NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, July 8, 1997

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

                            *** NOTICE ***

Just a reminder that the Morning Report will be posted intermittently through
late July.  Readers should not expect to see it every morning.  An update on
issuances will appear at the bottom of the MR until daily releases resume.

INCIDENTS

97-307 - Glacier NP (MT) - Two Employees Killed in Climbing Fall

Seasonal trail crew workers Mark Robison, 24, of Columbia Falls, Montana, and
Chris Foster, 24, of Whitefish, Montana, were killed in a fall from the
rugged north face of Rainbow Peak late last week.  Searchers located their
bodies at the mountain's 8,000-foot level on Saturday, July 5th. Foster and
Robison departed from Bowman Lake early on Thursday morning, July 3rd.  They
told park rangers that they intended to climb to the 9,891-foot summit of
Rainbow Peak and return that same day.  Both men were very experienced and
highly skilled climbers; given their high level of experience and exceptional
physical condition, it was feasible for them to succeed in reaching the
summit and descend the challenging climb in one day.  Based on tracks and
other evidence, rangers believe Robison and Foster were near the summit when
they fell.  The last signature in the summit register was on June 28th. 
Based on tracks at the scene, rangers believe the two men were climbing the
upper third of a steep snow-filled couloir on the northwest face of Rainbow
Peak.  It is not clear what caused the fall.  Both were wearing crampons and
may have been using ice axes at the time of the accident.  Initial search
efforts began at on Friday afternoon when it was determined that Foster and
Robison had not returned to their vehicle.  By Friday evening, 15 park
employees were involved in the search, which included an aerial
reconnaissance of the area and transportation of search teams to the Rainbow
Peak area to begin a ground search.  Another search team started climbing
Rainbow, following the route Robison and Foster were believed to have taken. 
This two-person team bivouacked at 7,000 feet and resumed searching at first
light Saturday morning.  At approximately 7 a.m., a backpack was found by the
searchers near the 8,000-foot level.  Robison and Foster were located shortly
thereafter.  Due to the steep, rugged terrain and other potential hazards,
helicopter assistance was used to recover and transport the victims off the
mountain.  [Amy Vanderbilt, PIO, GLAC, 7/7]

97-308 - Glacier NP (MT) - Search for Missing Concession Employee

A search is underway for a missing Glacier Park Lodge employee who planned to
make a solo climb of Sinopah Mountain in the park's Two Medicine Valley on
Saturday, July 5th.  Co-workers told rangers that M.T., 25, of
Lexington, Michigan, left the men's dormitory in East Glacier at 11
a.m. on Saturday with the intent of completing a solo day-climb of the 8,271-
foot high mountain.  M.T. was not prepared for an overnight trip, and
had arranged to meet friends that evening at Two Medicine Lake.  When he
failed to return by Saturday night, co-workers notified area rangers that he
was overdue and initial search efforts began.  A ground and aerial search was
conducted by park personnel on Sunday, following the standard trail and
climbing route up Sinopah Mountain.  Search personnel encountered a female
grizzly bear with two cubs on the south slopes of Sinopah, but, after a brief
wait, the bears moved on and they continued searching without incident. 
Searchers found no sign or evidence of M.T. on either the South Shore
Two Medicine Lake trail or on Sinopah Mountain.  The search expanded
yesterday and now involves 30 park employees.  Nearly 20 field searchers have
been assigned to search high probability areas on Sinopah Mountain and
adjacent peaks in the area.  M.T. was thought to be wearing a long
sleeved shirt, jeans, and sneakers and may have been carrying a day pack.  He
was not carrying overnight equipment or supplies, and his hiking and climbing
experience have been described as limited.  [Amy Vanderbilt, PIO, GLAC, 7/7]

97-309 - Denali NP (AK) - Search in Progress

On Sunday, June 28th, M.P., a well-known Alaskan aviation fuel
expert, left Anchorage's Merrill Field in his private Cessna 182 with three
passengers for an apparent circumnavigation of the Mount McKinley massif. 
The aircraft failed to return.  No flight plan was filed, but investigation
has revealed this was his likely plan.  Extensive evaluation of reliable
radar data indicates that an aircraft, believed to be M.P.'s, arrived at
or near the Kahiltna Peaks, but the transponder was not communicating with
radar beyond that point.  An extensive air search has been underway since the
plane disappeared.  The search has involved the park's Lama helicopter,
National Guard C-130s and Pavehawk helicopters, Army Chinook helicopters, NPS
fixed wing aircraft, and as many as 16 Civil Air Patrol fixed-wing aircraft. 
No sign of the aircraft has been found and no ELT signal has been received. 
The Rescue Coordination Center at Elmendorf Air Force Base is coordinating
the air search.  [Ken Kehrer, CR, DENA, 7/6]

97-310 - Cape Hatteras NS (NC) - Lightning Fatality and Multiple Injuries

Lightning from thunderstorms which rolled rapidly across Hatteras Island
struck and killed 18-year old W.M. on the beach near the Cape
Hatteras Lighthouse at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 5th.  The
park's guarded beaches had already been closed due to thunderstorms at the
time of the strike, and the lighthouse had closed earlier in the day.  Park
lifeguards had also warned people along the unguarded portions of the
beaches.  Park VIPs and interpreters took the initial incident report, 
called for assistance, and responded to the scene.  W.M., a resident of
Nags Head, North Carolina, had been standing among a group of approximately
twelve people when he was struck.  Bystanders had already started CPR on
W.M., which was continued by responding rangers, a Dare County Deputy, and
Dare County EMS.  W.M. was transported to the Hatteras Island Medical
Center, where he was pronounced dead.  Five other victims were treated at the
same facility then transported to area hospitals for observation.  At least
six others declined treatment at the scene.  The following day, a critical
incident stress debriefing was conducted by park staff for all who had
responded to the incident. [CRO, CAHA Group,7/7]

              [Additional incident reports pending...]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Padre Island NS (TX) - Endangered Turtle Nests

Eight endangered Kemp's ridley and two threatened loggerhead sea turtles have
been discovered nesting at Padre Island over the last several months. A total
of 1,240 sea turtle eggs are now being incubated at the park's Sea Turtle
Laboratory. The total number of adult Kemp's ridley sea turtles in the world
is thought to be only 3,000.  Included in these nests was the first ever
Kemp's ridley "arribada" to have been discovered in the United States. Most
Kemp's ridley sea turtles nest in Mexico in arribadas, or groups of three or
more individuals on a single day.  The main nesting beach of the Kemp's
ridley is located 200 miles south of the Rio Grande river near Tampico, and
was not discovered until the early 1960s.  Since 1966, the Mexican government
has operated a camp at the nesting site to protect nests from predators and
release hatchlings.  In a decade-long effort to establish a second nesting
beach at Padre Island, NPS scientists transported approximately 22,000 Kemp's
ridley eggs from Mexico and released the tagged hatchlings at Padre Island. 
Last year, tags found on two Kemp's ridleys that nested on Padre Island
confirmed they were the first known survivors of the project to nest back at
Padre Island.  More Kemp's ridley nests have been found this year than in any
year since the project began.  On June 26th, the park released the first 90
Kemp's ridley hatchlings from this year back into the Gulf of Mexico.  [John
Miller, Chief, Science, Resources Management and Interpretation, PAIS]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No submissions.

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

EXCHANGE

No submissions.

                                *  *  *  *  *

The Morning Report will be posted intermittently through late July.  Today's
edition is the third since Thursday, June 26th (the other issuances were on
July 1st and 7th).  It is being sent courtesy of Carey and Walt Dabney of
Canyonlands NP (Walt is the park's superintendent), who have provided
temporary editorial offices in their residence in Moab, Utah.  

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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