NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Wednesday, January 24, 1996

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

96-18 - Voyageurs (Minnesota) - Rescue

On the afternoon of January 19th, snowmobilers T.C., 49, J.L., 74,
and C.L., 72, all from Cloquet, Minnesota, became stuck in slush in the
Blind Pig Channel area of Namakan Lake while traveling from Ontario back to
Minnesota.  They walked to a nearby island and built a fire to keep warm. 
T.C. eventually got his machine moving and attempted to seek help by heading
west toward the park's snowmobile trail at Crane Lake, but his snowmobile soon
broke down and T.C. had to walk back to the spot where he'd left the L.s. 
The trio used their nylon snowmobile covers to lie on and spent the night
huddling around the fire.  Temperatures dropped to a record -42 to -50 degrees
that night.  At daybreak, T.C. stamped out the word "HELP" in the snow on the
lake, where it was seen by a private pilot at about 1 p.m. that afternoon.  The
pilot advised Customs officers at Crane Lake, who in turn notified the park. 
Temperatures had warmed to -25 degrees when park pilot Scott  flew to the
area, arriving about two hours later.  Rangers Chuck Remus and Mike Larsen and
a state conservation officer also responded by snowmobile from the Kabetogama
Lake visitor center.  Due to very rough conditions on the lakes and the 25-mile
trip, they didn't arrive until about 4 p.m.  Evans made several touch-and-go
landings to smooth off an area and see if the snow would support his plane.  In
spite of the rough surface conditions, he was able to land and determined that
the snowmobilers were in good physical condition.  Evans made a test takeoff to
ensure that the plane would handle the extreme conditions, then transported the
three victims, one at a time, to Voyaguaire Lodge on Crane Lake, where they
were met by medical personnel and an ambulance.  The three snowmobilers were
taken to a hospital, where they were treated for exposure and released.  [Bruce
McKeeman, CR, VOYA]

96-19 - Fire Island (New York) - Body Found; Cause of Death Unknown

The first visitors of the season to the Sunken Forest discovered the body of a
50- to 60-year-old man at the waters edge about a quarter mile west of the
Sailors Haven marina on January 22nd.  The victim has not yet been identified,
and the cause of death has not yet been established.  Several baymen and duck
hunters were reported missing in Great South Bay in December and were
subsequently presumed to have been lost.  The bay was nearly completely covered
with ice over a foot thick for much of December and January, but opened up
after temperatures rose and heavy rains fell late last week.  Rangers and
county officers are investigating the death.  [Jay Lippert, DR, West District,
FIIS]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No notes.

OBSERVATIONS

Today's observation was excerpted from last night's "State of the Union"
address:

"I want to say a special word for those who work for the federal government. 
Today the Federal work force is 200,000 employees smaller than the day I took
office.  The Federal government is the smallest it has been in 30 years, and
getting smaller every day.  Most of you probably didn't know that, and there's
good reason.  The remaining Federal work force is composed of Americans who are
working harder and working smarter to make sure that the quality of our
services does not decline.

"Take Richard Dean.  He worked for Social Security for 22 years.  Last year, he
was hard at work in the Federal building in Oklahoma City when the terrorist
blast killed 169 people and brought the rubble around him.  He re-entered the
building four times and saved the lives of three women...

"But his story doesn't end there.  In November, he was forced out of his office
when the government shut down.  The second time the government shut down, he
continued helping Social Security recipients, working without pay.  

"On behalf of Richard and his family, I challenge all of you in this chamber:
Never - ever - shut the Federal Government down again."

Distribution of the Morning Report is through a mailing list managed by park,
office and/or field area cc:Mail hub coordinators.  Please address requests for
the Morning Report to your servicing hub coordinator.

Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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