Capitol Reef |  |
The following Incident Reports were extracted from the NPS Morning Reports/Coalition Reports from 1989-2023. They are not a complete record of all incidents which occurred in this park during this timeframe. INCIDENTS | |
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Tuesday, March 21, 1989 Shortly before his execution in January, serial killer Ted Bundy told investigators that he had killed eight girls and women in Utah, and that one, 17-year-old N.W., who disappeared in 1974, was buried near Capitol Reef. Last Friday, searchers found human remains at a site one mile east of the park. Forensic tests will be conducted this week to determine if they are the remains of N.W.. There is no indication that any of Bundy's victims were killed or buried in the park itself. (Associated Press).
The bones found a mile from the park boundary on the 17th have turned out to be the remains of animals, not those of N.W., one of serial killer Ted Bundy's victims. Prior to his execution, Bundy had told investigators that he had buried N.W. near the park. (Associated Press).
At 4:30 a.m. on the morning of May 31st, off-duty rangers responded to the sound of gunfire in the park and apprehended S.A., 21, and J.B., 22, as they attempted to leave the park after killing wildlife. The two men subsequently pleaded guilty to two counts each of illegally taking wildlife in a national park; each was sentenced to six months in jail (suspended) and was fined $1,000. Both were placed on 10 months supervised probation. (CompuServe message from Glen Sherill, CARE, 6/21).
On November 19th, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) personnel were treating a stretch of the Fremont River about 20 miles west and upstream of the park with rotenone, a pesticide for killing fish, when a dispenser spigot on one of the rotenone barrels broke and the chemical began leaking into the river. About 15 minutes passed before the spill was discovered, during which time 27 gallons of the chemical flowed into the Fremont. In response to the spill, the UDWR crew released large quantities of potassium permangenate, a detoxifying chemical, into the river at a point about five miles upstream from the park's boundary. The park was not notified of the spill until 12 hours later. On the morning of the 20th, visitors and park personnel noticed that the Fremont River was turning purple and had a distinct chemical smell. Dead fish were also seen. It was later learned that the purple color stemmed from the high levels of potassium permangenate in the water. Surveys of the river's aquatic life were conducted over the next several days, and it was determined that over 350 fish and large numbers of macroinvertebrates had been killed. Most of the kill appears to have been caused by the large quantities of potassium permangenate and not the rotenone itself. Initial evaluations indicate that the river may have been virtually sterilized. The park and UDWR are prepared to restock the river with native species should that prove necessary. [CompuServe message from Glenn Sherrill, Acting CR, CARE, 12/15]
Just before 5 p.m. on May 6th, P.C.M., 59, an 18-year employee of the park's maintenance division, was heading home from work when he suddenly pulled over to the side of the road. A fellow employee who was following P.C.M. pulled in behind him; when he approached P.C.M. to see what had happened, he found that P.C.M. was unconscious and breathing with difficulty. Rangers were summoned and began CPR. Advanced life support measures were continued during the 75-mile trip to the nearest hospital, but doctors pronounced P.C.M. dead upon arrival at that facility. P.C.M. apparently died of a heart attack. [Telephone report from Jim Reilly, RAD/RMRO, 5/8]
Around 10:00 p.m. on the evening of May 27th, K.J. was en route to the hospital in Richfield to give birth when she realized she was not going to make it. She stopped at the park and asked for assistance. Chief ranger Rick Nolan and ranger Neil Korsmo carried K.J. into Nolan's residence, where she gave birth ten minutes later to a seven-pound, seven-ounce baby boy. Mother and baby were later transported to the hospital and arrived in good condition. [Neil Korsmo, CARE, via telefax from Jim Reilly, RAD/RMRO, 5/28]
On the afternoon of July 15th, Mike Furdon and Steve Garr, seasonals working in the park's tamarisk removal crew, found an unmarked two-and-a-half gallon container filled with a green liquid substance. As they picked the container up to throw it away, they got some of the substance on them. Shortly after, both suffered respiratory distress, vomiting and felt tingling sensations. They were taken to the Sevier County Hospital and later released. The Utah Office of Emergency Services is analyzing the substance, and suspects that it may be an organo phosphate. [Rick Nolan, CR, CARE, 7/16]
On the morning of March 21st, members of a group from Colorado College advised rangers that three of their companions - H.G., G.K. and A.M. - might be stranded on Meek's Mesa. The three students had scrambled up a rough route from Chimney Rock Canyon to the top of the steep-walled mesa 600 feet above on the previous day and had not returned. The three were dressed in shorts and had a bag of gorp, a quart of water, and no overnight gear. Three hasty teams were dispatched. Rangers Bob and Whitney Kreiling located the three students in Chimney Rock Canyon three hours after the search began. All were in good health. The three had spent the 40-degree night on the Mesa huddling around a fire, then climbed down their initial route in the morning. [Tom Cox, ACR, CARE, 3/22]
The National Weather Service contacted the park just after 8 p.m. on the evening of August 9th and advised that areas west of the park in the Fremont River drainage had received heavy rains that had brought the river out of its banks. They predicted that a flash flood through the park was imminent and recommended evacuation of the park campground, which is partially located in the river's flood plain. Park staff moved some 250 campers to high ground, but the flood did not materialize. Campers were permitted to return to the campground at 11:30 p.m. [Rick Nolan, CR, CARE, 8/10]
The park received a report of an overdue party of 16 Boy Scouts and two leaders around 9 p.m. on March 31st. The party had been on a hike up Burrow Wash, a rugged canyon with numerous narrows and pools of water. At the time of their departure, temperatures were in the 60s and many of the scouts were reportedly wearing T-shirts and shorts. Temperatures were forecast to drop in the upper 20s that night. A hasty search was conducted, but searchers were unable to locate the party. An air and ground search was begun at dawn the next morning. The group was located south of the canyon at 11 a.m. They'd built a fire and managed to stay warm , and all were reportedly okay. [Rick Nolan, CR, CARE, 4/1]
On July 28th, eight-year-old J.C. of Nephi, Utah, wandered away from a large group while hiking on the Hickman Bridge trail and became lost. J.C. decided to climb down a 500-foot cliff to a highway he saw below; he descended most of the cliff face successfully, but then fell and slid until he lodged in a tiny pocket in the sandstone 70 feet above the bottom of the cliff. A passing motorist heard the boy's calls for help. Ranger Tom Cox ran to the base of the wall and calmed the boy for over two hours while rescue teams scrambled over rough terrain to a point above him. During that period, Cox was joined by the boy's father and a doctor. Rangers Scott Brown and Garry Olson rappelled to J.C., picked him off his perch, and descended to his waiting parents. Except for some abrasions, the boy was uninjured. At times, the highway shoulder was lined with vehicles, as over 200 people watched the rescue. [CRO, CARE, 7/31]
On the afternoon of July 24th, rangers responded to a motor vehicle accident on Highway 24 in the park. A sedan driven by S.R., 51, collided with a pickup truck carrying a large camper shell, causing the shell to come loose and crush S.R.'s vehicle. S.R., who weighs over 300 pounds, was pinned inside the his car. After a complex and difficult extrication, he was flown to a hospital in Grand Junction, where he was treated for internal bleeding and fractures of his skull, clavicle and ribs. The occupants of the pickup and passengers in S.R.'s vehicle escaped unhurt. Over 30 emergency response personnel assisted in S.R.'s extrication, care and evacuation. [Rick Nolan, CR, CARE]
On the afternoon of July 30th, 19-year-old J.W. of Bountiful slipped at the top of a 15-foot waterfall on the Fremont River, struck his head, plunged over the falls into the pool below, and sank beneath its surface. J.W. was pulled from the pool about a minute later; he had no pulse or respirations, but his companions were able to revive him with CPR. Rangers arrived about ten minutes later, provided additional medical treatment, and arranged helicopter evacuation to Salt Lake City. J.W. suffered a broken neck, but his condition proved to be correctable through surgery. Alcohol was a factor in the accident. [Rick Nolan, CR, CARE]
Kent Jackson, 47, the park's orchard manager, died on November 5th after fighting cancer for several months. Although he officially began working for the NPS as a temporary technician in 1973, Kent's service actually extended back to his childhood in the 1950s, when, as a young boy, he worked along side his father, Worthern Jackson, who managed several park orchards which were then under private ownership. Kent began running the orchards in 1973, when the park took them over. He managed the largest orchard in the system, tending some 3,000 apple, cherry, apricot, peach, pear, plum, walnut, and nectarine trees. His many years of service and intimate knowledge of the community made him a tremendous resource to park historians and landscape architects. Kent's willingness to share his knowledge was instrumental in the designation of Fruita's orchards, irrigation canals, and homesteads as the Fruita rural historic district, now being nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. Condolences can be sent to Kent's wife, Miriam, at P.O. Box 105, Fremont, UT 84747. Funeral services are scheduled for 1 p.m. on November 9th at the L.D.S. Church in Loa. [Rick Nolan, CR, CARE]
Last April 8th, rangers observed and photographed two people digging and removing minerals from a remote section of the park. A consent search of their vehicles led to the discovery of more minerals and detailed notebooks containing GPS coordinates and travel records. Ranger Bob Kreiling and special agent Pat Buccello coordinated an extensive, seven-month investigation involving staff from eight Colorado Plateau Cluster parks and the Bureau of Land Management. Investigators found that the two were members of a group that sells rocks and minerals commercially, and that the group collects specimens from throughout the west, some from parks and public lands. Undercover operations in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming resulted in purchases of minerals and an offer to provide larger specimens as soon as they could be secretly taken from Capitol Reef. One of the recent sales included shipment of 500 pieces of selenite to Brazil. On November 16th, NPS rangers, criminal investigators and a special agent served search warrants on two Salt Lake area homes and found further evidence of thefts from parks. They discovered large amounts of rocks and minerals, Native American remains, drug paraphernalia, a large quantity of unsecured dynamite, and a backhoe. A variety of felony and misdemeanor charges are pending. [CRO, CARE]
On May 16th, the Department of Justice, acting on behalf of the National Park Service and the park, filed suit against Utah's Garfield County in federal district court in Salt Lake City. The suit was filed in response to unauthorized, illegal road construction work begun by Garfield County on February 13th on the Burr Trail, a 66-mile backcountry road that crosses spectacular national park and BLM wildlands, including Capitol Reef and Glen Canyon. The county's road crew began work at dawn, employing heavy equipment, including graders, loaders, dumptrucks, and D7 bulldozers, and continued working until they were discovered and stopped by park staff late in the morning. Resource damage includes bulldozed hillsides, road cuts, road realignments, and road widening, all in an area of the park managed for its remote wilderness character. Garfield County claims the authority to perform unapproved road construction projects within the National Park boundary under Revised Statute 2477, an obscure one-sentence provision in the 1866 Mining Act. Using an R.S. 2477 claim, the county has repeatedly sought to pave and realign the entire 66 miles of the road, including the 8.4 mile section within Capitol Reef. A 1995 environmental assessment decision document issued by the Department of Interior gave Garfield County considerable latitude for Burr Trail road improvements outside of the park, while limiting work within the park to minor drainage and safety improvements necessary to maintain a safe, low-speed, unpaved, all-weather road. The controversial, decade-long battle over the Burr Trail has generated intense Congressional interest, statewide and national media attention, and numerous lawsuits. Conservation groups seeking to preserve the Burr Trail's primitive character have repeatedly litigated to prevent the proposed road improvements. Many public lands managers consider the Burr Trail issue a centerpiece in the far-reaching conflict over R.S. 2477 and the control of thousands of backcountry roads that traverse millions of acres of Federal lands. [Bob Van Belle, Acting CR, CARE]
On Sunday, June 30th, flash flooding caused by a rapidly-moving thunderstorm stranded 30 cars and their occupants along the park's Scenic Drive, including the Grand Wash and Capitol Gorge spur roads. Deep mud flows rendered roads impassable, and water levels within the Grand Wash narrows - a popular hiking destination - reached an estimated ten to twelve feet. Statewide media interest in the event was significant, spurred by the story of three European families caught by the flood while near the narrows. The large group scrambled on to a ledge for safety, then decided to escape the flood by locking arms for stability and crossing the thigh-deep rapids to the opposite bank, where they were able to reach higher ground. All members of the group made it safely across the river. Efforts to extricate vehicles from the area were completed by mid-morning on July 1st, and the drive was scheduled to reopen by the holiday. [Bob Van Belle, Acting CR, CARE]
The biggest snowstorm in the park's history began on the afternoon of January 12th and continued for about 36 hours, blanketing the park with 32 inches of snow. State highway crews are keeping Utah Highway 24 open, although drifts across the highway stopped traffic for several hours yesterday. All secondary and backcountry roads in the park are closed indefinitely, and park crews are still digging out the headquarters area and parking lots. The visitor center remained open throughout the storm. The snow has settled to a depth of about two feet. By contrast, the park received a total snowfall of about three inches last winter. [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 1/15]
A large rockslide which occurred about five miles east of the visitor center on the afternoon of May 12th completely blocked Utah Highway 24. This highway is the primary east-west travel corridor across southern Utah and is an important connecting road on the very popular "Grand Circle" tour of national parks. A large section of vertical cliff measuring about 100 feet high, 250 feet long and up to 20 feet thick fell directly onto the highway, depositing rubble and large boulders across the road. Road closures were immediately implemented, forcing travelers to take three- to four-hour detours. One of the first travellers forced onto the 120-mile-long dirt road detour was the park's chief ranger, who ended up on the wrong side of the rockfall. State highway crews began to blast and remove the huge pile of debris on Tuesday morning. Two large sections of slab remained intact as they fell, creating two 30-foot-high "towers" in the center of the debris. At the highway crew's request, Bob Van Belle, the park's chief of operations, free climbed the vertical towers to clear away loose rock on top, permitting blasters to work safely below. An eight-mile-long stretch of road may open today. The visitor center, campground and most of the park remain open. Statewide media interest has been high; a number of media interviews have been conducted, and two TV helicopter crews and three ground crews were in the park on Tuesday. Thea Nordling is PIO; Tom Cox is IC. [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 5/14]
Utah Highway 24, which was closed by a rockslide on the afternoon of May 12th, reopened on the night of May 14th. State transportation department crews blasted and removed the huge pile of debris over a two-day period, then temporarily patched the road's surface. Permanent resurfacing, along with the removal of tons of rock pushed to both sides of the highway, may occur in June. Despite the inconvenience of three- to four-hour detours, very few visitor complaints were received, largely due to effective distribution of closure and route information by other NPS visitor centers throughout southern Utah. [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 5/15]
A contract university survey group discovered human remains in a remote backcountry area of the park on the afternoon of May 14th. Radio contact with the group was marginal, but items they saw at the scene suggest that the person may have been a hunter and that the body had been there for a number of years. Rangers were to hike in on Thursday, then return to the site with a state medical examiner and the county sheriff on Friday. Ranger Bob Kreiling is the lead investigator. [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 5/15]
Human remains found by a contract survey crew on May 14th have been identified as those of J.J., a California hunter who was reported lost in the area on October 23, 1971. According to the former sheriff who led the search and investigation more than 25 years ago, J.J., who was 70 years old at the time, disappeared during an intense storm that dropped two feet of snow in the area. J.J. was found in a rugged, remote area about seven miles from where he was last seen. He had built a primitive shelter, and his wallet, rifle, coin purse and other items were found nearby. A quarter- century's worth of duff, six inches deep, had buried half his body. The remains were delivered to the state medical examiner's office. Family members are relieved to have the mystery solved, and are planning a trip to the site. [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 5/30]
Flash-flooding caused by heavy thunderstorms around 11 a.m. on the morning of July 19th temporarily trapped visitors in Capitol Gorge, a narrow canyon located off the park's Scenic Drive. The gorge, which features a road and trail in a normally dry wash bottom, is a popular park destination. Rangers driving into the gorge to check the trailhead were initially forced to turn around, as the road disappeared when the water level climbed from two inches to nearly three feet within about five minutes. The flood reached a depth of between five and seven feet along the canyon's trail. As the water decreased to about two feet in the upper canyon, roads and trails foreman Bob Cox, driving a road grader, lead a rescue team down the canyon to the trailhead. Interviews with visitors waiting out the flood in their vehicles revealed that a number of other visitors, including several small children, were stranded near "The Tanks," a scenic attraction a mile downstream from the parking lot. As ranger Robert Baron began escorting visitors out of the canyon, ranger Jimmy Barna and chief of operations Bob Van Belle hiked downstream in knee-deep water in heavy rain and lightning to locate the remaining visitors. Although cold, wet and scared, all 15 were okay. They had read the flood safety messages found on signs and site bulletins and had followed their recommendation that visitors leave the wash for higher ground during storms. A second storm began to move into the area as the visitors were being led through the water to the parking lot. All remaining vehicles and visitors followed the grader out of the canyon. The operation concluded around 6:30 p.m. Tom Cox was the IC. The 25 stranded visitors were from eight countries. [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 7/25]
During the afternoon of August 4th, powerful thunderstorms caused a major flash flood down the Sulphur Creek-Fremont River drainage, which is located in the park's headquarters district. Water levels in the drainage rose from a norm of about eight inches to an average of 15 feet, causing massive flooding through the Fremont River gorge and the Utah Highway 24 corridor. Water carrying heavy debris and large tree trunks crossed the highway at several points, causing multiple temporary road closures. Flood waters damaged or destroyed sections of several headquarters area trails, including the Chimney Rock and Hickman Bridge trails. The popular campground-to- visitor center trail was buried under mud flows for its entire one mile length. Several visitors were stranded by flood waters on the Hickman Bridge trail, which was inundated to a depth of four feet by fast moving water. A partial evacuation of the campground was required due to the threat of flooding to low-lying campsites along the Fremont River. The flood lasted for about four hours. This flood is the latest in an on-going series of serious flash floods caused by an unusually cool and wet southern Utah monsoon season. Flood watch, crowd control, road closure and public information operations were handled by a flood response team composed of personnel representing all park divisions. Garry Olson was IC. [Bob Van Belle, Chief of Operations, CARE, 8/5]
Around 3 p.m. on Thursday, August 21st, a large thunderstorm set off three simultaneous flash floods in the park's major headquarters area drainages: Grand Wash, Capitol Gorge, and the Sulphur Creek/Fremont River complex. Although serious flood events in the park have been common during this unusually wet 1997 monsoon season, this was the first time that all three of these heavily travelled canyons have flooded simultaneously. Many vehicles and hikers were temporarily stranded at various points throughout the park's headquarters district as roads and trail heads were inundated and wash crossings became impassable. Initial efforts to evacuate Capitol Gorge were hampered when a sudden surge in water levels overtook two rescue vehicles, forcing the occupants to turn back and retreat directly upstream through over two feet of fast-moving water. As waters receded, stranded visitors were evacuated out of the numerous flood areas. This season's recurring floods have battered park trails. Due to scouring and the reshaping of the stream bed, the popular Sulphur Creek Gorge trail, once a moderate hike through a deep canyon bottom, now features a mandatory 70 foot swim through deep narrows in the inner gorge. Many park roads have also sustained erosion damage; some backcountry roads in the park are impassable, and the Capitol Gorge road remains closed to vehicles until the weather moderates. The event, which was the third major flood in the park in as many weeks, attracted media interest from throughout the state. [Bob Van Belle, Chief of Operations, CARE, 8/26]
The park continues to be inundated by rains from the seasonal monsoonal air flow over the region, particularly intense this year because of the unusually strong "El Nino" in the Pacific. Flash flooding and temporary road and trail closures have occurred several times a week over the past two months. At the time of the report, the park had received seven consecutive days of rain, and it had rained 28 out of the previous 50 days. During this period, the park received precipitation nearly equivalent to the amount which falls during an average year. Sandy soils are so saturated that little absorption can take place, and even light rains which would normally be of little consequence are producing flash floods. Three significant flooding episodes have occurred since late August: o A storm two weeks ago caused flooding over Highway 24 upriver from the park, and rangers prepared 300 visitors for a nighttime evacuation of the Fruita campground, which is located adjacent to the Fremont River. After several hours of monitoring the river, the evacuation was canceled. o A storm on the morning of September 2nd dropped almost an inch of rain, producing flash floods in virtually every one of the dozens of drainages along the entire length of the park - the first time such an event is known to have occurred. Water flowed a foot deep through the park's historic barn. Visitors were able to witness the spectacle of hundreds of waterfalls. o A storm which passed through the park's headquarters area on the afternoon of September 4th dropped a quarter inch of rain. The paved portion of Scenic Drive, which had just been reopened following prior flooding, was again flooded and again had to be closed. As part of the emergency closure, roads and trails employee Shirlee Bell and ranger Garry Olson conducted a sweep of the road for visitors in separate four-wheel-drive vehicles. Bell's vehicle was moved by water as she crossed a wash and stalled just as she drove out of the flow. Olson, who was in a full-size pickup, stopped and evaluated the flow in a separate hardened wash crossing, then began to drive through the water - a common practice for rangers during evacuations and road closures. The flood waters immediately pushed and lifted his truck and took it over a four-foot-high waterfall. The vehicle lost power and began floating down the Grand Wash drainage. Olson, who was unable to see out of the truck's window due to splashing red water, radioed for assistance. The truck traveled for a third of a mile before it briefly hung up on a rock; Olsen climbed out the window and jumped for the river bank, injuring his knee when he landed. The vehicle kept moving with the flood waters and became completely submerged in the increasing flow shortly after Olson jumped out. It finally came to a stop when it became wedged against rocks over a half mile from the point where it left the road. Bell and the park visitors on the drive were evacuated without incident. As side drainages downstream combined, Grand Wash, which is normally dry, flowed about eight feet deep and 50 feet wide, reaching depths of from 12 to 15 feet in "The Narrows." Road and trail damage from these storms has been extensive. Portions of some trails are unrecognizable; others require swimming. The heavily damaged and now closed road in Capitol Gorge features six-foot-high cut banks. Pavement has buckled on Scenic Drive, and roads in Grand Wash and Capitol Gorge have all been closed indefinitely. It appears that this weather pattern will continue for some time, as the ten-day forecast calls for thunderstorms or scattered showers through mid-month and long-range predictions are for continued wet conditions through the fall and winter. The park's safety committee met on Monday to evaluate additional trails for potential closures and determine additional methods of educating and warning visitors of these unique rain and flood conditions. September is traditionally the month of highest visitation to the park. [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 9/6]
An evaluation of flood-damaged roads and trails in the park's more heavily used areas has resulted in several closures. Scenic Drive and three roads accessed from the drive are closed and will require major road work before reopening. Four popular trails are also closed, as well as a switchback portion of another loop trail. Estimates of the cost for repairs of roads and trails from the September 4th flood exceed $355,000. The assessment of the damage to backcountry roads and trails continues. Closures may remain in effect until a shift in the monsoonal weather pattern permits extensive repairs. It rained on ten of the first 12 days of this month in the headquarters area of the park, and additional flooding has occurred routinely since the 4th. A total of 130 miles of trails remain open, as do most of the park's roads. Temporary signs warning of potential flooding hazards have been placed in about 20 additional canyons, and a second site bulletin regarding flood hazards is now being distributed. Ranger Garry Olson, who was injured when he jumped from his patrol vehicle as it was being carried away by flood waters on the 4th, will undergo surgery tomorrow to replace ligaments in his knee. [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 9/11]
A rock slide occurred along Highway 24 about six miles east of the park visitor center around 7:20 a.m. on October 13th. The slide, which was about 45 feet long, blocked all of one lane and most of the second lane of the highway with desk-size boulders. Ranger Cindy Doktorski, who was the first to encounter the slide while on her way to work, reported that a cloud of dust was still hanging over the site. The debris was cleared by the park's roads and trails crew by mid-morning. This is the second significant rock fall on the highway within the park in the past five months. Ranger Janice Richmond was IC. [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 10/17]
Park residents and campers awoke to the shaking and rumbling of an earthquake just after 5 a.m. on March 29th. According to USGS, the quake registered 3.0 on the Richter scale and the epicenter was about two miles from park headquarters and the park housing area. No damage to park facilities has been discovered. [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 4/3]
On March 17th, backpacker J.V. of Missoula, Montana, slipped while traversing slickrock around a water-filled pothole and fell into the water, breaking her ankle. Her companions spent the night with her in the remote canyon where the accident occurred, then left her alone and hiked out for help. When rangers reached J.V., they found her shocky and hypothermic. Problems with the park radio system cut the rescue team off from park dispatch for over six hours, resulting in logistical problems and preventing the use of a helicopter for evacuation. The two-and-a-half hour carryout from the rugged canyon took place after dark with help from employees from the interpretation and maintenance (roads and trails) divisions. Transport to a clinic required an additional three-hour drive. Ranger Bob Kreiling was IC. [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 4/3]
Capitol Reef Natural History Association employee C.W. died in a single-car accident on Highway 12 outside the park on the evening of March 24th. She was the only occupant of the vehicle. C.W. was very active as an EMT in the park. Prior to assuming her position with the association this year, she often responded in her own vehicle to EMS incidents in the park when an ambulance was dispatched, and assisted ranger/EMT's with patient care while the ambulance was en route to a hospital. A procession of ambulances and law enforcement vehicles from across the state escorted her casket from the funeral service to the cemetery. [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 4/6]
The Fremont River, which passes through the center of the park, began to rise substantially from spring run-off on Friday, April 24th. Rangers accordingly began to prepare hundreds of campers in the Fruita campground, adjacent to the river, for the possibility of an evacuation. The evacuation did not take place, but rangers continued to monitor the river throughout the night. Additional staff were called in around 4 a.m. on April 25th as the river began to undercut one lane of Utah Highway 24. The river also consumed about 30 feet of tree- and brush-covered riverbank at another location during the night. Temporary road closures occurred as state highway crews and the park's roads and trails crew completed emergency repairs at four locations adjacent to the river - an effort that took about eight hours. Debris piles from a major rockfall last May served as a rock quarry. The initial nighttime response was hampered by radio repeater system failure. The system came back on line about 9 a.m. as solar panels recharged the repeater batteries. Bob Kreiling and Garry Olson were IC's during the 29-hour incident. [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 4/27]
On Friday, May 22nd, L.C. and D.R., both experienced canyon country hikers, were traversing a steep talus slope in an unnamed canyon of the Waterpocket Fold when L.C. slipped and fell about 20 feet, dislodging boulders as he went. One boulder, weighing about 300 pounds, landed on his leg. D.R., who was able to jump clear, ran to L.C., and, with a burst of adrenaline, lifted the boulder off his friend. He then hiked out of the back country and drove 35 miles to reach a location where he could get cellular phone reception and report the incident. A nine-person team from four park divisions responded; ranger Jimmy Barna was the lead medic and IC. An air ambulance was also dispatched. Barna reached L.C. just after 5 p.m., almost three hours after the fall had occurred. L.C. was suffering from a broken ankle on one leg and compound fractures of the other. One foot was nearly severed. The terrain was even rougher than anticipated, so ranger Gary Olson was flown in with additional gear to lead a technical rescue and evacuation to a landing zone a mile-and-a-half away. The team reached the helicopter at 4 a.m. L.C. underwent the first of several rounds of surgery the next morning. The response was hampered by problems with the park's radio repeaters, which meant that the field team could not communicate with park dispatch. Radio and phone relays through Glen Canyon NRA dispatch at Bullfrog were crucial to the success of the response. [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 5/23]
C.M. of Boulder, Colorado, was photographing a waterfall on the Fremont River on the afternoon of May 15th when she stepped into the shallow water on a rock shelf near the lip of the falls, lost her footing, and fell 25 feet, tumbling over sandstone ledges into a pool below the falls. She suffered a large laceration/avulsion on her right leg; although her head bounced against the rock on the way down, field and hospital examinations did not reveal serious head or spinal injuries. Ranger Ryan Ault lead the response. C.M. was taken by county ambulance to a northern Utah hospital for reconstructive surgery. [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 5/23]
Heavy rains led to serious flash floods in Grand Wash, Capitol Gorge, and other canyons along the park's Scenic Drive on July 10th. A number of visitors and vehicles were stranded by flood waters resulting from a localized storm that dropped a quarter of an inch of rain in about 20 minutes around noon that day. Park personnel from four divisions responded, evacuating visitors and their vehicles from the canyons and closing the drive and its three spur roads. Grand Wash, a popular hike in a normally dry canyon, had a flow that reached river intensity and ran at a probable record level. The water was about 12 feet deep and spread about 230 feet wide at the point where the canyon opens out near Utah Highway 24 and flows into the Fremont River. Highway culverts overflowed, covering the highway to a depth of three feet and resulting in a three-hour road closure that backed up traffic about a mile in each direction. Flood waters were an extraordinary 20 feet deep in The Narrows of Grand Wash. A visitor waiting for his family to complete a hike was stranded in his pickup truck at the Grand Wash parking lot when flowing water surrounded his vehicle. The five members of his family hiking in the wash climbed to high ground about a quarter mile from the parking area and waited for the water to recede. At the other end of the wash, ranger Paulina Russell escorted three visitor vehicles out the canyon, beating the headwall by less than a minute. She then held the vehicles in a high spot between two flowing washes until they could safely exit. Another vehicle had to be left behind until it could be removed the following morning. In Capitol Gorge, a group of visitors was stranded by another flood. A mid-size RV occupied by a German family was exiting the canyon on the road as it follows the wash bottom and met this flood's five-foot deep headwall. Water immediately washed over the hood of the RV, obscuring the view out the windshield, rotating the vehicle 180 degrees, and lodging it on some rocks. Another 23 people in six vehicles had to wait at high points within this canyon until there were reached by a rescue team led by equipment operator Lamont Chappell in a road grader. Flood waters reached seven feet deep in Capitol Gorge. In all, approximately 100 people and 40 vehicles were evacuated over a seven-hour period. There were no injuries. Lessons learned during an intensive flash flood season last year proved useful. The staff conducted less aggressive, safety-oriented rescue actions, with staff members waiting at several wash crossings until water receded to levels they judged to be safe enough to cross with four-wheel-drive vehicles or heavy equipment. Two days of unsuccessful repair work to one of the park's antiquated radio repeaters earlier in the week left the park with only one functioning repeater. This failure in the park's radio system resulted in significant delays in the rescue operations, as park staff within the canyons could not communicate with park dispatch. Ranger Bob Kreiling was IC. [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 7-14]
An intense thunderstorm on July 11th again caused road closures and flash flooding in the park - just a day after serious floods struck Grand Wash, Capitol Gorge, and other canyons along the park's Scenic Drive. This time Sulphur Creek, which normally has only a trickle of water at this time of year, flowed to a depth of about eight feet, while water in Grand Wash ran only a foot deep. Four visitors hiking the popular route along Sulphur Creek ran out of the canyon as they saw the storm approaching; no other visitors were in the canyon when the flood reached it. About 20 visitors swimming near a waterfall on the Fremont River initially disregarded rangers' warnings that the headwall of a flash flood was racing towards them, as it was sunny and 90 degrees at the time. They were eventually persuaded to move, though, so no injuries occurred at that location. Goosenecks Road was closed for four hours because of intense lightning; Scenic Drive, which was still closed and drying from the previous day's flood, sustained some additional damage. Rangers monitored the level of the Fremont River in the event that an evacuation of Fruita campground would be required. Problems with the park radio system again plagued rescue efforts, as clear communication with dispatch proved impossible from locations as close as only a few miles away. Ranger Jimmy Barna was IC. [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 7/16]
K.B., 20, of Bicknell, Utah, jumped off a waterfall on the Fremont River and broke his leg in two places on the afternoon of July 4th. K.B. jumped from a ledge about 20 feet above the pool that lies below the falls, apparently unaware that the pool was only about three feet deep. Others were swimming there as well. Alcohol was a factor. Neither diving nor jumping is permitted at the waterfall. Ranger Jimmy Barna provided EMS and led the eight-person carryout team. [Tom Cox, CR, CARE, 7/14]
Intense storm activity over the past week caused significant flash flooding in numerous drainages within the park. On August 7th, H.K. and M.K. of Germany attempted to drive their Grand Cherokee across a flowing wash on the Burr Trail Road in the Waterpocket District. The vehicle was immediately swept away; it floated and bounced downstream and the passenger-side window shattered as the vehicle tipped back and forth, allowing some water to enter. The couple stayed in the Jeep as the chocolate-colored stream flow nearly reached window level, then began to drop. The vehicle finally stopped moving down the wash, but the K.s remained sitting inside for the next half-hour, hoping that they could eventually drive away. A second surge of flood water came down the wash, however, and the couple, unable to open the Jeep's doors, had to climb out through the broken window and wade to the bank. Neither was injured. They subsequently contacted another group of visitors, who drove them to park headquarters. Park staff located the Cherokee on the morning of the 8th about a mile downstream from the road. Muddy water had nearly filled the passenger compartment and the vehicle has been totaled. Staff members are working with the rental car company to develop a plan to remove the Jeep from the park's backcountry. Meanwhile, floods in Sulphur Creek, Grand Wash, Capitol Gorge, and the Fremont River drainages have resulted in visitor evacuations and temporary road closures. [Tom Cox, CRO, CARE, 8/9]
In April, 1995, rangers observed and photographed two people digging and removing minerals from a remote section of the park. A consent search of their vehicles led to the discovery of more minerals and detailed notebooks containing GPS coordinates and travel records. Ranger Bob Kreiling and special agent Pat Buccello coordinated an extensive, seven-month investigation involving staff from eight Colorado Plateau cluster parks and the Bureau of Land Management. Investigators found that the two were members of a group that sells rocks and minerals commercially, and that the group collects specimens from throughout the west, some from parks and public lands. Undercover operations in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming resulted in purchases of minerals and an offer to provide larger specimens as soon as they could be secretly taken from Capitol Reef. One of the sales included shipment of 500 pieces of selenite to Brazil. On November 16, 1995, NPS rangers, criminal investigators and a special agent served search warrants on two Salt Lake area homes and found further evidence of thefts from parks. They discovered large amounts of rocks and minerals, Native American remains, drug paraphernalia, a large quantity of unsecured dynamite, and a backhoe. Extensive work over subsequent years by Kreiling, Buccello and assistant chief ranger Tom Cox resulted in grand jury indictments and multiple charges against three men. On September 10th, J.H., 52, and S.A., 52, both of Bountiful, Utah, signed plea agreements to mineral theft charges. J.H. was ordered to pay the park $4,000 in restitution, sentenced to two years' formal probation, and ordered to forfeit a GPS unit. A.S. was ordered to pay the park $1,000 in restitution and sentenced to one year of formal probation. Charges against the third man, J.S., 54, of Kearns, Utah, are pending. [Ken Kehrer, CARE, 9/27]
On the evening of June 27th, park staff received a cell phone call from two visitors who reported that the other six members of their church group were lost and dehydrated in the Halls Creek drainage, a remote backcountry canyon route. The temperature that day had exceeded 100 degrees. Nightfall prevented an overflight by Glen Canyon NRA aircraft, so ranger/EMT Mark Thompson and biologist Dave Worthington drove to the trailhead at the southern end of the park to meet the reporting party. While assessing the situation, lights from the remaining members of the party were eventually spotted from the canyon rim, and Thompson and Worthington hiked in, met the group at about 1:30 a.m., and discovered that they had filtered water they had found and that there were no medical problems. The group of teenage boys from Utah, led by former Army Ranger Kirk Weisler, had become disoriented and split up, unable to find the Narrows, a prominent feature of the canyon. The group had not obtained information on the route or the required backcountry permit from park staff, and lit a campfire despite burning restrictions in place in the park and throughout the state. Earlier in their trip the group had hiked the Narrows at Zion NP and had been SCUBA diving at Lake Mead NRA. [Tom Cox, CARE, 6/29]
Flash flood season arrived at Capitol Reef about six weeks later than usual on the afternoon of July 25th. A sudden, small, but intense thunderstorm dumped about an inch of rain within a few minutes on Miners Mountain and the Waterpocket Fold, causing flooding in Capitol Gorge and Grand Wash and eventually the Fremont River. Employees from five divisions responded, locating visitor vehicles within the flood area, closing roads, and monitoring flow in various drainages. Eleven people in three vehicles, all foreign visitors, were stranded in Capitol Gorge, where the road follows the wash bottom and the water level was two feet deep. Two of these vehicles were left in the flowing water as all visitors followed safety advisories and scrambled to high ground. There were no injuries. The vehicles were driven out a few hours later when the water receded and the park's road grader was able to reach them. Another dozen vehicles were stranded for almost two hours at high points between concrete wash crossings along the paved Scenic Drive. Some road closures will remain in effect through today as maintenance crews clear mud and debris. Ranger Pete Fonken was IC. Drought conditions continue; with the addition of this rainfall, Capitol Reef has received only 1.63 inches total precipitation in the official water year, which began on October 1, 2001. Average annual precipitation is 7 inches. [Tom Cox, ACR, CARE]
On March 15th, four Boy Scouts, aged 12 and 13, and three adult
leaders were backpacking in Spring Canyon, a route that requires
crossing the Fremont River at the end of the hike. The first substantial
snow of the winter had occurred earlier in the month in the high country
and had been followed by a week of record high temperatures. The
resulting runoff had brought the Fremont River to flood level. The river
continued to rise overnight and rangers determined that a safe crossing
was not possible. Ranger Jessie Jordan quickly hiked down Spring Canyon
in an attempt to turn the group around. Although the scouts reached the
river before Jordan was able to contact them, they were intercepted by
ranger Tom Cox, who was on the other side of the river. Cox advised them
not to cross. The scout leaders determined that members of their group
were too exhausted to hike back out; Jordan, who had caught up with the
scouts by that time, concurred in this assessment. Skies were overcast
and rain was predicted, so an alternative means was found to extricate
them from the backcountry. A tyrolean system was rigged to bring the
backpacks across the river and send rescue gear to Jordan and the
hikers. Anchor points were not substantial enough to bring the scouts
across on the tyrolean system, so downstream safety lines were
established. The scouts and their leaders donned life jackets and
whitewater helmets, then - one by one - slid down a six-foot
bank on their backs into the 42-degree water, took the end of a belay
line, and forded the Fremont. Cox utilized swiftwater rescue belay
techniques to bring each person across and up the three-foot bank on the
other side. Rescue team members, including the park superintendent,
resource management staff, and a USFWS special agent, pulled the scouts
out of the water and got them into a warming van. There they immediately
changed clothes to prevent hypothermia. After de-rigging the systems on
the other side, Jordan then entered the Fremont and was belayed across.
On the morning of June 15th, a visitor reported seeing a body and a
wrecked vehicle in a deep wash along the highway near Chimney Rock.
Rangers responded along with the county sheriff and state troopers. They
found a pickup at the bottom of a 50-foot-deep wash and the bodies of
the driver and passenger nearby. Investigators were able to determine
what had happened. The 52-year-old driver of the Ford Ranger, a resident
of Henderson, Nevada, had been westbound when he drifted onto the right
shoulder, overcorrected, crossed the oncoming lane, left the road, and
went airborne, traveling about 70 feet through the air before hitting a
rock outcrop on the opposite side of the wash. H. was ejected from
the truck when it hit. The pickup then flipped and hit a second rock
outcrop before coming to rest at the bottom of the wash. The 29-year-old
female passenger, also from Henderson, was partially ejected at that
point. Neither driver nor passenger was wearing a seatbelt. State police
are leading the investigation.
On August 23rd, an intense thunderstorm dropped three-quarters of an
inch of rain on the park within 15 minutes, then was followed by more
rain and hail, causing the most significant flooding seen in the park in
several decades. The focal point of the storm was an area radiating out
from park headquarters for about five miles. Temperatures dropped more
than 30 degrees in just over an hour. Sulphur Creek, which normally runs
about two inches deep and eight feet wide at this time of the year, grew
to 16 feet deep and 140 feet wide. A bridge on Highway 24 acted as a
dam, creating a point that measured several acres in size. Hundreds of
boulders, some as large as 300 pounds, were washed onto the highway in
numerous locations. Dozens of waterfalls cascading over the Wingate
cliffs added to the volume, and hail two to six inches deep briefly
covered the canyon floor. For a few sminutes, runoff up to three inches
deep swept across orchards, fields, and the park residence area,
damaging two homes. Campers in the Fruita Campground were moved to high
ground away from the river, and visitors were evacuated from canyons
along Scenic Drive. The Spring Canyon and South Desert drainages then
began to flood, bringing the Fremont River, normally 15 inches deep and
25 feet wide at this time of year, to a depth of 17 feet in places, and
width of 400 feet near the east boundary of the park. The
chocolate-colored river featured numerous standing waves and a huge
debris load that included full-size trees. The river left its banks and
the adjacent river bottoms to flow across Highway 24 at about ten
locations, including several areas that covered the highway for
stretches of a half-mile. The highway and other roads were closed, and
state highway department employees and the park's roads and trails crew
responded quickly and worked into the night to remove debris,
temporarily repair undercut sections, and reopen the highway. At one
point, Janie Hutchinson, 64, of Corrales, New Mexico, who was standing
at the edge of the river watching it flow by, was caught by a massive
surge that pushed the river to about ten times its normal width. Water
flowed behind her and she quickly stood on a rock as the water rose to
thigh-level and left her 55 feet from the bank, clutching a tamarisk
sprig as standing waves formed around her. Rangers and bystanders were
able to get a life jacket and throw rope to her and pull her to safety.
Two hikers escaped harm in the Sulphur Creek Narrows by scrambling up
onto a small ledge and remaining there for nearly three hours as the
flood rushed by. Tom Cox was incident commander.
On November 7, 1998, ranger Jimmy Barna contacted a bison hunting
party near Bitter Creek Divide within the park. The three men —
A.S. and J.S. of Helper, Utah, and local guide D.H.A.
of Richfield, Utah — were in the process of unloading bison meat
from packhorses. When asked, A.S. identified himself as the
shooter. Despite statements by D.H.A. to the contrary, Barna
determined that the bison had been taken inside the park. In the course
of subsequent interviews, D.H.A. denied "guiding" the S.s,
contending that he'd only rented his horses, truck, horse trailer and
associated equipment to the hunters. Due to D.H.A.'s long history of
suspected poaching elsewhere in the state, the state of Utah argued that
they be allowed to prosecute the case. The S.s agreed to testify
against D.H.A. and no charges were filed against them. D.H.A.'s
initial hearing was held in May, 2002. During that proceeding, the Utah
district court judge hearing the case refused to bind the state charge
(wanton destruction of protected wildlife) over for trial. As a result,
the park decided to pursue federal charges. Following consultation with
the US Attorney's Office and the USFS, USFS agent Bonnie Bell was
assigned the lead investigative role, to be assisted by NPS staff. In
April, 2003, a federal grand jury indictment and arrest warrant were
handed down against Danny D.H.A. for felony violation of the Lacey
Act. In November, 2003, acting under the advice of his attorney, Danny
D.H.A. entered a guilty plea to a third degree felony violation of the
Lacey Act. On January 7th, a full five years and two months after the
violation occurred, D.H.A. was sentenced to seven months
incarceration, payment of $5,875 in restitution to the state of Utah
(for the bison), three years of supervised release with the condition
that he cannot hunt, outfit or guide or be associated with those
activities, and payment of $100 in court costs. The trophy bison head
was also seized from Alan Sillitoe and forfeited to the United States.
On the evening of September 4th, the park received a 911 call notifying them of an overdue party. Two adults and three juveniles, ages 10 to 12, failed to exit Burro Wash by nightfall. Burro Wash is a premier slot-canyon destination, but the upper and lower thirds of the wash are difficult to traverse owing to 18-inch wide narrows with standing water and numerous chock stones. The middle third of the wash requires technical climbing gear to navigate pour-offs. Passing through the entirety of Burro Wash would typically require a full day, but the group did not depart the trailhead until 2 p.m. Adding to concerns, many areas of the park experienced heavy rain and flash flooding during the afternoon. A park ranger and a park biologist entered the lower portion of the wash just after midnight, proceeding as far as safely possible in darkness. They hiked through cold water, which reached depths in excess of five feet, but did not locate the party. Another ranger secured the upper portion of the wash. By 4 a.m., rescuers were certain that members of the party were in the middle of the wash, but still hadn't contacted them or determined their condition. A technical rescue squad from Zion NP and a short-haul helicopter from Grand Canyon NP were placed on standby, and the fixed-wing aircraft from Glen Canyon NRA arrived at Capitol Reef shortly after dawn. The pilot and park biologist conducted numerous sweeps on the wash, but were initially unsuccessful in spotting the party. Shortly after 9 a.m., members of the party was seen hiking down the wash and they exited it a short time later. They were not initially visible to observers in the plane because they were passing through a deep, narrow portion of the wash. All five were tired and hungry, but in good health. They had continued hiking the previous evening until about 9 p.m., when they determined that further travel in the darkness was unsafe. They then built a fire and wrapped garbage bags around their legs to stay warm. [Ranger Jessie Jordan, IC]
Swiss national E.F., 69, became stranded while attempting to descend from Hickman Natural Bridge to the bridge trailhead via an unmarked route. E.F.'s progress was checked 50 feet above the trailhead after he scrambled through some extremely dangerous/exposed terrain. Park personnel were able climb to E.F.'s position using a 30-foot extension ladder and traditional climbing techniques. E.F., an avid alps climber, rappelled to the trailhead on belay. The operation took three hours. [Scott Brown, Chief Ranger]
In October of 2002, B.T. was convicted of numerous violations stemming from the taking of a desert bighorn sheep during an illegal hunt in the park and in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. As part of his sentencing, B.T. was banned from hunting or participating in hunts in either area (hunting is already a prohibited activity within the park). In October, 2006, park rangers again found B.T. guiding sheep hunters in and near the park. On October 1, 2007, a federal magistrate found B.T. in violation of his probation from the 2002 conviction. His probation was extended an additional year and was expanded to include specific definitions of what constitutes participating in hunts. This latest court decision was a result of a joint investigation by staff from Capitol Reef National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [Scott Brown, Chief Ranger]
On Monday, September 6th, rangers rescued a canyoneer who was unable to complete his planned route due to an inability to make it through a narrow slot in a rock formation. The man and his partner, both from Salt Lake City, had descended into Pandora's Box Canyon the previous day. Pandora's Box is considered to be one of the more difficult canyons to negotiate on the Colorado Plateau because of the extremely narrow slots throughout the canyon. After completing numerous rappels and negotiating several slots, the man, who was quite fit but weighed around 230 pounds, found that he couldn't pass through a particularly tight section. In an attempt to exit the canyon, the two men scrambled out a lateral canyon, only to find that they couldn't go any further. They decided that the more slender man would continue on and complete the canyon while the larger man stayed behind and awaited assistance. The former completed the slots, descended the 150-foot exit rappel, hiked nine miles to his bike, pedaled four miles to his car, then contacted rangers early on Monday morning. The rangers requested assistance from the Utah State Patrol, which dispatched a helicopter that landed near the stranded man. Members of the county SAR team helped him reach the ship. Neither of the canyoneers was injured. [Scott Brown, Chief Ranger]
The park received a 911 SPOT (satellite personal tracker) signal from Upper Spring Canyon near Chimney Rock early on the afternoon of May 2nd. A hasty team of rangers hiked the four miles from Chimney Rock to the SPOT signal location and made contact with the party of seven backpackers who had sent the signal. A member of their group, 57-year-old R.T., had scrambled up a narrow, rugged side canyon, then fallen 20 to 25 feet when some rock shifted, sustaining significant injuries. Due to the remote and vertical terrain, the Grand Canyon National Park helicopter and short-haul crew were requested. While preparing for evacuation, a crew of six park employees stabilized, packaged, and moved R.T. to a suitable short-haul site. The short-haul evacuation was completed to the Chimney Rock trailhead, from which point R.T. was transferred to a local ambulance. He was found to have a dislocated hip, three broken ribs, and several skull fractures. The rescue operation lasted nine hours and involved thirteen Capitol Reef and Grand Canyon employees. [Scott Brown, Chief Ranger]
In August, 2010, rangers discovered that vandalism had occurred at an archeological site in the park where historic signatures had been inscribed by famous western personalities Butch Cassidy, Matt Warner, and Silvertip. The recently inscribed names of at least eight individuals, along with the year 2010, were etched into the walls of the alcove near the historic inscriptions. By investigating Facebook postings, rangers were able to identify the responsible individuals as a result of information that they had posted about their recent family reunion in the park. Once identified, members of the group took full responsibility. They paid a total of $6,045 for site restoration under the authority provided by the Park System Resource Protection Act (16USC 19jj). Professional restoration of the site will commence this year. Ranger Brenda Zirwas was the case ranger. [Scott Brown, Chief Ranger]
During the early morning hours of Sunday, April 21st, rangers and Wayne County Sheriff's Department officers responded to a call of stranded canyoneers in the Pandora's Box slot canyon. The group, consisting of nine Boy Scouts and leaders from Manti, Utah, dropped into the canyon at noon on Saturday. After completing about half of the canyon route, they concluded that one member was too exhausted to continue and that another member was too large to squeeze through the narrow slot sections ahead. Five of nine members of the party were able to complete the route, but had taken the group's ropes and other equipment to do so. At daylight on Sunday, the Wayne County Search and Rescue Team was flown to the rim using a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter. Once there, they raised each member of the stranded group 300 feet to the canyon rim. Unhurt, the rescued individuals were flown out of the backcountry. Pandora's Box is widely considered to be one of the more difficult canyoneering routes on the Colorado Plateau. The incident was managed jointly with the country sheriff's department. [Scott Brown, Chief Ranger]
On March 15th, rangers investigated a car clouting incident at the Chimney Rock trailhead. A vehicle battery and a significant amount of cash had been stolen from the vehicle. Immediately following the incident, several park employees came forth to report that they saw two suspicious people in the area at the time of the car clout. Through a joint investigation involving NPS rangers and the Wayne County Sheriff's Office deputies, two suspects were identified and interviewed. They were linked to both the park break-in and many other auto and business burglaries that had occurred in the area. Both face multiple felony charges. Wayne County is prosecuting. [Scott Brown, Chief Ranger]
On July 12th, rangers responded to a night-time accident involving a motorcycle and a pedestrian. A 36 year old man from Bountiful, Utah, was photographing the moon from various locations along Utah Highway 24 and was walking in the roadway when he was struck by a motorcyclist at highway speed. The Bountiful man died from his injuries and the motorcycle's operator, a 26-year-old man from Caineville, Utah, sustained critical injuries. He was flown to a hospital in Provo, Utah, by air ambulance. The Utah Highway Patrol is leading the investigation. [Scott Brown, Chief Ranger]
In September, 2011, a photograph in a Patagonia clothing catalog appeared of two climbers making a "first ascent" of a climbing route in the park. Rangers identified the route and determined that new bolts had been installed and that HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trundling" trundling of rocks on the route had occurred. Both of these actions are prohibited under a 36 CFR 1.5 closure. During the investigation, two additional climbing routes were identified as first ascents completed by the individuals identified in the Patagonia catalog and by a newly identified third party not associated with the Patagonia photograph. All three individuals were held liable for damages in accordance with the Park System Resource Protection Act (16 U.S.C. § 19jj), which provides that any person or instrumentality who injures, destroys or causes the loss of any park resource is liable for response costs and damages. In May a sum of $4,000 was paid to Capitol Reef National Park after negotiations between the NPS Intermountain Office of the Solicitor and the defendants' attorney. [Scott Brown, Chief Ranger]
Three overdue hikers — two men and a woman, all in their twenties — who'd headed out on a hike on the Mulie Twist Trail on Wednesday, May 22nd, were rescued the following Saturday after calling for help. A Garfield County dispatcher received a call concerning the overdue hikers around 7 p.m. on Thursday. Rangers and the county SAR team began searching for them shortly thereafter. The trailhead was checked from the air, but their car couldn't be seen because it was green and had been parked off the side of a road among green trees. Rangers subsequently located it and a search was begun of Strike Valley Canyon. Air searchers finally spotted the hikers in the slot canyon. The hikers reported that it had started to rain as they hiked into the canyon and they'd become wet, cold and fatigued. The woman had become hypothermic, so the trio decided to hold up and wait for help. Rope rescue teams from Garfield County and the park eventually extracted the hikers safely. Source: Marjorie Cortez, Deseret News.
On June 23, a heavy storm caused flash flooding in the park. As park staff attempted to evacuate visitors on the Grand Wash road and trails, they became stranded themselves. Wayne County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue and the Department of Safety were able to use aircraft to rescue and communicate with people. Only minor injuries, such as lacerations, were incurred. 7-8 cars were carried downstream and damaged or destroyed in the floods. Many roads and trails remain closed. Source: ABC4 | |