NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Thursday, March 6, 1997

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

97-80 - Yellowstone NP (Wyoming) - Search for Missing Park Geologist

A backcountry search is in progress in the Heart Lake area for an overdue
park employee and a visiting scientist.  Park research geologist Roderick
"Rick" Hutchinson and a visiting scientist whose name is currently being
withheld were in the Heart Lake area monitoring geothermal features earlier
this week and intended to ski out on Tuesday, March 4th.  Rangers who skied
in to the Heart Lake patrol cabin on Tuesday afternoon failed to encounter
the party along the trail, but they observed several avalanche areas at the
base of Factory Hill northwest of Mt. Sheridan and found personal belongings
that they'd left in the patrol cabin.  That evening, the rangers returned to
the avalanche site and found ski tracks entering and exiting one avalanche,
then entering but not exiting a second, larger avalanche.  A hasty search of
the site was conducted without finding any further clues.  A more extensive
search was conducted on Wednesday by personnel from Yellowstone and Grand
Teton National Parks and from neighboring volunteer SAR teams.  Avalanche
control experts were flown in from the Jackson Hole Ski Corporation to use
explosives to help reduce the danger of additional avalanches in the primary
search area.  Four dog teams and a total of 23 personnel on the ground
searched the area Tuesday afternoon without success.  A more intensive search
effort is planned for Wednesday.  [Mike Murray, ACR, YELL, 3/5]

97-81 - Badlands NP (South Dakota) - Hostage Taking; Armed Confrontation

Around 6:40 p.m. on March 4th, a motorist advised district ranger Gerald Roy
that an assault was occurring about a mile north of his residence on BIA
Highway 27 on the Pine Ridge Reservation.  When Roy arrived on scene, he saw
a yellow Wrangler jeep, a black Blazer with most of its windows broken out,
and several other vehicles.  He also saw two men holding a third man; as he
approached them, the men released their captive, ran to the jeep, jumped in,
and headed north on the highway.  Roy was told that the man who'd broken out
the windows of the Blazer had assaulted a woman inside and was also advised
that the man had a gun.  Roy pursued the jeep, advised the CRO of what was
happening, and requested backup from state and tribal police.  Roy chased the
jeep for eight miles, at which point the driver made a U-turn and headed
south.  The driver pointed directly at Roy as he passed him, but Roy was
unable to determine if he had a weapon in his hand.  Tribal police set up a
road block at the White River visitor center on Highway 27, but the jeep
turned on to another BIA highway.  Roy and tribal police pursued; when the
driver again made a U-turn, they attempted to set up another road block, but
the driver went through it.  Two more tribal units set up a third road block. 
As the jeep went through it, police fired three shots at the tires in an
attempt to stop the vehicle.  The jeep went another mile or so, then stopped
at the point where the incident had begun.  The driver grabbed a female
hostage, placing her hand behind her back and his hand on her throat.  He
told Roy and the officers that he would kill her if they did not back off. 
Roy and the police drew their weapons and took cover behind their vehicles. 
The stand-off lasted several minutes.  After a period of negotiation, the man
threw the woman to the ground, then ran to a group of women, who embraced and
attempted to comfort him.  Roy and the tribal officers tackled the man and
took him into custody.  A BIA criminal investigator placed him under arrest,
as the incident took place on a BIA highway and there were many
jurisdictional issues to sort out.  The FBI and U.S. Marshal's office were
notified and responded.  The NPS, FBI and BIA are currently investigating. 
[Scott Lopez, CR, BADL, 3/5]

97-82 - Jimmy Carter NHS (Georgia) - Special Event

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat met with former President Jimmy Carter
yesterday afternoon at Carter's residence, then held at reception and news
conference at the park's visitor center in the refurbished Plains High
School.  More than 300 people attended the event.  Both Carter and Arafat
spoke, each citing the other for efforts and risks taken to advance the
Middle East peace process.  The event lasted about 30 minutes.  Security was
exceptionally tight; the many involved agencies cooperated closely to assure
that there would be no problems.  [Fred Boyles, Superintendent, JICA, 3/6]

97-83 - Redwood N&SP (California) - Search

On February 21st, a search was begun in the park for D.D., 47, of
Crescent City, after ranger Sharon Hutkowski found D.D.'s vehicle unattended
at the Crescent Beach overlook parking lot.  D.D. was reportedly armed,
despondent over a failed relationship, and suicidal.  National and state park
rangers, dog teams, local SAR volunteers and a state police helicopter were
employed in a three-day search effort, which proved fruitless.  Investigators
from the Crescent City police department subsequently learned that another
missing person they were seeking - S.L., 33 - was a close friend of
D.D. and was the last person to see him when he disappeared on February
10th.  Search efforts have been discontinued pending further investigation. 
The possibility of foul play is being explored.  [Bob Martin, CR, REDW, 3/5]

97-84 - Glen Canyon NRA (Utah/Arizona) - Assist; Rescue

Rangers responded to an emergency request for assistance from the inholding
community at Greenhaven, Arizona, on the afternoon of March 3rd.  A 12-year-
old boy and his sisters were digging a tunnel into a sand wall when it
collapsed, burying the boy.  A multi-agency rescue effort led to his
extrication from the cave-in.  Rangers and local rescue personnel began
advanced life support measures and were able to restore his pulse.  The child
was flown by air ambulance to the children's hospital in Phoenix, where he
died the next day.  [David Sandbakken, LES, GLCA, 3/5]

                   [Additional reports pending...]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No reports.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Draft Housing Policy - Reminder: Comments on the Service's draft revised
housing policy are due in WASO by March 12th.  Park and support office
comments should be submitted through regional offices.  Please refer to the
January 17, 1997, memorandum transmitting the policy for further information.

MEMORANDA

No memoranda.

EXCHANGE

No submissions.

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

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