Day/date: July 14, 1988




                              RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                                 FIELD INCIDENT REPORT

Incident type: Rescue
Log number: 88-139
Date/time of incident: 7/12, pm     Date/time received: 7/14, 7 am
Park: Crater Lake       Location: Wizard Island
Reported by: Mark Forbes, RAD, PNRO
Received by: Bill Halainen, RAD, WASO

Incident Summary
Unexpected high winds and 4' to 6' white caps stranded 46 tour boat
passengers on Wizard Island on Tuesday. At approximately 2:00 pm, the
decision was made to suspend boat tours for the remainder of the day and to
wait until winds lessened before attempting to cross the lake back to
Cleetwood Cove. The passengers took refuge from the cold winds in the park
research boathouse at about 5:00 pm. By 8:00 pm, winds had lessened
slightly, and the decision was made to effect a rescue while daylight
remained. Park rangers in a Boston Whaler research boat and an experienced
boat driver in another tour boat made the five mile trip, into the wind,
across Crater Lake to Wizard Island, bringing food and water for the
visitors. They arrived at Wizard Island at 9:40 pm, loaded up the stranded
passengers, and left for Cleetwood Cove at 10:00 pm. A woman with an
injured ankle was transported via the research boat to Cleetwood Cove and
then up the mile long trail via trail tractor. The remainder of the
passengers arrived at the shore at 10:35 pm and were provided with
flashlights and escorted up the trail by rangers. By 11:15 pm, all boats
were moored and all parties had arrived on shore. By 12:30 am on the 13th,
all parties had reached the top of Cleetwood trail and began returning to
their homes. Twelve people, including one family of six, were housed in the
Park Community Building for the remainder of the night.