon will be sandbagged or bermed. About 6,000 gallons of gasoline was consolidated into one tank to secure this one tank in ground from the underground tanks at the Rio Grande Village concession store. The Rio Grande is predicted to crest on Friday or Saturday of this week. [David Elkowitz, Public Information Officer]
Earlier this week, Border Patrol agents and rangers began tracking a group of illegal immigrants who had crossed the border into the park near Boquillas on or before June 9th. On June 10th, Presidio County received a 911 call from a member of the group, reporting that they were in trouble and giving their location. Unfortunately, they were actually about 70 miles south of where they thought they were. Searchers therefore began looking for them in the wrong place. Meanwhile, a visitor reported an encounter with a suspected illegal immigrant near Dug Out Wells; that person reported that members of his group were having trouble and needed water. The responding ranger reported that several members of the group were suffering from heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Rangers and Border Patrol agents responded and began assisting people to the road. Two who were in critical condition were treated for heat stroke and flown by medical helicopters to hospitals in Odessa and Fort Stockton. A twelve-year-old boy with a head laceration was taken by ambulance to Alpine. Interviews with other members of the group revealed that one of the party had been left in the desert. Agents immediately began tracking the group's route in an effort to find him, with two helicopters searching by air. One of the pilots spotted the man's body about a mile-and-a-half east of Dug Out Wells. The temperature was reported at 111 degrees when the Border Patrol began tracking the group. The rapid intervention by park medics and Border Patrol EMT's with IV fluids and treatment for heat stroke, coupled with the air evacuation of the victims, likely prevented further deaths. All those transported are expected to fully recover. Concurrent with this incident, the park received a report of a 62-year-old man suffering from heat exhaustion on the Ore Terminal trail. A ranger responded with a horse and helped him to the parking area. He did not require medical transport. [Mark Spier, Chief Park Ranger]
The park received a satellite phone call at midnight on June 11th from rangers on a river patrol reporting that a member of their party had been bitten by a copperhead snake. The group was camped at the Asa Jones Waterworks in the Lower Canyons section of the Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River. The victim was a 35-year-old USGS research employee. A park medic and an EMT-I stabilized him and asked for a helicopter evacuation at first light. The park arranged for a Border Patrol OH6 helicopter, the only available helicopter small enough to negotiate the canyon, to fly to the campsite and transport the man back to the park. He was flown back to Big Bend NP and transferred to a medical helicopter for further transport to a hospital, where he is expected to fully recover. Floating the Lower Canyons is generally a five- to six-day wilderness experience with little or no access to the river due to the extensive shear canyons, many over 1,000 feet deep. Communication with the outside world is limited to very spotty satellite telephone signals. At least four phone calls were attempted before the message was transmitted and the rescue coordinated. [Mark Spier, Chief Ranger]
On the afternoon of Monday, December 21st, one of the park's West District rangers conducted a traffic stop on a red Dodge pickup truck for excessive speed. The driver did not have a valid driver's license and the vehicle was not registered. The driver was traveling with his family, which included three children. The ranger saw candelilla plants, a desirable native plant common to the park, in the passenger compartment in plain view. A subsequent consent search of the truck revealed 747 pounds of processed marijuana under a tarp in the bed of the truck. The driver was taken into custody and the vehicle impounded. Local DEA agents assisted on scene and will lead the prosecution. Investigation later revealed that the man had driven deep into the park's remote backcountry, then crossed the Rio Grande into Mexico at a low spot in the river and picked up the load of marijuana. [Allen Etheridge, Chief Ranger]
On Sunday, January 31st, Big Bend rangers made a traffic stop that resulted in the seizure of approximately 53 pounds of marijuana. Over the course of a few hours earlier in the day, several rangers developed reasonable suspicion that a rental Chevy SUV had come to the park to pick up either a load of undocumented aliens or drugs. Surveillance of the vehicle was conducted by rangers as the vehicle moved throughout the park. It was later seen at the Boquillas Canyon overlook, which sits directly on the Mexican border at the bank of the Rio Grande. The operator of the vehicle was subsequently contacted for excessive speed on Route 12 within the park. The driver granted a consent search of the vehicle and the marijuana was found. Local DEA agents responded to assist. [Allen S. Etheridge, Chief Ranger]
Big Bend rangers responded to a variety of calls during the week beginning Monday, February 22nd, including several injury accidents and the medical evacuation of an ailing teenage hiker: February 22 - Dispatch received a request for help regarding a motorcycle accident on Old Ore Road. Rangers Phil Basak and Rob Dean responded and transported a 63-year-old man with a broken clavicle to the regional hospital, a round trip of over 200 miles. February 24 - Rangers Mark Franklin, Rick Roberts, Phil Basak, Sean Marick, David Yim and John Craig responded to a vehicle rollover on Route 14. The driver of the vehicle was subsequently cited for failure to maintain control and possession of a controlled substance. Route 14 was temporarily closed as the road crew performed clean up and the vehicle was towed from the scene. February 25 - Park dispatch received a satellite phone call from a school group hiking on the Marufo Vega trail, located in a very remote section of the park. A 14-year-old girl was reported to be suffering from dehydration. As the party was unsure of the group's location, park pilot Curtis Cebulski took to the air to find them. He was successful in locating them and directed horse patrol rangers Joe Roberts, Sean Marick and David Yim to her location. She was treated and transported back to the trailhead on horseback. February 26 - Rangers Keith Gray, Rick Roberts, Jost Zwiebel, Manuel Uribe, John Craig and Phil Basak responded to a motorcycle accident near the midpoint of the remote River Road, a dirt road near the Mexican border that traverses the length of the park. A 73-year-old man had sustained multiple serious injuries in the accident. He was airlifted by Carestar helicopter to Fort Stockton, Texas. February 27 - Dispatch was notified of a motorcycle accident at Castolon and a separate single vehicle rollover at the remote Black Dike backcountry campsite. Rangers Keith Gray, Phil Basak and Jost Zwiebel responded to the calls. The driver of the motorcycle was treated and released. The driver of the vehicle was not injured but the vehicle had to be trailered from the scene. This week marked the opening of the traditional busy spring season in Big Bend. In addition to a dramatic increase in visitation that week, the park also experienced both warm sunny days and an accumulating snowfall at midweek. [Allen Etheridge, Chief Ranger, and Joel Yocum, Dispatcher]
The park was hit on Wednesday night by high winds, hail and rain - up to three inches in places, a significant amount for the desert. As of Thursday morning, main roads into the park and the main visitor center were open, but all backcountry roads and dirt roads were closed and impassable. Some paved roads were also closed due to high water and flash flood debris. Road crews were working yesterday to open roads wherever possible, and rangers were checking on backcountry campers. More rain was in the forecast. [Allen Etheridge, Chief Ranger]
Park dispatch received a report of an overdue hiker on the remote and strenuous Marufo Vega Trail on the morning of Friday, April 9th. The hiker, 34-year-old J.M. of Austin, Texas, had been issued a permit for a three day hike. The park plane was dispatched and searched the area without success. As temperatures had been in the 90's for several days, a hasty ground search team started hiking the trail. A horse team was also assembled and started up the trail with medical supplies and extra water. A Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) helicopter joined the search of the narrow steep canyons. Later that afternoon, the crew of the helicopter spotted an unusual blue object on a canyon floor, while the crew of a park plane spotted what turned out to be an orange sleeping bag in the same canyon. Ground searchers were directed to the location and found the missing hiker. They learned that J.M. had become lost on his first day out and wandered the open desert in search of the trail. By day three, he was desperate for water and begun descending washes in an attempt to reach the Rio Grande, which he could see in the distance. As his desperation grew, J.M. climbed down into a steep canyon, believing it lead to the river, but found that it lead only to a 70-foot pour-off above the river. He was trapped - he could see the river below, but could not climb back up the canyon wall. To keep from dehydrating, J.M. chewed the juice out of cacti and took advantage of shade from the canyon walls. He also spelled out the word "Help" with rocks and lit a small fire, hoping it might be seen from a plane. Rangers rappelled into the canyon and then rappelled with him to the canyon floor below, where they were picked up by the DPS helicopter. Despite having filed a backcountry plan, Meyer had changed his plan at the last minute without telling anyone and took only enough water for one day. He did not have proper topographic maps, a compass, GPS, or any other recommended supplies. Without sufficient food and water, it is likely that he would not have survived another 24 hours. Employees from various divisions assisted along with park volunteers and DPS and US Border Patrol personnel. Ranger Joe Roberts was IC. [Allen Etheridge, Chief Ranger]
On the morning of Monday, December 6th, ranger John Craig responded to a report of possible hunters inside the park. The report had come from a neighbor near the park's remote northwest boundary. The neighbor had called Texas Parks & Wildlife game wardens, and they in turn called the park because Big Bend is an area with exclusive jurisdiction. Craig met with the reporting party and the wardens. While there, he saw two hunters inside the park carrying both deer remains and rifles. Investigation revealed that four people had been hunting in the park and that two mule deer had been taken well within the boundaries. The deer and rifles were seized as evidence. One of the poachers was found to be a felon who is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Multiple charges are pending. [Allen S. Etheridge, Chief Ranger]
While on patrol on River Road on the morning of December 14th, one of the rangers assigned to the East District encountered a 1996 blue Chevrolet pickup truck driving towards him at a high rate of speed on a narrow dirt and gravel road. The truck, which was coming from an area of the international border where illegal crossings have been known to occur, was traveling so fast that it reached the ranger's location in a very short time. The driver suddenly realized he was coming up on a marked ranger patrol truck and immediately turned around and fled south at high speed. The ranger called for assistance, followed the pickup briefly, then stopped and waited for backup from other nearby rangers and Border Patrol agents. Although the truck reached the Rio Grande, conditions barred a quick crossing, so the occupants bailed out and fled on foot, leaving the pickup at the river's edge. Rangers and agents cleared the area, then returned to the truck and found just over a ton of marijuana on boar. It was turned over to DEA. [Allen Etheridge, Chief Ranger]
Zion National Park is currently closed as a precaution due to rising river levels and potential flood damage to roads and infrastructure. The area has been saturated with heavy rains from the storms that have been pummeling California and parts of the Southwest. Zion Lodge and Watchman Campground in Zion Canyon are being evacuated to prevent the possibility of park visitors being trapped in the park by rising water levels. The park will be closed until the river level begins to drop and damage can be assessed. The river level early yesterday morning was 5,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). The level was predicted to reach 8,000 cfs late on Tuesday. The normal cfs at this time of the year is 40 to 50 cfs. [Ron Terry]
Park dispatch received a report of a broken down pickup truck on Black Gap Road around 5 p.m. on March 12th. The seldom-used road, which is an unmaintained 4x4 high clearance route, is in one of the more rugged and remote backcountry areas of the park. When the first ranger arrived on scene, he discovered that the truck was hauling a large quantity of marijuana and that it appeared to have been abandoned - it was off to the side of the road and likely broken down. Most of the marijuana was completely sealed and encased inside heavy steel blocks, more commonly used to smuggle drugs inside fuel tanks. The blocks were in the bed of the truck and the back seat. DEA was called to come retrieve the drugs and truck and they arrived at 10 p.m. After the blocks were off-loaded, rangers discovered that the entire truck frame was packed with numerous bricks of marijuana. It therefore could not be left on site to be recovered later. Rangers worked throughout the night to remove the vehicle and have it towed out of the rugged backcountry. During daylight hours, it was determined that the truck's occupants had walked 20 miles south back to Mexico via Glen Spring Draw. The final weight of the marijuana recovered was 2,179 pounds. [Allen Etheridge, Chief Ranger]
On the morning of Wednesday, June 15th a park employee was flagged down by three Mexican nationals, all undocumented aliens, at a spot about a mile-and-a-half north of the international border along the Rio Grande. They said that that'd been walking for several days, that they were lost, and that they had run out of water the previous day and were exhausted and in need of help. They'd attempted to walk north into the U.S., but had turned around and headed back toward Mexico when the water ran out. Rangers responded, treated the three men, and called in the Border Patrol. Further inquiry led to the discovery that there had been seven people originally and that they'd separated as they became weaker. Rangers and agents set up a joint command and began a search for the other members of the group. Two were soon found, with one taken to Big Bend Regional Medical Center in a park ambulance. The search for the remaining pair continued through the day. This section of the park is mostly remote desert, and air temperatures peaked at 115 degrees. The search was suspended at night, then continued the next morning, focusing on a specific area based on interviews with other members of the group. The body of one person was found, but the other remains missing. Further investigation revealed that he was their paid guide or "coyote" and that he had abandoned the group early on and was likely back across the border in Mexico. All evidence suggests that this is probably what happened. The search was accordingly scaled back. [Allen Etheridge, Chief Ranger]
During the early morning hours of Sunday, October 23rd, a park visitor hiked out of the backcountry and placed a 911 call for medical assistance for his companion, who was camped at Laguna Meadows in the high Chisos Mountains. Supervisory ranger and park medic Michael Ryan responded and expeditiously made his way up the steep trail in the darkness to the site, where he found a 19-year-old woman experiencing severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. While en route, Ryan had asked a park packer to join him with a mule team. Shortly thereafter, packer J.M. and his mule, C., made their way up the mountainside in the dark. The woman was stabilized, secured on C., and escorted out of the backcountry at sunrise to a waiting ambulance. Fourteen hours later, as the sun was setting, the park received another 911 call for assistance in the Chisos, this time from Southwest #4 campsite, the furthest and most remote campsite in the Chisos Mountains. Ryan, J.M. and C. again responded, this time joined by ranger Scott Taylor. Due to the remote location, it took several hours of night hiking to reach the site. There they stabilized and evacuated a 20-year-old man with an incapacitating spleen infarction. While medical evacuations common at Big Bend, night evacuations in the high Chisos are rare, especially made by the same response crew within a few hours of each other. [Allen Etheridge, Chief Ranger]
On February 1st, dispatch received a call from an area resident requesting assistance in locating her husband, who was overdue from an overnight hike in and near the park. The location of the search was right on the park's boundary. Dispatch immediately brought in the Brewster County Sheriff's Office and the Border Patrol. Early the next morning, the search operation increased to include Terlingua Fire and EMS, Texas Game Wardens, and Texas Department of Public Safety. Supervisory park ranger Joe Roberts shared incident command with the chief of Terlingua Fire and EMS. The lost man was quickly and efficiently found due to the varied skills offered by all the agencies involved. [Jeanie Greene, Supervisory Telecommunications Specialist]
Among the greatest causes of natural and cultural resource damage within Big Bend National Park are the herds of free-roaming trespass livestock that enter the park along the 118 miles of international border and remote park boundaries. The park recently stepped up its efforts to combat this problem by conducting periodic roundups. During this past winter, season park staff removed 112 animals, including horses, cattle, and burros. Captured animals were quarantine and transferred to USDA. The work is conducted primarily on horseback and park employees with good equestrian skills from all divisions participated. [Allen Etheridge, Chief Ranger]
On June 7th, M.O., 25, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was found dead near the Homer Wilson Ranch in Big Bend National Park. M.O. had a permit via the University of Louisiana-Lafayette to conduct geology research in the Sierra Quemada during the period from June 3rd through June 6th. On the morning of June 7th, he was determined to be overdue and a search was begun by park rangers. The official cause of death is yet to be determined, but contributing factors could be the extreme heat the park experienced all week, with air temperatures near 110 degrees or greater in the area he was working. [Allen S. Etheridge, Chief Ranger]
N.B., 24, of Midland, Texas, went on a day hike on the Marufo Vega Trail with two friends on Friday, August 3rd. The temperature in the area reached a high of 108 degrees that afternoon, and the hikers became distressed when they ran out of water. One member of the group hiked out to get help, and alerted the NPS to the emergency just before 3 p.m. that afternoon. The other two group members (including N.B.) separated from each other while attempting to hike back towards the trailhead, and the second hiker made it out just as the first rangers were arriving on scene. A hasty search was begun for N.B. involving rangers on foot and horseback and by air in an NPS aircraft. Border Patrol agents also joined in the ground search. Ranger Matt Payton found N.B. off-trail approximately 200 yards from the Marufo Vega Trailhead just before 6 p.m., approximately two-and-a-half hours into the search. He had already expired. This was the second hiker fatality stemming from extreme heat conditions in two months. [Scott Taylor, Acting Chief Ranger]
On Saturday, July 27th, rangers and Brewster County Sherriff's Office deputies responded to the Lajitas area just west of the park's boundary regarding a body seen in the Rio Grande River. Due to flooding and swift water conditions, it was quickly pushed into the park through Santa Elena Canyon. Rangers searched for the body, finally locating it with the help of a U.S. Border Patrol helicopter on the following Monday in the Jewel Camp area. Ranger and Border Patrol staff recovered it and turned it over to Brewster County Sherriff's Office. Texas Rangers will conduct the investigation. It appears that the victim drowned in the river. [Rick Roberts, West District Ranger]
Around midnight on August 7th, the park was notified of two overdue kayakers who hadn't returned as planned from a river trip through Santa Elena Canyon on the Rio Grande River. River levels in the park were unusually high at the time due to local rains and large dam releases from Mexico. Ranger Blake Trester found one of the kayaks around 8 a.m. the next morning. It had washed ashore near Santa Elena Viewpoint just downstream from Santa Elena Canyon. Rangers responded via jet boat, raft and aircraft. The kayakers were spotted from the air about an hour later and picked up by raft shortly thereafter. The kayakers had become stranded on the river's shoreline the day before after losing one of their kayaks while running Rockslide Rapids. A citation was issued for possession of marijuana. [Scott Taylor, Acting Chief Ranger]
Park dispatch received a report of a man having a heart attack on the Window Trail in the Chisos Mountains on September 24th. Unfortunately, the exact location could not be determined, so a full EMS/SAR response was launched involving both rangers and Border Patrol agents. Approximately an hour later, the body of a 57-year-old Texas man was found near the highest point of the Oak Springs Trail. Two rangers on scene began CPR, but terminated resuscitation efforts after about 25 minutes. The man and a hiking partner had been hiking the Window and Oak Springs trails when he began feeling nauseous, sat down and soon stopped breathing. His partner hiked out to the Oak Springs trailhead and informed another party member, who drove to the Panther Junction Visitor Center and notified the park. [Rick Roberts, West District Ranger]
Rangers were contacted last March by visiting geology students who reported that they'd found human remains near Highway 385 in the northern end of the park. Ranger John Craig met with the reporting party, who led him to the location. The initial investigation suggested that a Mexican national had expired while traveling through the park. The FBI was contacted and took the lead in the investigation, which included DNA samplings and analysis. On September 15th, the FBI confirmed that the victim had been a Mexican national and advised that his family had been contacted. [John Craig, Park Ranger]
Around midnight on March 8th, rangers attempted to stop a car that was being driven carelessly, but the operator continued on for some distance before stopping. A check of the plate revealed that the driver's license had been suspended. As the rangers approached it, they saw the driver, N.T. of Hot Springs, suddenly put an item into the car's center console. After he got out of the car in compliance with the rangers' instructions, he locked the vehicle with his remote. When the rangers told him to give them the remote, N.T. took a defensive position and refused to comply. The rangers wrestled him down and took the remote from him. When asked why he was resisting the rangers, he replied that he had a gun inside the car. During the ensuing search of the vehicle, the rangers found a loaded .38 handgun, a vial of white powder, two baggies of unidentified pills, one baggie of crystallized substance, and two electronic scales. The crystallized substance was later found to be methamphetamine; the white powder was found to be cocaine. Cash was also seized as evidence during the search. Rangers also found a hand-written ledger recording drug transactions, some for several thousand dollars. One described a $20,000 transaction. A pit bull that was in the car was turned over to an animal shelter and the vehicle was impounded. During the investigation, rangers learned that N.T. was a convicted felon who had outstanding arrest warrants against him. He was charged with several felonies, including possession with intent to deliver drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a firearm while engaged in drug trafficking, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. On October 1st, N.T. was found guilty of the charges and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. [John Hughes, Chief Ranger]
On November 7th, rangers were contacted by a concerned citizen who informed them of a solo motorcycle adventurer's blog. The blog detailed the journeys of the rider, up to and including photos which had been taken in the park that day. These photos included images of the rider's motorcycle (and its license plate) and revealed that the rider had stayed at the Cottonwood Campground for two nights. Registration records provided his name, mailing address, and phone number. The photos also showed the rider vandalizing a historic structure, by signing his name and the date on the structure. Through their investigation, rangers found a link to the rider's active HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPOT_Satellite_Messenger" SPOT device, which provided the rider's exact location. Using this information, rangers drove up to where the rider was sitting in the local town of Terlingua. When they approached the rider, he confessed: "I know what this is about and I am guilty." The investigation is still open and charges are pending. [John Craig, Acting East District Ranger]
On November 6th, following heavy rains and a hiker's report of trail damage, the park's trail crew discovered that a large boulder had detached from one of the pinnacles below Emory Peak and had damaged the Laguna Meadow Trail. As part of a larger rock fall, the boulder tumbled about half a mile down the side of the mountain, tore a path through the forest, crossed a section of trail with several switchbacks, crossed a drainage, and ultimately came to rest on the trail. At least 11 segments of trail were damaged by the rockfall and the trail was immediately closed to public use. After examination of the detachment site, consultation with Eric Bilderback of the Geologic Resources Division, and careful assessment of risk, utilizing Operational Leadership principles, the park has concluded that it is safe to reopen the trail. Trail repairs will begin immediately, but the 25-ton boulder will remain on the trail for the foreseeable future. [Don Corrick, Park Geologist]
Ranger Jorge Martinez was dispatched to the Rio Grande Village Campground on December 4th to investigate thefts that had occurred at two different campsites the previous night. Ranger Alyssa Van Schmus also responded, and, with the assistance of local Border Patrol officers, identified foot signs in nearby brush thought to be related to the thefts. The tracks lead a short distance south to the Rio Grande, the international border with Mexico. At the river's edge they found items related to the thefts. Surmising that the stolen items were south of the border, Martinez began contacting residents of the villages of Boquillas del Carmen and Ojo Caliente in the Mexican state of Coahuila via two-way radio. He arranged to have cross-river meetings with residents of both Mexican towns the following day. Martinez also coordinated with NPS maintenance employee Hernan Hernandez, who was visiting family in Boquillas del Carmen. Hernandez was vital in helping to spread the word of the recent thefts. On the following morning, Martinez and Ranger Nicolas Clapp attended meetings along a five-mile stretch of river with various residents of both Mexican towns. Everyone who they spoke with said that they would help as best they could to find the stolen items. They all noted that they did not want to damage their relationship with the park over the thefts. On Saturday, December 6th, all of the stolen items were returned to the U.S. side of the river at the scenic Boquillas Overlook parking area. It remains unknown who had stolen the items. Big Bend National Park has a long history of a close, positive and productive working relationship with the Mexican villages that sit on the border with the park. This includes unique arrangements between our nations' state departments that allows international collaboration on resource and fire management issues. [Allen Etheridge, Chief Ranger]
On May 3rd, a ranger made a traffic stop on a suspicious vehicle for a defective tail lamp. The vehicle was towing a small utility trailer. Upon interviewing the driver, the ranger developed strong suspicions that the operator was involved in drug smuggling activities. An odor of marijuana was also detected coming from the vehicle. A search of the driver's compartment turned up leafy material that tested positive as marijuana. The driver was questioned about the contents of the trailer; he said that he'd just purchased the trailer, and that anything that was in there was there when he bought it. Further information from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents made the ranger believe that the trailer contained large amounts of marijuana concealed in a hidden compartment, as the driver had an extensive criminal history, including drug trafficking. Area license plate readers (LPRs) confirmed that the vehicle had traveled south toward the border from the town of Marfa, Texas, with no trailer. Other area LPRs later showed the vehicle northbound with the trailer attached. A Border Patrol canine unit was called in to perform a free sniff of the air around the vehicle and trailer. The dog alerted on the trailer. A search of the trailer showed a hidden wall partition which was made to look like the trailer was empty. Within the compartment, searchers found 553 pounds of marijuana. The driver and passenger were arrested for drug trafficking. The subjects and narcotics were subsequently transferred to HSI for prosecution. [Allen S. Etheridge, Chief Ranger]
On the morning of Sunday, June 18th, a couple headed out for a hike on Dog Canyon Trail. Around noon, both began exhibiting signs of heat distress and dehydration. The woman's hiking partner was able to hike back to the trailhead and notify the park of the situation around 2:30 p.m. An interagency response was begun that included both rangers and Border Patrol agents. The 46-year-old woman's body was found about two hours later. While heat stress is a likely factor, a cause of death is yet to be determined. The summer months at Big Bend can have very high temperatures, with shade temperatures reported at 110 degrees in that area of the park. This, combined with the remote terrain, can make the lower desert a difficult environment. During the heat of the summer, the park recommends completing any desert hiking within the early morning hours. Source: Press Release, Jennette Jurado, Big Bend NP.
E."B."L. was found alive on September 3rd after a two-day search. E.L. headed out on the Emory Peak trail in the Chisos Mountains on September 1st; when he did not return, his friends reported him missing. Rangers found him with the help of Customs and Border Protection officers. E.L. told them that he made a wrong turn after descending the trail and ended up in the open desert. He eventually made his way to where he last knew the trail to be and was located shortly thereafter. Source: NewsWest9.
A Texas man on a canoe trip on the Rio Grande River died in a fall on November 7th. E.L., 69, was on a five-day river trip through Boquillas Canyon with four others. While scouting a campsite about a mile downstream from the mouth of the canyon, E.L. reportedly fell headfirst off an embankment. CPR and other lifesaving efforts were begun, but were unavailing. Two members of the party canoed upstream and called for help. An interagency team, including Big Bend rangers and U.S. Border Patrol agents, responded and recovered the body later that day. Source: Big Bend National Park.
CNN — On December 24th, hiker Josh Snider fell and broke his leg in Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend NP. He and his companion were trying to figure out how to get out of the canyon when a family of four came by. When one of them called the park's emergency services number to seek help, the operator advised that she'd call for a ranger, but that few were available due to the shutdown so they should try to manage by themselves. Snider's friend, members of the family and another hiker started carrying him to the trailhead and were joined en route by a ranger who helped by carrying Snider on his back. He was taken to Big Bend Medical Center, where he was diagnosed with a fractured fibula and a torn ligament in his ankle. Snider said that he appreciated how everyone came together to help him out of the canyon, but added that he wishes the government would resolve the shutdown to avoid similar mishaps. Source: CNN.
The Castolon Historic Area was heavily damaged by a wildfire on Wednesday, May 22nd. Smoke from the wildfire was first spotted on Tuesday on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande River. By 6 p.m. Wednesday, embers were crossing over the river and causing flare ups in the park. Additional wildland and structural fire crews were called in to support park staff. At that time, shade temperatures were near 109 degrees, with single digit relative humidity. Winds were pushing the fire northwest toward the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive; based on fire behavior at that time, the fire was expected to stay in the lower elevations along the Rio Grande, burning in the mesquite and river cane bosques. A dramatic shift in the gusting winds, however, blew a shower of embers east across the Castolon Historic District, igniting the roof of the bathrooms and the historic shade ramada of the barracks building, which contained the La Harmonia store and Castolon Visitor Center). This shade structure served as a wick, drawing the fire directly into the building attic. Structural fire crews were on scene with engines, but were unable to extinguish the fire in these buildings. Crews had to quickly prioritize which structures they could safely and effectively protect. They shifted their focus to the now-smoldering officer's quarters. By peeling away stucco, they gained access to the interior wooden structure that was beginning to burn and were able to save this structure with minimal scorching. Of the historic buildings at Castolon, all but two were ultimately saved by both wildland and structural crews, who worked through the night. The saved structures include the officers quarters, the Magdalena House, the Garlick House, the Alvino House, a historic wagon and steam pump, and a guard shack, granary and tack room. Buildings in the Castolon Historic Area were constructed about 100 years ago and housed units of the U.S. cavalry during the Mexican Revolution. Sources: Caleb Downs, Houston Chronicle, and Bill Gabbert, Wildfire Today.
R.M., 54, died — evidently from heat stroke — while hiking the Marufo Vega Trail on July 2nd. Rangers who had stopped to check out a vehicle parked at the trailhead found a note left by R.M. stating that he planned to hike from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and asked that the park be notified if he hadn't returned by 2 p.m. Since temperatures for the day were dangerously high and humidity excessive, rangers had to wait for safer conditions before looking for him. His body was found that evening about a quarter mile off the trail. The park's website is explicit about the dangers attendant on hiking the trail in summer: "The route is poorly defined in places and sometimes overgrown with low desert vegetation. Temperatures may well exceed 110°F during spring and summer. You will find NO shade and NO water along this trail—and river water is not potable. This combination of factors make this trail potentially deadly during the late spring and summer. Tell someone your plans before heading out. Always wear a hat, and clothing to protect against the sun's radiant heat, take along plenty of water (one gallon per person/day) and salty snacks, and start early when temperatures are cooler." Source: Kirsten Geddes, KHOU News.
On September 27, a hiker was reported overdue in the Chisos Basin. A search involving NPS, the Border Patrol, and Department of Public Safety was dispatched. Agents from the Border Patrol Horse Patrol Unit found footprints and tracked them to a remote location in Juniper Canyon, where an agent heard the victim calling for help. The hiker was found responsive and flown by a Customs and Border Protection Black Hawk Helicopter to Big Bend Regional Medical Center. Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection
On December 1, Border Patrol agents, working with NPS rangers, apprehended a group of over 70 undocumented migrants from Venezuela. They were found south of Alpine, Texas. The individuals were transported to the Alpine Border Patrol Station for processing under established Big Bend Sector Guidelines. Source: CBS7
On December 26, it came to the attention of the NPS that petroglyphs in the Indian Head area of the park had been vandalized. The park is seeking any information the public might have. Source: Beaumont Enterprise
In 2015, while living in the park, a man repeatedly sexually assaulted a minor. He was arrested in March 2021, found guilty by a jury on three counts of sexual abuse, and was sentenced at the end of January 2022 to two life sentences. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and National Park Service, with assistance from the Killeen Police Department and the Alpine Police Department. Source: Midland Reporter-Telegram/MySanAntonio
A 49-year-old parent with 9-year-old child have been reported missing, and were last seen in the park on January 28. Their truck was found abandoned along the northern end of the Old Ore Road with many of their belongings inside. The NPS, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Texas Department of Public Safety are searching for the party via hiking, driving backcountry roads, and helicopter search. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking for any tips from the public about their disappearance. Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The father and daughter reported last seen in the park on January 28 were observed in the Mexican state Coahuila, purchasing food in a remote community. Residents of the community reported them and they were detained by Mexican authorities and returned to the United States on February 15. The search for them started on February 5 and involved the following agencies: Texas Department of Public Safety, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, NPS, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Fort Stockton Police Department, residents of Boquillas, Mexican officials, and Mexican State Police. An investigation into the incident is ongoing. Source: Spectrum News 1
On March 30, the park received a call for emergency assistance on the Hot Springs Canyon Trail. When rangers arrived, they found a 53-year-old hiker in medical distress. They performed CPR for over an hour, including use of an AED, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. No more information has been released, but the park has reminded the public about hydrating and getting off the trails by noon due to temperatures over 100 degrees. Source: NewsWest9
On April 20, an unknown cause started a wildfire on the remote South Rim of the Chisos Mountains. Los Diablos firefighters and NPS personnel were able to take advantage of cool conditions and high humidity, as well as a previous burn scar, to contain the fire by the following day at just 30 acres. Backcountry campsites in the area were closed for a couple days to conduct fire operations. Source: Big Bend National Park June 15, 2022 Recent rainstorms caused flash flooding eroded parts of the Hot Springs Trail and filled much of the pool with mud and sediment. The trail is closed until further notice, though the nearby historic area remains open. Source: Texas Highways July 13, 2022 On February 5, 2022, NPS staff found an abandoned vehicle belonging to a 48-year-old in a very remote part of the park about 20 miles from the Mexican border. Birth certificates for the individual and a 9-year-old child were found in the vehicle and evidence suggested the two were together in the area. Further investigation showed that the adult withdrew the child from school on January 4 and did not re-enroll them in a new school. The car was recorded on camera entering the park on January 28. A search for the individuals ensued (reported in Coalition Report, 2/9/22, 2/23/22). On February 14, the two were found in Mexico by Mexican authorities. The child reported that they ran out of food and had not eaten for 4 days, and the weather during that time included subfreezing temperatures and heavy rains. A federal jury convicted the adult of one count of endangerment of a child. Source: Big Bend National Park, The United States Attorney's Office: Western District of Texas
On July 17, the park closed the Window Trail to public use due to significantly increased bear activity within the narrow trail corridor. The closure is to protect both bears and people. NPS biologists are monitoring the bear activity and will open it as soon as it declines to normal levels. Source: Big Bend National Park
On July 21, Big Bend's Communications Center received notice of a fatality on the Chimneys Trail. Rangers responded and found a deceased 75-year-old a half-mile from the trailhead. There was "no obvious cause of death," but the park reminded the public to be cautious about heat. Temperatures exceeded 104 degrees that day. Source: Big Bend National Park August 24, 2022 On August 12, the NPS closed the Chisos Basin Campground and Group Campground. The area is rich in mesquite beans, which are are a natural food source for bears. Due to the large abundance of mesquite beans right now, bears have become territorial and shown signs of aggression. The campgrounds will remain closed until the bears move onto other natural food sources, so as to protect both bears and visitors. Source: Big Bend National Park September 7, 2022 On September 3, heavy rains across the park led to damage to several popular attractions. A section of switchbacks on the Lost Mine Trail collapsed, and high water and debris crossed Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive south of the Mule Ears Overlook. Both the trail and road are closed, as well as the Cottonwood Campground, which is now inaccessible. No one was injured during these incidents. Crews are assessing and stabilizing the trail and road before they can be reopened. Source: Big Bend National Park September 18, 2022 Parts of the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive and the Lost Mine Trail reopened on September 9. They had been closed since September 3 due to heavy storms and flooding (9/7/22 Coalition Report). The road crew has made temporary repairs to the road and trail, and they are working to survey and complete repairs on roads and the trail. Source: National Parks Traveler February 8, 2023 A 52-year-old employee of the Center for Big Bend Studies at Sul Ross State University was fired on December 14. According to the individual, they were not informed why. The university said it would not comment because it is a "personnel issue." The individual was in the midst of working on a "massive archaeological survey" of Big Bend National Park. The park confirmed that the Center for Big Bend Studies had contacted them regarding concerns about the individual's work in the park, and the park suspended the individual's NPS permit to work there. Source: Texas Monthly February 22, 2023 On February 18, a 56-year-old visitor hiking with a scout troop experienced chest pains. Other individuals in the party called for emergency assistance and began CPR immediately. Bystanders and park volunteers assisted in the effort until rangers arrived on scene with an AED. None of the attempts at resuscitation were successful. Source: KWTX/KOSA
On February 23, a power pole fell, creating a power outage and a small wildfire along the road into Chisos Basin. NPS fire personnel responded and were able to stop the Green Gulch Fire within a couple hours at one-quarter of an acre. Rio Grande Electric arrived the next morning and replaced the pole and repaired the lines. Source: Big Bend National Park
On March 6, a 64-year-old collapsed on the Hot Springs Canyon Trail. Emergency assistance was requested. A team of NPS rangers and a U.S. Border Patrol Agent responded and attempted CPR, but resuscitation efforts were not successful. The NPS said they cannot definitively link heat to the incident, but temperatures were in the upper 90s that day. Source: Big Bend National Park
On June 17, rangers received reports of trash along the Panther Path. They found a large dump, consisting of many bags of trash, food wrappers, and human waste. Staff from the NPS and Big Bend Natural History Association cleaned it up. Source: Chron
On June 23, a 31-year-old with two stepchildren, aged 14 and 21, were hiking the Marufo Vega Trail. Temperatures were 119 degrees Fahrenheit. The 14-year-old became sick and lost consciousness. The parent hiked back to the vehicle while the older sibling tried to carry the teenager to the trailhead. A team of NPS rangers and U.S. Border Patrol agents arrived at the scene and found the teenager deceased. They began a search for the 31-year-old and found that their vehicle had crashed over an embankment at Boquillas Overlook. The individual was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The 21-year-old was later reunited with family. Source: Houston Public Media
A 25-year-old arrived to the park on November 9 and then did not show for their camping reservation that evening at Chisos Basin Campground. They were reported missing by their family when they did not return home from the trip. Their vehicle was found at the Lost Mine Trailhead. On November 15, a search began, including ground and air teams from the NPS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Texas Game Wardens, Los Diablos fire crew, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and Texas Department of Public Safety. On November 17, the individual was found "alive and talking," about a quarter mile below the summit of the Lost Mine Trail. The individual was extracted and transported to a local hospital. The Lost Mine Trailhead was closed during the search and has since reopened. Source: Big Bend National Park, USA Today
On December 24, a 43-year-old collapsed at the Chisos Mountain Lodge. A team of NPS staff and volunteers and lodge employees began CPR and administered an AED within minutes. A helicopter was called from Fort Stockton, Texas, to provide emergency transport. Efforts to resuscitate the patient were unsuccessful. Source: Big Bend National Park
On March 20, an 80-year-old was found deceased on the Grapevine Hills Road. The scene was investigated by the NPS, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Texas Rangers. The cause of death was determined to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Source: Big Bend National Park
On October 27, park staff noted that a vehicle had been parked for multiple days at the trailhead for the Marufo Vega/Strawhouse/Ore Terminal Trail. They reviewed records and found there were no overnight backpackers listed for that area for those nights. They launched a quick search by the park pilot that evening. The following day, they began a more extensive search with both air assets and ground teams on the three different trails, with personnel from the NPS, U.S. Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety, and U.S. Customs Air and Marine Operations. A deceased individual, 24-years-old, was found on the Marufo Vega Trail. A Department of Public Safety helicopter was able to recover the individual's body. Source: Big Bend National Park | |