RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
MORNING REPORT
Attention: Directorate
Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
CC: RAD Information Net
Day/date: Monday, August 19, 1991
INCIDENTS
91-410 - East Coast Areas - Hurricane Bob
NPS-administered seashores along the East coast from North
Carolina to Massachusetts have prepared or are preparing for
potential impacts from Hurricane Bob. The following reports
summarize the scope and nature of activities as of yesterday
evening:
* Cape Hatteras (North Carolina) - The park closed and evacuated
Hatteras and Ocracoke campgrounds on Saturday evening, and closed the
visitor centers at Ocracoke, Hatteras, Wright Brothers and Fort Raleigh
either Saturday evening or by midafternoon on Sunday. Nonessential
employees were moved inland; key employees were housed in a motel in
Manteo in preparation for poststorm response. All NPS facilities were
closed and secured. At the time of the report, a voluntary evacuation
had been ordered for the entire island, and traffic was backed up
several miles at the park's northern entry point at Whalebone Junction.
* Cape Lookout (North Carolina) - All visitors were evacuated
from the island on Saturday, park boats were taken out of the water and
park facilities were secured. Seasonal and temporary employees were
moved inland, but permanent staff remained on island and were
prepared to respond to any emergencies.
* Assateague Island (Maryland/Virginia) - All areas of the park
were being closed yesterday afternoon, and all visitors and employees were
to be evacuated by 7:30 p.m., including seasonals residing at both
ends of the park. Park facilities were being secured.
* Sandy Hook, Gateway (New Jersey) - Park staff will be meeting
early this morning to review the park's hurricane plan and determine what
actions need to be taken.
* Fire Island (New York) - The park began emergency preparations
yesterday. Watch Hill campground and marina were closed and evacuated on
Sunday, and park staff will be evacuated early this morning. Some horses
and vehicles were moved off the island yesterday, and the remainder
will be moved today. Grounds and facilities have been secured;
anything that can be blown by winds has either been tied down or moved.
Boats will be moved to park headquarters at Patchogue today. If Hurricane
Bob arrives late tomorrow afternoon, its arrival will coincide with
high tides and could lead to serious flooding.
* Cape Cod (Massachusetts) - Since the park does not have campgrounds or
beachfront accommodations and has no island areas, the primary area of
concern will be access to beaches. The park staff will meet this
morning to determine what actions need to be taken. If circumstances
warrant, beaches will be closed and park facilities will be secured.
Reports were received from two parks at 7:30 a.m. EDT this
morning. Cape Hatteras reports minor damage. Some poles may be
down along the seashore, but no other damage has yet been
discovered. The park's pilot will fly over Cape Hatteras and
Cape Lookout today to make a full assessment of the hurricane's
impacts. Cape Lookout reports no damage at headquarters.
Although they haven't gotten out to the outer banks yet this
morning, damage is expected to be light because winds in the
area did not exceed 50 mph.
Further updates on Hurricane Bob's impacts will appear in
Tuesday's morning report. [Telephone conversations on 8/18 with
Bill Harris, CALO; Alan Whalon, ASIS; Bob Woody, CAHA; Frank
Mills, Sandy Hook, GATE; Don Weir, FIIS; Andy Ringgold, CACO
telephone reports on 8/19 from Mary Moran, CAHA, and Bill Munsey,
CALO, via Bill Sturgeon, RAD/SERO]
91-411 - Grand Teton (Wyoming)- Search and Rescue
On August 14th, climbers D.C. of Boston, Massachusetts,
and D.C. of Sandy, Utah, set out to climb Black Ice
couloir on the Grand Teton. The climbers became disoriented and
got off their route, however, and then became separated from
each other and stranded on the mountain side, with D.C. 150
feet below D.C.. A climbing party descending the East Ridge
the next day heard calls for help and reported them to a
climbing guide, who passed on the report to rangers via mobile
phone around 1:30 p.m. The guide then climbed to Upper Saddle,
made voice contact with the climbers, and called rangers just
after 4:00 p.m. and advised them that D.C. and D.C.
required assistance. A rescue team comprised of rangers Bob
Irvine, Bill Alexander, Renny Jackson, Scott Berkenfield, Jim
Woodmency, John Carr, Tom Kimbrough and Susie Harrington was
dispatched to the mountain via helicopter. At 7:15 p.m.,
Jackson and Alexander reached D.C.; Jackson then rappelled to
D.C. on the ledge below. Although conscious, D.C. was wet,
cold and hypothermic, with an oral temperature of 90.5 degrees.
Rangers used ropes and pulleys to lift D.C. up to the ledge
on which D.C. was located, then moved him to a wide bench
where he was evacuated by helicopter. D.C. was taken to Lower
Saddle, where he spent the night with the rescue team. D.C.
was admitted to a hospital in Jackson for treatment and
observation. Helicopter pilot Ken Johnson was cited by
superintendent Jack Neckels for his "extraordinary skill" and
outstanding efforts in getting the rescuers to the scene and
evacuating D.C.. Johnson had to hover his helicopter 100
feet above the climbers in turbulent winds up to 30 mph with
only five minutes of daylight left in order to effect the rescue.
D.C. might not have survived without the timely efforts of
Johnson and the park rescue team. [Telefax from Ed Christian,
ACR, GRTE, 8/16]
91-412 - Canyonlands (Utah) - Search and Rescue
On the morning of August 17th, visitors reported finding an
abandoned GMC Jimmy located in the Bobby's Hole area outside the
south boundary of the Needles District. The truck had been
driven into a four-feet-deep graben located along a twotrack road
at the head of Cross Canyon. Seasonal ranger Jeff West and
county deputies investigated the accident and determined that it
had occurred on the 14th and that the driver, J.C., 60,
of Marion Station, Pennsylvania, was wandering back towards an
area of the park known as The Grabens. A search was begun, and
a helicopter and crew from Mesa Verde were dispatched to the
scene. On August 18th, four search teams were conveyed to this
remote area, and West and a county deputy began tracking J.C..
Shortly before noon, J.C. was spotted by ground searchers. He
was severely dehydrated, had an elevated body temperature and
was disoriented and had been hallucinating. By the time of his
discovery, J.C. had been without food and water and his heart
medication for four days. He was immediately taken to the
hospital in Moab and admitted. Daytime temperatures during the
four days exceeded 95 degrees, and J.C. would not have
survived if he hadn't been found by searchers. Preliminary
details indicate the J.C. drove into the Graben when driving
after dark. He stayed with his vehicle that night, but left it
to scout around the following day and soon became lost. J.C.
covered at least 11 miles before being found near Deep Canyon,
which is about three and a half miles from his vehicle.
(Telefax from Tony Schetzsle, CR, CANY, 8/18]
91-413 - Delaware Water Gap (New Jersey/Pennsylvania) - Assault on
Ranger
Ranger Franklin Wade was deliberately struck and injured by a
woman in a Dodge Caravan who attempted to run him over in the
park's visitor center on Friday night. She was later arrested
and will be charged with assault on a federal officer. Wade
received injuries to his left leg. A report on the incident is
pending. [Telephone report from Bob Reid, RAD/MARO, 8/17]
FIRE ACTIVITY
**** No fire report available this morning ****
STAFF STATUS
Division Chief (Acting): No leave or travel scheduled.
Branch of Resource & Visitor Protection: Marriott on drug
program review at Great Smokies (8/18-8/22).
Branch of Fire & Aviation: Erskine in ARO, Anchorage, AK
(8/19-8/28); Spruill on aviation program orientation in Alaska
(8/18-8/29].
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