RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Wednesday, July 31, 1991
INCIDENTS
91-193 - Vicksburg (Mississippi) - Followup on ARPA Convictions
On July 26th, N.D. and A.R., who had been
convicted in May for ARPA violations in the park, were each
sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Tom Lee to three years of
active reporting probation and were banned from state and
federal battlefield sites for two years and ordered to pay
$1,379 each in restitution costs. N.D. was required to pay a
$5,000 fine and perform 200 hours of community service; he also
forfeited all property seized from him, including the 1988 Ford
Bronco and metal detector used in the incident. A.R. was
required to pay a smaller fine of $2,000 based on his lesser
financial means, but was also ordered to perform 240 hours of
community service (more time than N.D. in compensation for a
reduced fine) and forfeit all property seized from him,
including a metal detector. As part of the negotiated plea
agreement, both defendants provided the U.S. Attorney's Office
with additional details on the incident and agreed to testify in
further prosecutions of others involved in the affair. [Telefax
from Steve Alscher, RLES, RAD/SERO, 7/30]
91-308 - Olympic (Washington) - Followup on Oil Spill
Oil from the sunken Tenyo Maru continued to come ashore in the
park and elsewhere along 55 miles of coastline yesterday. A
light sheen of oil reportedly coated the shore from Cape
Flattery, Washington's most northwestern point, to Hoh Head,
about 40 miles south. Four park beaches were coated with clumps
of diesel and bunker oil and contaminated vegetation. More than
650 oilsoaked birds had been found by yesterday morning; more
than 150 of them were dead. Only a small percentage of the
fouled birds are expected to survive. Canadian Coast Guard
officials are reporting oil about five miles southwest of Cape
Beale on Vancouver Island. Cape Beale is about 40 miles north
of Cape Flattery. Nearly 300 sea otters, a threatened species,
live along the coast, largely in offshore sea kelp which is now
covered with oil. Rescuers are standing by with cages and nets
to capture the mammals when and where possible. Park spokesman
Bob Appling has warned that the oil could eventually spread to
Oregon, about 125 miles south of the sunken ship. The Canadian
Coast Guard said that a threeman submarine will be sent down to
the wreck today to see if the flow of oil can be plugged. A
memorandum of agreement has been signed with the Coast Guard on
recovery of response costs incurred by the park. [ICS 209 from
incident overhead team, Associated Press and United Press
stories, briefing by John Donahue, OEA/WASO, 7/30]
91-315/322/337 - Big Bend (Texas) - Followup on Fatality Reports
Investigators have learned that D.T., 26, whose body was
found in the Rio Grande on the 19th, had been involved in drug
activity and owed large gambling debts in the Dallas Fort Worth
area. No identification has yet been made of the body found in
D.T.'s Volkswagen van at Solis Campground. Current information
indicates that the report which was received on Monday and
appeared in yesterday's morning report regarding a body found by
Mexican nationals in the Rio Grande was false. [Phil Koepp, CR,
BIBE, via telefax from Jim Radney, RLES, RAD/SWRO, 7/30]
91-342 - Shiloh (Tennessee) - ARPA Convictions
On July 24th, M.L.P., 35, of Barlett, Tennessee,
and his brother, G.E.P., 29, of Whiteville,
Tennessee, were found guilty of ARPA violations, destruction of
government property and conspiracy for archeological thefts made
in the park earlier this year. On February 24th, rangers Kent
Higgins, Stacy Allen and Jane Kemble caught the brothers digging
on the battlefield and confiscated 174 Civil War period
artifacts, two metal detectors and a 1983 Toyota Tercel. A
thorough search of the battlefield led to the discovery of 79
excavation sites covering a total of 4.7 park acres. All
excavations had been backfilled. Dr. Bennie Keel of the
Southeast Archeological Center, assisted by the park's staff,
subsequently determined that the total archeological damage came
to just over $15,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cam Jones of the
Western District of Tennessee prosecuted the case before Judge
James D. Todd in Jackson, Tennessee. A crucial piece of
evidence during the threeday trial was a spade imprint showing a
notch which matched a trowel seized as evidence. The trowel had
been modified with two notches filed in the blade. John
Lewocako, an FBI tool mark expert from Washington, D.C.,
testified that the trowel matched the imprint. Sentencing was
set for September 17th. Immediately after the trial, the
defendants' father verbally threatened Allen in the court house
an incident witnessed by Kemble. The rangers' investigation
also led to the discovery of other illegal activities which are
still under investigation. The two seized metal detectors may
be stolen property taken from a metal detector shop by one
J.K. of Memphis. Kennedy, who has previously
been arrested for grand larceny by Memphis police, allegedly
took over $54,000 in merchandise from Pappy's Metal Detector,
where he had been manager. He then opened his own shop,
Mid-South Research and Recovery, Inc. it's believed that J.K.,
M.L.P., G.E.P. and other looters dug relics at Shiloh and other
Civil War battlefields and sold them to Mid-South. That business
is now closed, and it's believed that J.K. may be preparing
to flee the area before he can be prosecuted. J.K. is in his
mid-30s, about 5'11" tall, and of medium build with broad
shoulders and slim hips. He has long, very light, sandy blonde
hair and a moustache, and usually wears blue jeans. A
government witness described him as a pathological liar. Other
names which turned up in the investigation who are believed bo
be actively looting Civil War battlefields include D.J.W.
of Corinth, Mississippi and M.M., K.S.
and D.R. of Memphis, Tennessee. Military parks should be
on the lookout for all these men. [Telefax from Steve Alscher,
RLES, RAD/SERO, 7/27]
91-343 - Glacier (Montana) - MVA with Significant Rescue
A passenger van went off a steep section of the Going-to-the-Sun
Road on the evening of July 24th and rolled numerous times
before coming to rest at a point 750 feet below the highway.
All six occupants were wearing seatbelts; none were killed, but
three had serious injuries. Ranger Shelagh More and park medic
Gary Moses, who were the first on the scene, began triage and
organized the rescue efforts. Approximately 30 park employees
and numerous passing park visitors including a trauma surgeon,
a nurse and an EMT were involved in the rescue effort. Three
ambulances and medevac helicopters from Kalispell and Great
Falls were summoned to the scene to evacuate the victims. The
rescue effort was complicated by the fact that four of the
victims spoke Italian and no English. Park visitor Michelle
Jacobo of Muenster, Indiana, served as a translator. The rescue
involved the setting of hand lines, litter belays, and a park
winch to raise the litters up a steep slope. The three victims
who sustained multiple fractures and lacerations were L. and
R.T. of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, and C.G.,
of Milan, Italy. The less seriously injured victims, who
suffered multiple abrasions and lacerations, were L., E.
and C.G., all of Milan, Italy. [Telefax from Bob
Andrew, CR, GLAC, 7/29]
91-344 - Indiana Dunes (Indiana) - Drowning
On the afternoon of July 28th, J.D.L., 27, of
Hammond, Indiana, drowned while swimming in an unguarded area of
West Beach which is about 500 yards of the nearest lifeguard
stand. According to companions, J.D.L. was trying to reach
an inner tube that was drifting out into the lake. When he was
about 300 feet offshore, he began experiencing problems for
unknown reasons. A friend went to his aid, and, with the help
of other visitors and park lifeguards, brought him to shore.
The lifeguards administered CPR until local EMS units arrived,
but J.D.L. did not survive. J.D.L. and his two
companions walked past a sign which said "Limit of guarded
beach", but his friends claimed not to have seen the sign.
[Telefax from John Townsend, RAD/MWRO, 7/29]
91-345 - Pictured Rocks (Wisconsin) - ARPA Violations
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]
91-346 - Point Reyes (California) - Poaching Arrest
On July 22nd, rangers Chuck Young, Randy Larson and Paige
Ritterbusch responded to shots being fired on Mount Vision Road
within the park's north district. A suspect vehicle was spotted
in a pullout, and shots from a large caliber gun were heard in
the immediate area. The vehicle was placed under surveillance
while a foot patrol was begun of the surrounding grounds.
Shortly thereafter, four men returned to the vehicle and drove
off. A felony stop was made a half mile down the road. All
four occupants were searched for weapons. A Browning 9 mm
semiautomatic handgun, a clip with extra rounds and a skinned
quail were found in the vehicle. The driver, J.L.G.S.,
admitted to shooting and killing the quail, and said he
would have shot a deer if he'd seen one. A computer check on
the weapons revealed that it had been stolen from a residence in
San Jose. Soto was arrested and charged with poaching,
possession of stolen property, and other violations. [Telefax
from Larry IntHout, PORE, 7/25]
91-347 - Colonial (Virginia) - Storm Damage
A onemile section of the Colonial Parkway between Williamsburg
and Jamestown was closed at midday on July 29th after several
days of heavy rains washed out a culvert and undermined the
roadway. Representatives from the Federal Highway
Administration were due in the park yesterday to evaluate the
situation. [CompuServe message from Jim Burnett, CR, COLO, 7/30]
91-348 - Lake Mead (Nevada) - MVA with Fatality
E.J., 51, of Las Vegas, was killed while riding in a
pickup on Northshore Road late on the morning of the 28th. A
piece of metal, part of a pulley from a 1976 Pontiac Firebird,
hit the ground, bounced into oncoming traffic and struck the
hood of the pickup E.J. was riding in. The two-and-a-half inch
piece of metal then ricocheted off the hood, went through the
windshield, and hit her between the eyes. The truck was being
driven by the victim's husband; several other family members
were passengers. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
[Dispatch, LAME, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke,
RAD/WRO, 7/30]
91-349 - Lake Mead (Nevada) - Stabbing
Following an argument in the Overton Beach Campground on the
night of the 28th, R.R., 31, of California, stabbed
W.R., 51, of Detroit, Michigan, in the chest with a
screwdriver. R.R. fled on foot, but was apprehended just
before 1:00 a.m. about three miles from the scene of the
incident. The screwdriver was found in the campground. W.R.
was transported by helicopter to University Medical Center in
Las Vegas, where he is listed in fair condition with four stab
wounds, all in his chest. Investigators have learned that R.R.
is wanted in California on outstanding felony warrants. It
appears that R.R. was hitch hiking to Colorado, and that
W.R. picked him up. They'd arrived at Overton Beach earlier
that evening. [Dispatch, LAME, via CompuServe message from Herb
Gercke, RAD/WRO, 7/30]
91-350 - Haleakala (Hawaii) - Drowning
L.L., 33, of Georgetown, California, and a friend were
collecting opihi, a type of limpet, along the shore near
Kipahulu Campground during a period of extremely high winds and
surf when L.L.'s comrade was swept into the ocean. L.L.
apparently entered the water to assist his friend; although the
first man made it back to land, L.L. was not able to regain the
shore. The park staff was notified, and three employees entered
the water to assist him. They were able to pull him within ten
feet of shore when an extremely large set of waves pulled him
from their grasp. A fourth employee then entered the water to
assist one of the rescuers, K.K., to shore. K.K.
was transported to Maui Memorial Hospital by air and ground
ambulance, where he was treated for "near drowning." Diving,
air and shoreline searches for Len were begun and went on for
two days without success. Shore searches are continuing. The
area is known for its severe undertow. Alcohol was apparently a
factor in the incident. [Karen Newton, CR, HALE, via CompuServe
message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 7/30]
91-351 - Lake Meredith (Texas) - Drowning
On July 4th, 17-year-old M.H. slipped underwater for
unknown reasons while at Stilling Basin. Visiting scuba divers
found him at the lake's bottom and brought him to the surface.
Although he'd been underwater for over ten minutes, rangers and
local ambulance personnel were able to restore his heartbeat and
some respiration. M.H. was taken to a hospital in Amarillo
and placed on a respirator. His condition worsened, though, and
he died on July 26th. [CompuServe message from Bonnie Winslow,
RAD/SWRO, 7/30]
91-352 - Buffalo River (Arkansas) - Cave Rescue
Rangers received a report of an injured man and two children
stranded in the lower level of Cave Mountain cave in the park's
Upper Buffalo District on July 25th. Responding rangers found
J.H. of Alpena, Arkansas, and his two daughters, ages 11
and 14, at the bottom of a 40-foot drop, which they had descended
by climbing hand-over-hand down a one-and-a-half inch diameter manila
rope. J.H. had attempted to climb back out, became fatigued
near the top, lost his grip, and fell approximately 40 feet to a
slide below. The park's search and rescue team was called in
and conducted a technical raise to evacuate Hodge by litter. He
was taken to a local hospital, where he was found to have
suffered a fractured arm, fractured ribs, a punctured lung and a
bruised kidney. [Carl Hinrichs, CR, BUFF, via CompuServe
message from Bonnie Winslow, RAD/SWRO, 7/30]
91-353 - Sequoia/Kings Canyon (California) - Cave Rescue
Rangers received a report on the afternoon of the 27th that R.D.,
40, had dislocated his shoulder while in Lost Soldiers
Cave. Responding rangers located R.D. at the base of a 70-foot
vertical drop about 100 feet inside the entrance to the cave.
Initial assessments indicated that some digging and alternation
of cave features might have to be done to get him out; in order
to avoid this, a local doctor was instead taken to the scene.
R.D.'s shoulder was relocated and he was brought to the
surface near midnight with the assistance of two vertical hoists.
After regaining the surface, R.D. told his rescuers that he
didn't feel that he needed further medical assistance and that
he was going to remain overnight in the campground and drive
himself to a doctor in the morning. Some 30 park personnel and
two VIPs participated in the rescue. [Mike Warren, SEKI, via
CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 7/30]
91-354 - Yosemite (California)- Weekend Incidents
Over the ten day period ending yesterday, a series of violent
crimes took place in the park. Rocks were thrown at NPS
vehicles in two separate incidents; in one instance on July 25th,
two individuals were arrested for destroying two patrol vehicle
windshields with rocks. In addition to these cases, there have
also been three sexual assaults, four instances of people
resisting arrest, two child abuse cases, three simple assaults,
a suicide and two drug overdoses. [J.R. Tomasovic, LES, YOSE,
via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 7/30]
91-355 - Glen Canyon (Arizona) - ARPA Case
When park archeologist Chris Kincaid visited Three Roof Ruin in
the Escalante River arm of Lake Powell on July 11th, he
discovered that a total of six wall and ceiling support beams
from two different structures had been forcibly removed and
burned as fuel in a campfire adjacent to the ruins. Both
buildings were constructed by the Anasazi and date from the 11th
or 12th centuries. They are accessible by boat, and are popular
attractions for tens of thousands of annual visitors. The park
announced a $499 award for information on the vandalism during
an on-site news report by KTVX, a Salt Lake City television
station. Since the airing of the story on the 26th, private
citizens, the Page, Arizona, Rotary Club and a local business
have added more money to the reward, bringing the total to
$1,400. Bullfrog rangers are conducting the investigation and
are following up on leads. [CompuServe message from Denny
Davies, CVS, GLCA, 7/30]
FIRE ACTIVITY
1) ACTIVITY LEVEL Planning Level II
2) FIRE SUMMARY
State Agency Area Fire 7/30 7/31 Status
AK FWS Up. Yukon Zone B460 80,760 80,760 NEC
MT MT Powderville * No name 2,500
Fromberg * No name 200
NV BLM Winemucca Dist. * Midas 1,000 CN 8/1
AZ USFS Coronado NF Cumero 2,000 2,500 CN
Alaska also has 52 fires under modified and limited suppression
for 915,567 acres.
NOTES:
Fires - Asterisk indicates newly reported fire (on this report).
T1 and T2 indicate assigned Type I and Type II Teams.
Status - The following abbreviations are employed:
NR No report received MS Modified suppression strategy
CN Contained MN Being monitored
CL Controlled NEC No estimate of containment
CS Confinement strategy DM Demobed
3) 1990/1991 COMPARATIVE ACTIVITY SUMMARY
Fires Acres
1990 (Year-to-date) 40,252 2,723,630
1991 (Year-to-date) 42,837 1,762,630
1990-1991 (% difference) + 6% 35%
4) ANALYSIS - Initial attack activity is increasing in both
California and Nevada, but there are only a few large fires
currently burning in the Lower 48 states.
5) PROGNOSIS - Fire activity is expected to increase as holdover
fires are discovered and thunderstorms increase the number of
starts. The potential exists for many large fires. Resources
continue to be adequate.
[Fire Management Situation Report, NIFCC Intelligence Section,
7/31]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Pictured Rocks (Wisconsin) Peregrine Falcons
As part of a peregrine falcon release program coordinated by the
Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the park will be
hacking 12 captivebred falcons this summer in three successive
releases. Five birds have already been released and can be seen
flying around the cliffs over Lake Superior, another five are
presently being cared for and are awaiting release, and two are
scheduled to arrive from the University of Minnesota Raptor
Center this week. The park was chosen to be part of the program
because its remote cliffs are historic peregrine habitat. [Ray
Brende, CR, PIRO, 7/26]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
1) Walt Dabney asks that we pass on his sincere thanks to all
the people who sent in farewell messages to him prior to his
departure for Canyonlands two weeks ago. He and his family have
arrived in Moab and are still in the process of unpacking boxes.
2) Due to unavoidable production delays, it now appears that the
new uniform catalogue will not be out until late in August.
Since many employees are holding on to their remaining FY 91
uniform allowances in order to buy several of the new items
which are about to become available (including the pullover
sweater, overcoat and new windbreaker), R&R will be distributing
interim order forms along with an informational flyer and a
memorandum from this office to all parks within the next few
days. Together, these will give you everything you need except
for pictures of the items themselves to complete and submit an
order. Please keep an eye out for these items, as orders will
need to be sent in before August 31, 1991.
3) The closing date for applications for the health and fitness
coordinator training course in Denver has been extended to
August 16th. The course, which is to be held in the Rodeway Inn,
will be given on the week of August 26th. Dr. Paul Davis will
be the instructor. One page nominations should be submitted to
Joyce Scott in PNRO (FTS 399-5670) or 206-553-5670.
THIS DAY IN NPS SAR HISTORY...
July 31, 1976 Rocky Mountain National Park received a Valor
Award for emergency assistance rendered by its staff in the
aftermath of the Big Thompson Canyon flood, which killed 139
people outside of the park.
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief (Acting): Martin on Pearl Harbor 50th anniversary
preplanning site visit, Honolulu, Hawaii (7/3-18/7).
Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Schamp on annual leave
(7/29-8/2); Sisto on annual leave (8/1-8/2); Marriott on annual
leave (7/30-7/31).
Branch of Fire & Aviation: Farrel reviewing structural fire
protection of buildings at San Antonio and LBJ in Texas
(7/29-8/1); Gale on Pearl Harbor 50th anniversary pre-planning
site visit, Honolulu, Hawaii (7/31-8/3); Broyles at NWCG training
working team meeting, Tacoma, Washington (7/30-8/3); Spruill on
aviation review of several parks in RMR (7/29-8/2).
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)
SEAdog: 1/650