NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Friday, October 3, 1997

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

97-281 - Blue Ridge Parkway (VA/NC) - Follow-up on Assault

On June 26th, K.B. of Waynesboro, Virginia, was arrested for
attempting to run down a group of approximately a dozen people with a motor
vehicle at Rockfish Valley overlook two weeks previously.  The incident
occurred after K.B. reportedly beat-up his girl friend.  One person was
struck and received minor injuries; four parked vehicles were struck and
damaged.  On September 15th, K.B. pled guilty to two felonies, a
misdemeanor and a petty offense; respectively, assault with a deadly weapon
(18 USC 113), damage to property of another in excess of $1,000 (Virginia
statute), reckless driving (Virginia statute), and driving under the
influence (36 CFR 4.32).  Sentencing has been set for December 8th.  K.B.
is still being held in custody.  The case officer is district ranger Bruce
Bytnar.  [CRO, BLRI, 9/26]

97-590 - Hot Springs NP (AR) - Homicide

On the morning of September 20th, two area fishermen found a body floating in
Lake Ouachita, about 20 miles from the park.  Initial investigation shows
that the murder apparently occurred within the park and that the body was
removed in an attempt at concealment.  Arrested for the murder were T.C.,
41, and J.C., 28, both residents of Hot Springs.  Since
the park is an area of exclusive federal jurisdiction, it is likely that
state first-degree murder charges will be dismissed and that charges will be
filed in federal district court in Arkansas.  Identification of the victim is
awaiting confirmation from the state crime lab.  The case is being jointly
investigated by the NPS, FBI and Garland County sheriff's department.  [Rod
Harris, HOSP, 9/23]

97-591 - Canyonlands NP (UT) - River Fatality

M.F., 40, of South Jordan, Utah, died while rafting in Cataract
Canyon on the afternoon of September 27th.  M.F. was a member of a non-
commercial rafting group consisting of 22 people in two paddle rafts, two row
rafts and two inflatable kayaks.  M.F. and six other people were in a 14-
foot inflatable paddle raft which flipped over in a recirculating hydraulic
(an undertow of sorts) after the raft went over "Little Niagara" rock at the
beginning of Rapid 22, also known as Big Drop Two.  M.F. floated through
that rapid and the four which followed over the next two miles of river
before he was finally reached by another boat from the group.  M.F. was
breathless and pulseless.  CPR was begun by members of the party, but
discontinued after 30 minutes.  Some members of the group traveled six hours
by boat to report the incident at Hite ranger station at Glen Canyon NRA.  An
injured boater accompanied them and was immediately transported by a medical
helicopter to the hospital in Page.  M.F.'s body was recovered the next
day by rangers and personnel from the San Juan County sheriff's department
via boats and a contract helicopter.  An autopsy will be conducted to
determine the cause of death.  Medical services were also provided to two
other members of the party who had been on M.F.'s raft.  The Colorado
River was flowing at 17,220 cubic feet per second through the canyon at the
time of the accident.  The water temperature was 63 degrees.  Big Drop Two is
a class IV rapid at this flow level.  This was the tenth water-related
fatality in the history of the park and the first since 1995.  Glen Canyon
ranger Kerry Haute was the IC for the initial response; Canyonlands ranger
Dave Walton was the IC for the extended response.  [Steve Swanke, DR, CANY,
9/28]

97-592 - Mount Rainier NP (WA) - Search and Rescue

A solo, 47-year-old male hiker was reported overdue from a hike in the Carbon
River - Mowich Lake area in the northwest corner of the park on September
24th.  A search for him was begun on the evening of the 24th and continued on
the 25th.  Ground teams and air crews searched the Spray Park and Seattle
Park areas.  The lost hiker was eventually located by helicopter and
transported to facilities for medical evaluation.  [Uwe Nehring, MORA, 9/26]

97-593 - Buffalo NR (AR) - Search and Rescue

On Sunday, September 28th, K.D., 21, of Rodgersville, Missouri, was
free-climbing with his brother at the remote Hemmed-In-Hollow Falls area when
he lost his footing and fell about 35 feet to the scree slope below. 
K.D.'s brother used a cell phone to call for assistance.  Responding
rangers found K.D. conscious and unable to move his legs; he was also
suffering from head, ankle, and internal injuries.  K.D. was carried
about a mile to a helispot, then evacuated to a hospital in Springfield,
Missouri, where he's listed in good condition.  The rescue effort involved
five rangers, 16 members from volunteer fire departments, two employees form
the county emergency service's office, and two ambulance paramedics.  Due to
the difficulties involved in reaching K.D. and carrying him out, the
entire operation took about 10 hours.  [Jeff West, PR, BUFF, 10/1]

97-594 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Rescue

On the evening of September 15th, rangers responded to a report of an injured
climber at the base of El Capitan.  They found that a solo climber had fallen
on the first pitch of the West Buttress route and had suffered a compound
fracture of an ankle with extreme angulation.  He was able to descend to the
ground on his own, then crawl several hundred feet down the scree slope
before help arrived.  A 20-person NPS rescue team, joined by five members of
the Los Angeles police department who were int he park on training, carried
the victim down the talus in a five-hour operation.  Because the eventual
recovery of his ankle was threatened by the deformity, he was flown by
medical helicopter in the early morning hours to a hospital in Modesto. 
[Brian Smith, YOSE, 9/22]

97-595 - Golden Gate NRA (CA) - Rape Arrest

A woman reported being raped on Ocean Beach during the early morning hours of
September 23rd.  She said that she'd agreed to collect cans on the beach for
money, and that the man she was working with had attacked her.  She
eventually was able to escape and reported the assault to Park Police
officers.  Initial efforts to find him proved fruitless, but a BOL was issued
to the following shift.  Later that morning, officers Tom Hart and Mark
Iacangleo responded to a report of a fight in progress on the sea wall.  They
chased the pair into the west end of Golden Gate Park, and eventually
discovered that one of the two men was trying to make a citizen's arrest of
the other.  The officers found the second man under a bush.  He had a tatoo
on his chest saying "Out of Control," which matched the tatoo the woman had
reported on her assailant.  She subsequently positively identified him as her
attacker.  The arrest took place about 300 yards from the point where the
rape had occurred.  Further investigation revealed the assailant's true name,
and that he was a registered sex offender and a parolee at large.  The city
district attorney's office has rebooked five felony charges on the suspect. 
Detective Jeff Weisenberger was the lead investigator.  [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP,
SFFO, 9/25]

97-596 - Natural Bridges NM (UT) - Falling Fatality

R.S., a 27-year-old native of Italy, was reported missing to the San
Juan County sheriff's department on October 1st when he failed to return to
Iowa State University, where he was a graduate student.  R.S.'s rental car
was found in the park later that morning.  Rangers and members of the
sheriff's SAR team began a search of the area, but failed to find him.  A
helicopter was brought in yesterday morning, and R.S.'s body was found on a
rock ledge not visible from the canyon below.  It appears that he died
instantly from a head injury sustained in a fall.  [Jim Dougan, CR, NABR,
10/2]  

97-597 - Colorado NM (CO) - Falling Fatality

On September 21st, S.M., 29, of Grand Junction, Colorado, and his
neighbor, W.Y., 22, were bicycling on Rim Rock Drive through the
park.  They rode their mountain bikes to and then beyond the railed overlook
at Cold Shivers Point.  W.Y. kept back from the highly exposed cliff, but
S.M. rode right along the sandstone edge.  While attempting to jump his
bike across a large crack along the edge, he lost his balance and fell 300
feet to a ledge below.  Several local agencies responded; ranger Bill Rodgers
was IC.  The recovery effort was hampered by a powerful thunderstorm, which
was accompanied by lightning, rain, hail and flash flooding.  During a break
in the weather, a technical rescue team succeeded in recovering the body by
means of a raising system.  [Ron Young, CR, COLM, 9/22]

97-598 - Great Sand Dunes NM (CO) - Lightning Injuries

A major thunderstorm swept through the park on the afternoon of September
21st, dropping more than an inch of rain and producing intense lightning. 
One bolt struck several campers in the park campground.  J.L., 46,
and R.N., 19, both of Evergreen, Colorado, received burns to their
buttocks and feet when a bolt hit the asphalt about eight feet from where
they were sitting in aluminum lawn chairs.  The bolt left an 18-inch hole in
the ground.  C.C. of Durango, Colorado, received a minor laceration
to his scalp from flying glass when a bolt struck and exploded the rock
retaining wall around his campsite, sending debris through his RV window. 
Additional damage to the RV included a four-inch hole, several bullet-sized
holes, smashed tail lights, dents and another shattered window.  [Kevin
Moses, Acting CR, GRSA, 9/23]

97-599 - Indiana Dunes NL (IN) - Car Clouting Arrest

On the evening of September 21st, supervisory ranger Mark Gorman observed
T.W., 26, walking between parked cars at the Lakeview facility. 
Several car clouts had recently occurred at that location, and rangers had
received information from local police indicating that a woman might be
involved and that she might have a young child with her to reduce suspicion. 
T.W. had her four-year-old daughter with her.  Gorman concealed himself and
watched T.W. as she tried the locked doors on two vehicles.  She then
entered an unlocked van and searched the inside, but took nothing.  T.W.
next entered a second unlocked vehicle and took a purse.  She was confronted
by rangers; the purse was found in her waistband, and $74 from the purse was
in her pocket.  T.W. was arrested and charged with the theft.  The child was
turned over to her father.  T.W. has a criminal record for theft and is
currently on probation from a forgery conviction.  Information has linked
T.W. to at least one other theft at Lakeview.  [Rich Littlefield, CR, INDU,
9/23]

97-600 - Gateway NRA (NY/NJ) - SCUBA Diving Fatality

On the afternoon of September 21st, 51-year-old J.S. advised Sandy
Hook rangers that he was unable to locate his diving partner, 44-year-old
C.N.  The two men, both very experienced divers, had been diving
together in the shallow waters of Horseshoe Cove.  They became separated in
the low visibility water, and J.S. became alarmed when C.N. failed to
appear on the surface at the expected time.  Several local emergency dive
teams responded along with a USCG helicopter and vessels.  C.N.'s body was
found in five feet of water that evening.  Preliminary autopsy findings do
not indicate any physiological evidence which would suggest a death by
drowning.  A joint investigation is underway.  [Thomas Lobkowicz, LES, Sandy
Hook Unit, GATE, 9/23]

97-601 - Blue Ridge Parkway (NC/VA) - MVA with Fatality

A one-vehicle accident near milepost 315 in the Black Mountain district on
the afternoon of September 17th claimed the life of 19-year-old A.F.
of Boone, North Carolina.  A.F. was driving a 1986 Honda Accord when he
apparently fell asleep, crossed the center line, and collided with a large
boulder.  The vehicle overturned and came to rest on the roadway.  The sole
passenger in the vehicle, 20-year-old W.P., also from Boone, was
taken to a hospital, where he was last reported to be in stable condition. 
Ranger Jim Godwin is investigating.  [CRO, BLRI, 9/24]

97-602 - Natchez Trace Parkway (MI/AL/TN) - MVA with Two Fatalities

L.M., 54, of Shannon, Mississippi, was killed in a late night
accident on the parkway on September 17th.  L.M. was heading north on the
parkway when his vehicle left the road, flipped, and ejected both L.M. and
passenger K.C., 46, of Tupelo, Mississippi.  Carnathan died of
his injuries on September 21st.  The investigation continues.  [Tim Francis,
ACR, NATR, 9/23]

97-603 - National Capital Parks East (MD) - MVA with Fatality

On the evening of September 22nd, a single vehicle accident on Powdermill
Road claimed the life of a Maryland woman.  Investigation at the scene
indicates that she was traveling east on the road when her vehicle left the
roadway and struck a tree.  She was pronounced dead at a local hospital. 
Suicide has not been ruled out.  [Bill Lynch, RLES, NCRO, 9/23]

97-604 - Golden Gate NRA (CA) - Special Event

The 25th Annual San Francisco Blues Festival took place at Great Meadow at
Fort Mason on September 20th and 21st.  Crowds of from 9,000 to 10,000 people
attended each day.  Hot weather combined with alcohol sales created the
potential for problems, but the event with smoothly and there were no
arrests.  The event was patrolled by NPS rangers and USPP officers.  [Lt.
Kevin Hay, USPP, SFFO, 9/23]

97-605 - Blue Ridge Parkway (VA/NC) - Marijuana Eradication

Rangers in Virginia were recently involved in a multi-agency drug eradication
operation which employed ground teams and air surveillance to locate
marijuana patches along the parkway.  A total of 189 plants, some seven feet
tall, were discovered and destroyed in Floyd, Franklin and Patrick counties. 
The estimated cash value has been placed at about $200,000.  Ranger Pete
Schula was IC; participating were rangers Mark Gall, Darius Jones, Bobby
Miller, Gene Parker, Ed Clark, Bill Calvert and Jolene Johnson.  [CRO, BLRI,
9/23]

97-606 - San Antonio Missions NHP (TX) - Special Event

General Colin Powell and his wife visited the park on September 23rd.  They
were met by the regional director and park superintendent and received a
special guided tour of Mission San Jose from ranger Dave Vekasy.  The general
signed a copy of his book, which will be used as a fundraiser by the park's
friends group.  [Dan Steed, SAAN, 9/26]

97-607 - Roosevelt-Vanderbilt NHS (NY) - Special Event

On September 25th, the foreign minister and consul general of Romania,
Romania's ambassador to the United States, and the chair of the Romanian-U.S.
chamber of commerce visited the park for tours of the Roosevelt home and
Vanderbilt mansion.  Law enforcement rangers provided security for the event. 
[Chris Jefferson, CR, ROVA, 10/2]

                   [Additional reports pending...]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Point Reyes NS (CA) - Coho and Steelhead Restoration

Two species of salmonids - coho salmon and steelhead trout - have recently
been federally listed as threatened species.  Point Reyes NS and Golden Gate
NRA have established an NPS coho and steelhead fisheries restoration center
to address this problem.  The center's staff and partner organizations will
inventory and monitor these threatened species and prescribe restoration and
watershed enhancement programs.  The center is located next to Lagunitas and
Olema creeks, which have ten percent of the remnant population of coho salmon
in central California (about 500 spawners).  Through habitat improvement, NPS
staff are optimistic that fish populations - with cooperation from adjacent
land owners and local agencies - can be returned to more historic levels. 
There has been strong community cooperation in the effort to enhance the
watersheds, and the NPS has received significant support from volunteers and
organizations interested in fisheries restoration.  [Don Neubacher,
Superintendent, PORE, 9/24]

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Reports pending.

MEMORANDA

No submissions.

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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