RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Wednesday, June 5, 1991
*** NOTICE ***
There will be no morning reports Thursday or Friday.
They will resume on Monday, June 10.
INCIDENTS
911-97 - Denali (Alaska) - Search in Progress
On May 30th, concession employee J.S., approximately
30 years old and believed to be from Kansas City, Missouri,
signed out for a hike to the Cathedral Mountain area, stating on
the register that he would be hiking solo, that he was in good
physical condition, and that he had no previous experience
hiking in Alaska. An employee for ARA, the park concessioner,
reported J.S. as overdue when he failed to return to work at
5:00 p.m. on June 2nd. There are some indications that J.S.
may have deviated from his initial course and gone into the
Toklat area, but this has not yet been confirmed. Searches are
currently underway by fixedwing aircraft; the park may also
employ its contract Llama helicopter. (Jim Unruh, DENA, via
telefax from Steve Holder, RAD/ARO, 6/4]
91-198 - Wrangell-St. Elias (Alaska) - Successful Search and Rescue
Pilot P.C. had transported a party of climbers from Mount
Logan to their staging area at Bear Island and was returning for
the remainder of the group on the morning of May 29th when the
engine of his C185 failed and he was forced to land on the
Baldwin Glacier. Late the next day, P.C.'s father advised the
park that his son was overdue. Available information indicated
that P.C. did not have adequate food, clothing or survival gear
for a stay on the glacier. Search efforts were begun on Friday,
but were impeded by poor visibility, rain and lowlying clouds.
No ELT signal was received until noon on Saturday. Search
efforts were expanded via RCC to include a C130 from Elmendorf
AFB, a state DNR helicopter and the NPS contract, high-altitude
Llama helicopter stationed at Denali. Around 2:00 p.m. on
Saturday, June 1st, the C130 was able to establish radio contact
with P.C. while flying at high altitude above the weather. The
state helicopter successfully located P.C. through a narrow
window in the weather two hours later and was able to extricate
him and transport him to his home on Bear Island. P.C.
suffered no injuries, and the C185 was not damaged. [Jim Hummel,
WRST, via telefax from Steve Holder, RAD/ARO, 6/4]
91-199 - Chattahoochee River (Georgia) - Drowning
Early on the morning of May 16th, rangers received a report from
S.D. that her son J.D., 22, was overdue from a
kayaking trip on the river the day before. S.D.'s vehicle
was located in the Powers Island Unit, and a search for him
along 15 miles of the river was conducted without results.
Checks of the river were undertaken each day thereafter, and
J.D.'s body was eventually found on the evening of May 30th
wedged under vegetation just north of Long Island. J.D., who
was reported to be a novice kayaker, was not wearing a life
jacket, helmet or wet suit, and was kayaking alone. [Telefax
from Ken Garvin, CR, CHAT, 6/4]
91-200 - Natchez Trace (Mississippi/Alabama/Tennessee) - Conviction
On May 31st, J.W.P. of Pontotoc, Mississippi, was
sentenced in connection with a kidnapping and sexual abuse
incident which occurred in the park last September. J.W.P.
received 32 years for kidnapping, 20 years for sexual assault,
and five years for sexual assault of a minor. All sentences are
to be served concurrently. J.W.P. also has eight years to serve
for a similar sexual abuse case in Tennessee. [CompuServe
message from Pat Reed, CR, NATR, 6/4]
91-201 - Olympic (Washington) - Drowning
S.W., 31, of Olympia, Washington, was attempting to
cross the Soleduck River just above Soleduck Falls at about 6:45
p.m. on the 3rd when she fell into the river and was swept over
the falls into a deep pool approximately 60 to 80 feet below.
Although injured to an unknown extent, she was able to reach the
rocks which form the wall of a steep canyon at the base of the
falls and hold herself there while others went for help.
Rangers were notified of the accident about a half hour later
and arrived at the scene with rescue equipment within 35 minutes.
They immediately lowered a rope to S.W. to give her something
to grasp until they could rappel into the canyon to reach her.
S.W. held onto the rope and was attempting to wrap it around
her body when she lost her balance, was swept downstream and
drowned. Rangers and county search and rescue team members
searched the river for her throughout the night and located her
body around 9:00 a.m. the following morning. [Cat Hawkins, OLYM,
via CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 6/4]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) FIRE SITUATION Preparedness Level II
One geographic area experiencing high fire danger. Numerous
Class A, B, and C fires occurring and a potential exists for
escapes to larger (project) fires. Minimal mobilization of
resources from other geographic areas occurring. The potential
exists for mobilizing additional resources from other geographic
areas.
2) FIRE SUMMARY No fires reported.
3) ANALYSIS - Very high to extreme fire dangers are being
reported in a few areas in the Southwest and initial attack
operations are underway in several regions, but no significant
fire activity is occurring anywhere.
4) PROGNOSIS - No resource shortages are anticipated.
[NIFCC Intelligence Section, 0531 MDT, 6/5]
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief: Dabney at resource study workshop, Denver, CO, and
meeting with staff of Branch of Fire & Aviation, Boise, ID (6/4-6/6).
Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Halainen at incident strategic
communications working team steering group meeting, Denver, CO
(6/6-6/7).
Branch of Fire & Aviation: Hurd at aviation management council meeting,
Boise, ID (6/4-6/8); Clark instructing S490, Fort Mitchel, KY (6/2-6/7);
Bristol at InciNet meeting, Washington, DC (6/3-6/6); Gale at I520/620
steering committee meeting and site visit to VOYA, Duluth and
International Falls, MN (6/2-6/8).
Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities
Telephone: FTS 268-4874/6039 or 202-208-4874/6039
Telefax: FTS 268-5977 or 202-208-5977
CompuServe: WASO-RANGER (Branch of R&VP); WASO-FIRE-WO (Branch of Fire)
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