NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Tuesday, December 23, 1997

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

97-756 - Blue Ridge Parkway (VA/NC) - Suicide

Ranger Don Coleman found the body of 21-year-old B.T. of Whittier, North
Carolina, beside a wrecked van about 320 feet down an embankment at milepost
421 shortly after noon on December 19th.  The vehicle had been spotted by a
park visitor.  B.T. evidently was killed in the crash, and a suicide note
was found on his body.  Parkway dispatchers had received a "be on the
lookout" notice for B.T. from Jackson County on November 28th.  The time and
exact circumstances of the fatality are unknown at this time.  An
investigation is underway in cooperation with local and state agencies. 
[CRO, BLRI, 12/22]

97-757 - George Washington Memorial Parkway (VA) - MVA with Fatality

J.K., 32, of Springfield, Virginia, was killed in a three-vehicle
accident on the parkway at its intersection with Washington Boulevard south
of Memorial Bridge on the afternoon of December 22nd.  J.K. was traveling
north on the boulevard when his vehicle was struck head-on by a southbound
vehicle that had gone out of control on the rain-slicked roadway and crossed
the median.  A second vehicle in the northbound lane was also struck, but its
driver suffered only minor injuries.  Park Police officers are investigating
the accident.  No charges have been filed at this time.  [Bill Lynch, RLES,
NCRO, 12/23]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Holiday Stress and Depression, Employee Assistance - The holidays are
supposed to be a fun time, and they are for most people.  For others,
however, they can be depressing.  Depression can occur not only during
holidays but as a result of events and circumstances in our lives on and off
the job.  Depression is one of the most common behavioral health problems,
impacting between five and ten percent of adults each year.  The good news is
that it is also one of the most treatable.  Divorce, illness, reorganization,
and relationships with co-workers or bosses are only a few of the common
sources of stress that can ultimately lead to depression.  Understanding and
recognizing the signs and symptoms of depression and warning signs of suicide
is an important step toward helping ourselves and others who may experience
it.  Here are some symptoms of depression offered by the Service's employee
assistance provider (EAP), Green Spring Health Services, Inc.:

     o Feeling depressed, sad, empty
     o A loss of interest in pleasurable activities
     o A noticeable increase/decrease in weight
     o Sleeplessness or oversleeping
     o Fatigue
     o Feeling hopeless, helpless
     o Feeling worthless
     o Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
     o Thoughts of suicide or death

Depression doesn't respond to a few days off or a vacation.  Professional
help is important and necessary.  If you are experiencing symptoms of
depression, contact your EAP for assistance at 1-800-523-5668.  EAP also
provides support for supervisors at the same number.  Some additional
information on depression and suicide is located on the NPS safety web site
at www.nps.gov/riskmgmt.  Look in the "alerts and bulletins" section.  [Dick
Powell, WASO]

MEMORANDA

No entries.

EXCHANGE

No entries.

                                *  *  *  *  *

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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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