Pictured Rocks |  |
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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Tuesday, June 5, 1990 At 4:30 a.m. on June 3rd, a car driven by T.S., 25, of Eben Junction, Michigan, left the roadway on a curve on Miners Castle Road and struck a tree. The accident was discovered by a bicyclist at 6:30 a.m., and emergency units arrived on scene 20 minutes later. T.S. and his passenger, W.T., 29, of Mundelein, Illinois, were both transported to a hospital, where T.S. was admitted in serious condition and W.T. was pronounced DOA. (Ray Brende, CR, PIRO, via Capt. J.J. McLaughlin, RAD/MWRO, 6/4).
D.J., 41, a recently hired maintenance mechanic at the park, was killed near midnight on the 26th in an auto accident near St. Croix, Wisconsin. D.J. had EOD'ed on the 15th. He was living in temporary Quarters in the park, while his wife and son remained in their home in Amery, Wisconsin. D.J. was going home for a long weekend when he was hit head-on by a drunk driver at Turtle Lake, about ten miles from his house. Wisconsin State Police are investigating. (Telephone report from Tom Thompson, RAD/MWRO, 7/27).
A Cessna Skyhawk made an emergency landing on the beach at Beaver Creek Campground at 9 p.m. on August 3rd. The aircraft, which was operated by D.M. of Atlanta, Michigan, had run low on fuel. Neither D.M. nor his wife, who was the only passenger, was injured. The aircraft did not sustain any damage. The incident has been investigated by the FAA and has been turned over to the NPS for further investigation. The aircraft is still on the beach. No final determination had been made on how to remove it at the time of the report. (Ray Brende, CR, PIRO, via CompuServe message from Capt. J.J. McLaughlin, RAD/MWRO, 8/6).
On the afternoon of September 10th, visitors walking along Miner's Beach found the body of 30-year-old A.G. of Dillon, Colorado, in the beach surf. Responding rangers found his clothes folded on the beach and his wallet with them. There was no suicide note and no indication of alcohol consumption. A.G. appeared to have been traveling by himself. It is presumed that he drowned while swimming. (Ray Brende, CR, PIRO, via CompuServe message from Ben Holmes, RAD/MWRO, 9/11).
On September 15th, E.A., 62, went walking in the park to help strengthen a knee which had been operated on; when she failed to return, rangers were notified and began a search. The weather was in the lower 50's with a light drizzle. Although the description of the vehicle given to rangers did not fit any in the parking lot at Sand Point, they conducted a hasty search of the area since it is a popular spot for walking. The woman was located by two hikers who then contacted the rangers. E.A. was found to be suffering from early signs of hypothermia and was transferred to Munising Hospital by ambulance. She had tripped over her cane while walking and reinjured her knee. Unable to stand up, she had pulled herself approximately 600 feet down the trail during the five hours since her fall. (Telefax from RAD/MWRO, 9/28).
On July 17th, the park received a report of thefts from shipwrecks along the Lake Superior beach from campers in the Hurricane River Campground. The thieves removed parts of the Sitka and the Gail Staples, both of which were built in the 1880s and went aground on the beach in the 1900s. The observant campers recorded times, descriptions of individuals, and the license plate number of the involved vehicle. The vessels are both above water in NPS jurisdiction and below water in state jurisdiction. Since investigators have been unable to establish from which portions of the ships the items were taken, the state natural resource officers are leading the investigation. The U.S. Attorney's office has been notified and is ready to prosecute if appropriate. [Ray Brende, CR, PIRO, via telefax from John Townsend, RAD/MWRO, 7/26]
On September 15th, a ranger was dispatched to Chapel Parking Lot to investigate the report of an assault taking place there. The ranger found G.G. sitting in the parking lot with his camping gear. Upon investigation, it was learned that G.G.'s companion, R.A., had reportedly bit him on the arm, poured gasoline on him, then tried to light the fuel. G.G. succeeded in getting the gas can from her after striking her twice in the face. R.A. fled the scene in a vehicle the couple had arrived in. G.G. subsequently filed charges of aggravated assault with the state police. [Ray Brende, CR, PIRO, via CompuServe message from Tom Thompson, RAD/MWRO, 9/19]
On the morning of May 8th, the park learned that a Michigan State Police four-wheel drive ambulance was en route to the mouth of the Mosquito River on the shore of Lake Superior to recover a fisherman who had reportedly died at that location. Because the fishing partner of the deceased individual couldn't remember which road to take, the ambulance returned to base and the park assumed recovery responsibilities. Rangers Young and Schad headed to the river by park boat and retrieved the body of the 41-year-old male. The victim's friend reported that the victim had said he hadn't felt well that morning and that he had chosen to fish beside the mouth of the river. The friend travelled up river; when he returned about a half hour later, he found the victim dead along the shore. The victim had suffered a heart attack five years earlier and had lost 40% of his heart muscle in that attack. A medical examiner has ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death. [Ray Brende, CR, PIRO, via telefax from John Townsend, RAD/MWRO, 5/8]
Acting on tips from orchid botanists in Canada and the United States, rangers recently arrested a German national for removing approximately 85 orchid plants from the Grand Sable Dunes area of the park. In addition to federal law, the rattlesnake plantain (Goodyera oblongifolia) is also protected under the Michigan Christmas Tree Act. The suspect pled guilty to misdemeanor charges, including violation of the Lacey Act, Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and 36 CFR 2.1. The fines for these infractions totalled $3,500. Information derived from interviews suggest that the plants were to be transported to Europe, where they were to be traded or sold to orchid enthusiasts. The case was developed with the assistance of USFWS special agents and Michigan DNR officers. [Greg Bruff, CR, PIRO, 7/2]
On the evening of June 29th, rangers discovered that someone had removed the eggs from a piping plover nest located on a beach adjacent to the lakeshore in Grand Marais. The next was protected by a predator exclosure, and the surrounding area had been fenced with warning signs. Rain had partially obliterated tracks, but it appears that one individual approached the nest, lifted the exclosure, removed the eggs, then replaced the exclosure. The eggs were due to hatch within one or two days after the theft was discovered. It is unclear whether or not there will be sufficient time for the plovers to nest again this summer. There is considerable support for the plovers, a federally-listed endangered species, in the town of Grand Marais, but controversy recently erupted over restrictions on beach use and shoreline development on lands adjacent to other plover nesting sites. Grand Maris has three other nesting sites, all of which are on private land. Investigation of the incident continues with the assistance of USFWS agents and Michigan DNR officers. [Greg Bruff, CR, PIRO, 7/2]
On December 5th, the park assisted the Alger County sheriff's department in an investigation of a snowmobile accident in the park's inland buffer zone which resulted in the death of S.R., 22, of Port Washington, Wisconsin. S.R. struck a tree after leaving the roadway on a curve at a high rate of speed. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital in Munising. Snowmobiling continues to grow as a winter activity in the upper Midwest, and injuries and deaths are increasing as well. Last year, there were seven snowmobile-related fatalities on Michigan's Upper Peninsula; speed and alcohol were implicated in several of them. Only two deaths have occurred so far this year, but the season has just begun. Rangers are working closely with other area law enforcement officers to curtail both high speed and use of alcohol by snowmobilers visiting the area. [Greg Bruff, IS, PIRO, 12/9]
J.H. and J.B., both 15, began a hike from the Twelve Mile Beach campground at 3 p.m. on July 27th. At 11:20 p.m., rangers were notified that the boys had not returned from the hike. Ground and water hasty searches were conducted along the lake Superior shoreline and the Lakeshore hiking trail. The two boys were found walking along a local county road near the Hurricane River campground at 9 a.m. on the morning of the 28th. The boys had walked to the town of Grand Marais, 15 miles from the departure point, then had tried to return to the campground at night and become disoriented. They'd spent the night along the shoreline and had weathered a severe thunderstorm. [Larry Hach, CR, PIRO, 7/30]
On Tuesday, May 31st, rangers and Michigan state police officers began a surveillance operation at the Miners Falls parking lot. Several car clouts had occurred at that location during the past year in which vehicles had been forcibly entered and cash (only) taken. A surveillance van and bait vehicle were used in the operation. Around 10 a.m., a man later identified as G.K. entered the lot on foot and forcibly entered a private vehicle (not the bait vehicle). The entire car clout, including clear identification of G.K., was captured on video by a camcorder in the surveillance van. G.K. was then arrested. Charges of larceny from a motor vehicle and possession of marijuana are pending against him. [Larry Hach, CR, PIRO, 6/2]
On November 14th, rangers discovered the carcass of an eight-point white-tailed deer that had been illegally shot a day before the Michigan rifle deer season opened. Rangers and a Michigan DNR officer set up surveillance over the carcass. Later that evening, M.K. was observed dragging the deer back to his vehicle; he and his brother, M., were arrested and charged with taking deer out of season. Two 30-06 rifles with scopes were confiscated from the vehicle. Ballistic tests will be run on the rifle slug obtained from the deer, a spent rifle shell casing obtained from the suspect's vehicle, and the two weapons that were seized. [Larry Hach, CR, PIRO, 11/15]
On the afternoon of Wednesday, June 5th, a female visitor hiking on the Munising Falls trail was assaulted by a 16-year-old juvenile. The juvenile pulled a stocking cap over her head and punched her twice in the face. When she began screaming, he fled on foot through the woods. Rangers and state police officers began a search of the area and located and arrested the juvenile a short time later. Investigation revealed that he was a member of a group from a medium security juvenile detention facility that had been camping in the Upper Peninsula for the week and had stopped at the falls for a visit. He was transferred back to the facility. Assault charges are pending. [Larry Hach, CR, PIRO]
All five of the park's rangers were involved in several search and/or rescue operations during a twelve-hour period on August 6th. In the first incident, a backcountry hiker carrying an 80-pound pack on a 90-degree day was overcome by heat exhaustion and had to be transported 16 miles out of the backcountry by two rangers in a park patrol boat. A second search was begun that evening when a hiker was reported overdue from a trip into a remote area of the park. Two rangers looked for him throughout the night and were able to find and reunite him with his family the following morning. The final involved as mother who'd left her five small children, ages five through eleven, at a backcountry site five miles from the nearest trailhead while she returned to her vehicle for food and supplies. She was about to attempt to paddle her loaded canoe along seven miles of the Lake Superior shoreline in the dark when rangers intercepted her and escorted her to her campsite by canoe via an inland lake route, arriving at 2:30 a.m. The five children were found curled up in one small tent, sound asleep. [Fred Young, DR, PIRO]
On April 26th, R.M., 59, of Gladstone, Michigan, fell overboard from his 19-foot fishing boat in Munising Bay near the Sand Point area of the park. R.M. reportedly sank from sight within a minute after falling into the lake. The county SAR team requested assistance from the park for shoreline and water searches, and rangers Tim Schad and Larry Hach responded in the park's 22-foot patrol boat. Search and dive operations have been underway since the 26th, but without result. The search will be scaled back to overflights and periodic shoreline patrols. [Larry Hach, CR, PIRO, 5/1]
A park visitor told rangers on April 20th that he'd found a suspicious package in a ditch off a park-owned road. Evidence at the scene indicated that an explosive device might be in the package, so a state police bomb squad was immediately summoned. Bomb squad members determined that the package contained about 40 wooden match sticks aligned against a striker plate and a large amount of black gun powder (type 4F). The cardboard package was wrapped in alternating layers of duct tape and aluminum foil. The device could have been set off by someone stepping or falling on the package or by throwing it against a hard wall; injuries would have included flash burns. An investigation is underway. [Larry Hach, CR, PIRO, 4/22]
An 11-year-old girl was injured while visiting the park with members of an outing group on August 16th. Several members of the group decided to walk and run down the "Log Slide," a 300-foot sand slope to Lake Superior at a popular overlook along the Grand Sable Dunes. As the girl neared the bottom, she lost control and fell face forward onto the beach. She went into convulsions, then lost consciousness. Visitors with medical training stabilized her and a cell phone was used to report the accident. Rangers in a 21-foot park boat and a local ambulance service responded. The girl was further treated, then taken by boat to Grand Marais, transferred to an ambulance and taken to a hospital. She sustained a severe head concussion from striking a rock. [Neil Korsmo, SPR, PIRO, 8/24]
M.H., 29, of Detroit, Michigan, died on February 21st from numerous injuries received in a snowmobiling accident near Grand Sable Lake. M.H. failed to negotiate a curve on a designated snowmobile trail and hit a guardrail. His helmet was shattered by the impact with the wooden railing. Ranger Neil Korsmo, who responded along with a township ambulance, provided primary patient care. M.H. had suffered significant head trauma and was found to be in full arrest. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital, where doctors determined that he had multiple skull fractures, a fractured neck and a double pneumothorax. Speed and alcohol were contributing factors. This is the 15th snowmobiling fatality to occur on the Upper Peninsula this winter. [Larry Hach, CR, PIRO, 2/26]
The park received a report of a possible drowning at Little Beaver Lake on June 6th. Investigating rangers found that D.G., 48, of Monroe, Michigan, had last been seen late that morning fishing from a small johnboat on the lake. The boat was found in the reeds along the shoreline. D.G.'s companions searched the water but found no sign of him. A search of the lake's shore line proved fruitless, so the county's dive rescue team was contacted. Seven members of the team searched the lake the following morning while park staff searched the shoreline and nearby trails. D.G.'s body was found in about eight feet of water late on the morning of June 8th. [Larry Hach, CR, PIRO, 6/9]
On December 28th, R.M., 27, of Brown City, Michigan, succumbed to injuries suffered in a snowmobile accident that occurred when he failed to negotiate a curve on a designated snowmobile trail near the Grand Sable visitor center. R.M.'s snowmobile left the roadway and hit a large tree. Ranger Neil Korsmo and a Alger County deputy were called out and jointly investigated. R.M. was transported by ambulance to Munising Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Initial investigation indicates that speed and alcohol were contributing factors in the accident. The investigation is continuing. [Larry Hach, CR, PIRO, 12/29]
On February 5th and 6th, the park hosted the tenth annual Michigan Ice Festival. The ice climbing festival was run under a special use permit; participants climbed ice formations in the Sand Point area of the park. Over 270 ice climbers from a dozen states attended the two-day event. Several well-known ice climbers - both nationally and internationally - were on hand, giving lessons and demonstrations during the day and slide presentations in the evenings. Two minor first aid incidents occurred during the event. There were no law enforcement incidents. (Larry Hach, CR, PIRO, 3/2)
On the morning of March 7th, rangers were advised of a 911 call reporting that a visitor had fallen through shore ice on Lake Superior off the beach at Sand Point. Rescue personnel from the park, sheriff's department and local ambulance service responded. They found J.J., 63, of Manistique, Michigan, in a boat on the shoreline with two local fishermen. According to witnesses, J.J. was walking on the ice about 100 yards from shore when he fell through. The fishermen pulled him into their boat, then pushed the boat to shore over the ice. J.J. was treated for initial stages of hypothermia and a spiral fracture of the left femur. He was taken to a local hospital for further treatment. [Larry Hach, CR, PIRO, 3/8]
On the evening of April 14th, Michigan State Police received word of a suicidal person in the Chapel/Mosquito area of the park. A 48-year-old male from the Detroit area, who was diabetic and being treated for clinical depression, had left a suicide note at his residence. Rangers Neil Korsmo and Bill Smith responded along with five state troopers and two search dogs. After determining which of the three trailheads the man had used, two hasty teams were formed and a search was begun. The man was found along the trail a short time later, tired and dehydrated. He had evidently gone to three different Lake Superior cliff locations, but could not carry through with his intentions. He was transported to a local hospital, evaluated, and released the next day. [Larry Hach, CR, PIRO, 4/19]
The park received a report of a possible drowning in Lake Superior offshore from Twelvemile Beach campground on August 7th. J.M., 41, and his nine-year-old son were swimming in the lake when they began to have difficulty in the three-foot waves. Onlookers rescued the boy, but the father disappeared. Rangers Neil Korsmo and Katy Kowalewski arrived on scene shortly thereafter and began search operations. Assisting were a private aircraft, a Coast Guard helicopter and vessel, a park vessel, the county sheriff's dive team, and a local SAR team. J.M.'s body was recovered the following morning in about 15 feet of water. Kowalewski acted as the point of contact and liaison with J.M.'s family; Korsmo was IC. Initial response by search units was very quick, as they had just completed a response to a drowning in Lake Superior in similar conditions off the nearby town of Grand Marais. [Larry Hach, CR, PIRO, 8/10]
On the afternoon of July 19th, park staff learned that a visitor had fallen from a cliff near Munising Falls. Ranger Bill Smith and a county ambulance crew responded. L.T., 21, of Woodbridge, Illinois, was climbing on a ledge with a companion in an effort to reach the top of the falls when she fell 12 to 15 feet, then tumbled and slid another 25 feet before coming to a stop against a small tree. She was stabilized, evacuated to Munising Memorial Hospital, then flown to a hospital in Chicago to undergo surgery for a compression fracture of the twelfth vertebra. L.T. also fractured her left ankle in the accident. The area around the falls is closed to the public for safety and natural resource protection reasons. [Larry Hach, CR, PIRO, 8/10]
On February 3rd and 4th, the park hosted the eleventh annual Michigan Ice Festival. Participants in the ice climbing festival, run under the terms of a special use permit, climbed ice formations along the escarpment in the Sand Point area of the park. The park's ice formations are rated as some of the best in the Midwest. Over 370 ice climbers from ten states attended the two-day event. Several well-known ice climbers - both nationally and internationally - were on hand, giving lessons and demonstrations during the day and slide presentations in the evenings. Two minor first aid incidents occurred during the event. There were no law enforcement incidents. [Larry Hach, CR, PIRO, 2/7]
Several people were injured in a single vehicle accident on Miner's Castle Road just north of the Miner's Beach turnoff on the afternoon of Saturday, October 27th. A 21-year-old man from Munising failed to negotiate a curve on wet pavement, went off the road, and hit a tree. The driver and both passengers - two 20-year-old women - were extricated from the vehicle and taken to Munising Memorial Hospital. The driver was treated for a dislocated hip and released; the two passengers were still in serious condition at the time of the report, one with head injuries and the other with a fractured pelvis and a damaged spleen. Michigan State Police are investigating. [Larry Hach, CR, PIRO, 10/29]
On Monday, July 26th, the park received a report that a visitor had
fallen at the Log Slide, which is a popular visitor attraction
consisting of a 300 foot high sand dune with a 600 foot slope. Rangers
responded along with the Michigan State Police and local fire and rescue
units. They found that a 65-year-old woman had lost her balance while
climbing down the dune and had tumbled about 100 feet down its face.
Rescuers belayed a litter 500 feet down the dune slope, then immobilized
and prepared the woman for evacuation. She was lowered another 100 feet
to the Lake Superior shoreline, then placed in an NPS patrol boat,
conveyed to a waiting ambulance in Grand Marais, and taken to a hospital
in Marquette. Although she had good neurological function in all
extremities throughout the entire extrication and transport, she was
admitted to the hospital with a cervical spine fracture.
At midnight on October 23rd, rangers were notified that a 77-year-old woman from Grand Marais, Michigan, was overdue from a hike in the Grand Sable Lake area of the park. Hasty searches of the area were begun immediately, and additional searchers were called in to assist. Agencies involved in the search included the Alger County Sheriff's Department, Michigan State Police, Eastern Upper Peninsula Search and Rescue, United States Coast Guard, Alger Maximum Security Prison Emergency Response Team, Burt Township Fire and Rescue Departments, Seney Fire Department, Michigan DNR, Seney National Wildlife Refuge, and the NPS. At approximately 7 a.m. on October 25th, the woman was found along the west shore of Grand Sable Lake by two searchers in a canoe. She was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where she was hospitalized and monitored. She was in the initial stages of hypothermia when searchers located her. [Larry Hach, Chief Ranger]
On the morning of Thursday, June 22nd, 43-year-old Juanita Richardson of McBain, Michigan, fell from a cliff above Lake Superior about a half mile southwest of Miners Castle. Richardson was picnicking along the cliffs with her husband when the incident occurred. He ran to the visitor information center at Miners Castle to report the incident to park staff. Personnel from the park, the Alger County Sheriff's Department, the Michigan State Police, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources extricated Richardson from a rock ledge near Lake Superior. She was transported by Alger County Ambulance to Munising Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The investigation is continuing. [Larry Hach, Chief Ranger]
On the afternoon of Tuesday, August 15th, an 11-year-old boy from Oak Park, Michigan, died after an accident near Sable Creek in which he was buried in one to two feet of sand for over 20 minutes. The boy, playing with a group of other children, was apparently trapped after a tunnel they had dug into the face of the Grand Sable Dunes collapsed and buried the boy in sand. According to eyewitnesses, the boy was extricated from the sand by other companions and an adult family friend who was nearby. CPR was begun immediately. The boy was transported from the accident scene to a waiting ambulance at the Sable Falls parking lot, where he was then transported to Helen Newberry Joy Hospital in Newberry, Michigan. The boy was declared dead later that evening. Agencies assisting in the accident included the Burt Township Ambulance Corps and Fire Department, Luce County Advanced Life Support, Michigan State Police, and the National Park Service. The investigation is continuing. [Larry Hach, Chief Ranger]
On the evening of Saturday, October 28th, the Michigan State Police received a report from two hikers who had discovered a body while hiking in the Trappers Lake backcountry area of the park. Rangers were notified and a joint investigation was begun. State troopers and rangers hiked into the remote site near Trappers Lake, where they found a make-shift camp set up approximately 100 yards off the trail. The body of D.L.G., 42, of Olivet, Michigan, was found near the camp, the victim of an apparent suicide. The death remains under investigation. (Larry Hach, Chief Ranger)
On June 22, 2006, 43-year-old J.R. of McBain, Michigan, fell to her death from a cliff above Lake Superior about a half mile southwest of Miners Castle (for the original report, click on "More Information" below). J.R. was picnicking along the cliffs with her husband, 43-year-old T.R., when the incident occurred. Following the incident, a joint investigation into the cause of the accident was undertaken by the Alger County Sheriff's Department, FBI, Michigan State Police, and the National Park Service. On Tuesday, February 6th, T.R. was arrested in Cadillac, Michigan, and arraigned in court on two charges - open murder, which carries a life in prison sentence, and manslaughter, which carries a 15-year sentence. T.R.'s preliminary exam has been set for February 28th. The judge did not set a bail amount due to the serious nature of the charges. T.R. is currently lodged in the Alger County Jail. All media inquiries are being directed to the Alger County Prosecutor's Office. [Larry Hach, Chief Ranger] HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=2669"
T.R., 46, of McBain, Michigan, has been found guilty of causing his wife of 23 years to fall to her death from a park cliff on June 22, 2006. Testimony in his trial began on March 3rd and included about 140 witnesses. The jury reached its verdict on April 16th. J.R.'s death was the first fatal fall from a cliff and the first homicide in the 40 year history of the national lakeshore. "We would like to express our enormous appreciation to the Alger County Sheriff's Department, the Michigan State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and especially to the Alger County Prosecutor's Office, as well as to the National Park Service rangers and special agents that were involved, for the outstanding work and collaboration that led to a thorough investigation of this tragic murder, and to the successful prosecution of Mr. R," said superintendent Jim Northup. "We were very pleased with the verdict in this case, and feel that justice has been served." To see the text of the original report, click on the link below. [Jim Northup, Superintendent]'
On August 3rd, two rangers were investigating illegal chainsaw use in the park's backcountry when they were fired upon by a paintball gun. Rangers Shaun Hughes and Brad Heyrman were on patrol in the Beaver Lake area of the park near dusk when they heard a chainsaw running in the vicinity of one of the park's remote backcountry designated camping areas, which provide accommodations for a number of parties on a single night. Chainsaw use is not allowed in this portion of the park. As they approached what they thought was the most likely campsite, they saw a group of six people sitting around a campfire. Before entering the campsite, they paused briefly about 30 yards away along the established trail to watch the group for officer safety reasons and to look for the chainsaw. Before they were able to formally announce themselves and make their approach, one member of the group said "What's that?," then picked up a weapon and began firing in the direction of the rangers, who heard and felt at least five rounds passing nearby and recognized them as probable paintball rounds. The rangers immediately took cover, announced themselves as National Park Service rangers, and ordered that the weapon be put down. Members of the group laughed and the weapon was not dropped promptly. After announcing themselves again and advising the shooter that they would return fire if any additional rounds were fired, the shooter put the weapon down on the ground and the rangers entered, took control of the scene, and seized the weapon. The assailant said that he had "heard some noises" in the woods and "thought it might be a bear." He said he was simply shooting in the direction of the noise and had not seen the rangers, any of the other camping parties, or the large group camped nearby in the group camp site. The party included four adults and two children. The holder of the backcountry camping permit was charged for the illegal chainsaw use. The shooter was charged with illegal weapon possession and interfering with agency function. [TC Colyer, Chief Ranger]
Rangers received a 911 call at 4:45 a.m. on Monday reporting that a man had fallen 70 feet from the top of Miners Falls to its base. F.S., 24, who was camping at that location with a friend, was gathering firewood around 2:30 a.m. when the accident occurred. His companion was able to get down to F.S.'s location, assess his condition, and hike out to make the call for assistance. The steep, rough terrain and inclement weather conditions made the ensuing rescue effort challenging. Temperatures were below freezing, rocky surfaces were ice covered, natural lighting was minimal, and the Miners River was flowing higher than usual. Rescuers used a Stokes litter, an extension ladder and dry suits to get F.S. across the river. They then carried him up the steep rocky hill to a tracked rescue vehicle that transported him to a waiting ambulance. F.S. was taken to the local hospital, where he was pronounced dead several hours later. The case is still open pending further investigation. Alcohol is believed to have been a contributing factor and an autopsy will be conducted. The park extended its thanks to the Alger County Sheriff's Department, Alger County EMS, Alger County Rescue 21, Munising Township FD, Eastern Upper Peninsula Search & Rescue and the Rock River Township FD for their assistance [Bill Smith, Acting Chief Ranger]
On September 18th, the Coast Guard in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, received a call for assistance from the research vessel David Boyd, which was inspecting a newly-discovered shipwreck in Lake Superior. The captain declared a SCUBA emergency and requested medical assistance for a 64-year-old diver who had ascended too quickly from a 220-foot-deep dive. The nearest Coast Guard vessel was five hours away, so assistance was sought from rangers in Grand Marais, Michigan. Rangers Shaun Hughes and Matt Davis responded in the park boat along with members of the Burt Township ambulance corps and the local U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. After battling waves up to six feet high, rangers made contact with the David Boyd approximately eight miles offshore of Grand Marais. Park and local EMTs boarded the research vessel and found the diver to be suffering from probable decompression sickness - he was weak and lethargic and unable to move or bear weight on his legs. EMTs continued treatment as the ailing diver was transported to a waiting Valley Med Flight helicopter at the Grand Marais harbor. He was then transported to a hyperbaric chamber in Marquette, Michigan, where he is still undergoing treatment. Other assisting agencies included the Alger County Sheriff's office, Burt Township Fire Department and USCG Air Station Traverse City. [John Patmore, Chief Ranger]
A woman who was last seen hiking in the park on Friday, July 14th, found her way back to the Little Beaver Campground on the afternoon of July 20th, bringing to an end a major interagency search. K.M., 55, was last seen on the Little Beaver Lake Trail in a rugged area of the park along Lake Superior. K.M. suffers from a childhood brain injury that affects her short-term memory. As a result, she couldn't remember much about her time alone in the wilderness. Participants in the search included the park, the Michigan State Police, the Alger County Sheriff's Office, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service. Source: News story, Grand Rapids News.
A Michigan man had to be rescued late last month after climbing to the top of the iconic Miners Castle turret at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The stunt cost the 30-year-old A.H. man $690 in fines. He also was charged with three federal violations after the incident — disorderly conduct (creating a hazardous situation), trespassing into a closed area, and damaging a natural resource. The man allegedly jumped a fence and went past signs warning people not to climb the formation, which is a landmark of Lake Superior's southern shoreline. The incident occurred just after noon on Tuesday, May 29th, when park rangers on marine patrol noticed the man sitting atop the rock. Source: Michigan Live.
T.T.N., 32, was hiking by herself on the North Country Trail on September 19th when she stopped east of Grand Portal Point to take pictures of herself. While doing so, she fell about 200 feet off the cliff edge into Lake Superior. The fall was witnessed by two kayakers who were able to retrieve her and bring her to shore near Chapel Beach. A local kayak company radioed for emergency services for assistance. Arriving rangers and Alger County paramedics confirmed that the woman died as a result of injuries sustained in the fall. Source: WLUC.
The captain of a tour vessel heading back to port after a cruise along the park's Lake Superior coastline last week spotted a bit of yellow along the shore. Suspecting it might be from a life jacket, he quickly changed course and soon spotted four people — two adults and two children — huddled on the rocky shoreline and only partly out of the lake's 47 degree waters. Floating in the water out of the captain's reach was the Minneapolis family's plastic canoe, which held their truck keys, cellphones and other essentials. The canoe had swamped in the blustery conditions, forcing them to swim 100 to 150 yards to the shoreline. All four were wearing lifejackets. They were huddled there, waiting for someone to come by, but their odds seemed long as the light was failing and a storm was blowing up. The captain radioed the cruise line's office, located about 14 miles away in Munising. The park and the county sheriff's office were also notified. Realizing it would be foolhardy to nudge his ship any closer to the rocky waters, the captain kept the vessel 200 to 300 yards offshore until two smaller rescue craft arrived and rescued the family. Winds were blowing around 25 mph at the time and it had started raining. The daughter's legs were so numb that a deck hand had to pick her up and carry her to a boat. They were taken to a local hospital. One of the rescuers, a captain from the sheriff's department, told reporters that it was highly improbable that the four would have survived the night. Source: Paul Walsh, Minneapolis Star Tribune.
A group of 18 kayakers on a tour of the park on August 12th narrowly escaped disaster when a massive section of cliff fell into Lake Superior about 50 feet away from them. No one was injured. The kayakers were out on the lake between Miners Beach and Mosquito Beach, where cliffs reach up to 200 feet high. Just before the fall, some smaller rocks had hit the water nearby, so the kayakers "got far away." Two professional nature photographers captured the moment with a drone they were operating from a pontoon boat. On it, a geology professor from Northern Michigan University describes what's happening: "The slope has been over-steepened by waves pounding away at the bottom of the slope. The slope becomes too steep. Gravity takes over, and rock starts to fall." Source: WLUC News.
A fire started on July 19 near Twelvemile Beach Campground in the park. It was reported by a Coast Guard vessel, and responded to by NPS, Burt Township, and Michigan Department of Natural Resources firefighters. It burned six acres of park and state forest lands. Investigation into the start of the fire is ongoing. Source: UPMatters
On July 24, a man fell to his death from from a location near the upper viewing platform of Miners Castle into Lake Superior. He was reported to have been visiting the park with friends when he stepped over a barrier, lost his footing, fell 100 feet onto a cliff face, then continued to fall into the lake. Alger County Sheriff Department and NPS personnel responded and the investigation is ongoing. Source: Pictured Rocks National Seashore, MLive
On September 16, two kayakers were reported as missing. The NPS, along with other federal and state agencies have responded, including use of a C130 and rescue helicopter. As of September 17, one fatality was confirmed and the search for the other missing person was ongoing. Source: Pictured Rocks National Seashore
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore — The second of two kayakers who went missing on September 16 was found deceased on September 17. When they were reported as missing, Lake Superior was experience gale force winds of up to 35 knots and waves up to 7 feet. As reported previously in the Coalition Report, the other kayaker was also found deceased. Source: Click on Detroit July 13, 2022 On July 8, a dog jumped over the railing at Miners Castle, falling 25-30 feet to a cliff ledge below the lower overlook. NPS staff and a volunteer from the Superior High Angle Rescue Professionals rescued the dog by utilizing high angle rope rescue techniques. Source: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore February 22, 2023 On February 7, a 31-year-old was climbing on ice in the Miners Castle area when they took a fall. The individual's climbing partner reported the fall. Personnel from the NPS, Alger County Rescue 21 team, and the Coast Guard responded, including an ice rescue team and MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter. Difficult weather conditions prevented the ice climbing team from launching to the site, and helicopter searches on February 7 and 8 were unable to sight the individual. The search was suspended due to poor weather conditions. On February 12, weather and wave conditions on the lake allowed a search utilizing an unmanned aerial vehicle operated by the Alger County (MI) Sheriff's Department. The individual was found deceased underwater about 30 meters offshore from where they fell. A Michigan State Police dive team conducted the recovery with support from the U.S. Coast Guard. Source: United States Coast Guard News, CBS Detroit
On July 29, a 30-foot boat caught fire off the shore of Pictured Rocks. A U.S. Coast Guard crew was on a routine patrol in the area and they saw smoke rising off the vessel. They responded and transferred all five passengers to their vessel. There were no injuries. The vessel contained up to 250 gallons of diesel and the NPS and Coast Guard are monitoring the area for pollution. The vessel's owner is working on a salvage plan. Source: Detroit Free Press
On the evening of January 10, a dog got off leash and fell off a cliff near Miners Castle onto a ledge 60 feet below. The dog's owners searched the area and were unable to locate the dog, convinced it had not survived the fall. The following morning, NPS staff and Superior High Angle Rescue Professionals located the dog and extracted it from the ledge. The dog was cold, but alive, and "excited to see rescuers." It was reunited with its owners. Source: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
On February 8 the park closed Sand Point to all ice climbing activity due to above average temperatures that created "considerable ice melt at popular ice climbing locations and severe snowmelt." Increased foot traffic has also deteriorated trail conditions and the potential for impacts on park resources. The closure will continue until conditions change. Source: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
On May 29, a 45-year-old hiker was reported to have exhibited "signs of distress" before going unconscious. They were hiking towards Spray Falls near the Coves Campground. Alger County (MI) Sheriff's Office deployed a boat to the area and other personnel responded on foot. The individual was pronounced dead at the scene. Source: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
On June 27, a 40-year-old kayaker was observed "in distress" after entering the water near Miners Beach in Lake Superior. Three commercial guides responded and "ultimately saved the kayaker, who was already beginning to show signs of shock." Park staff, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Alger County (MI) Sheriff's Department also responded to the incident. The individual was cleared by medical responders shortly after the rescue. Source: UpNorthLive
On November 8, hikers near Miners Beach observed a body that had washed ashore, and called 911. Personnel from the Michigan State Police, Alger County Sheriff's Department, and the NPS responded to the scene. The individual has not yet been identified. Foul play is not suspected. The incident is under investigation by the Michigan State Police. Source: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
The body that washed ashore on November 8 (see 11/13/24 Coalition Report) was positively identified through DNA analysis as a 65-year-old that went missing in September. No one was sure of his whereabouts, but there had been a guess that he was kayaking on Lake Superior. Source: The Daily News | |