NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                           MORNING REPORT

To:        All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:      Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:  Wednesday, March 25, 1998

Broadcast: By 1000 ET

INCIDENTS

97-173 - Glen Canyon NRA (UT/AZ) - Boating Homicide Conviction

During a bachelor party in Warm Creek Bay on April 26, 1997, K.G.,
23, was standing up in the bow of a boat holding onto the bow rope
while the operator, R.B., 21, made a series of serpentine turns.  As
a result, K.G. fell overboard and was struck by the boat's propeller. 
R.B.'s blood alcohol was subsequently determined to have been 0.175 at the
time of the accident.  K.G.'s body was recovered by the park's dive team
after a four-day effort that entailed over 100 dives.  On March 20th, R.B.
pled guilty to vehicle/vessel homicide, a class 3 felony, in state district
court, and was sentenced to up to five years in prison (with 45 days to be
served), a $5,000 fine, 18 months' supervised probation, participation in a
substance abuse program, and restitution of $1,675 to the victim's family and
$6,379 to the park (for programmed SAR costs).  [CRO, GLCA, 3/23]

98-113 - Lake Mead NRA (NV/AZ) - Boating Accident; Four Fatalities, Injuries

Park dispatch received a report of a disturbance at the Lake Mead Marina
restaurant and lounge late on the afternoon of Sunday, March 22nd.  A dispute
had occurred over the payment of a bar bill and had continued outside the
lounge.  The parties eventually decided to leave and boarded their two
"cigarette boats" (high-performance, high-speed inboards).  One of the boats,
a 47-foot Fountain, struck another vessel at the marina.  Rangers and state
game wardens stopped both vessels.  The operator of the Fountain was arrested
by the state officers for operating under the influence.  A sober driver was
located for that vessel, and it was allowed to proceed.  Just before 10 a.m.
the following morning, Las Vegas police received a 911 call reporting a major
boating accident with fatalities in the park.  The information was relayed to
the park's communications center, but police dispatchers were unable to
gather any more information before the call was lost.  The caller called
again, but communications were again lost.  About 20 minutes later, the park
received a marine band radio report of a boating accident with three
fatalities in the upper Boulder Basin east of Burro Point.  Rangers arrived
at the accident scene shortly thereafter.  They found that the Fountain had
run aground around midnight, and that there had been four fatalities and
three injuries.  Deceased were C.Y., 44, M.K., 26, E.C.,
27, and P.E., 47; injured were boat owner M.Y., 44,
R.R., 24, and R.S., 27.  The three survivors were
transported to the trauma center at the University Medical Center in Las
Vegas.  [Paul Crawford, Shift Supervisor, Boulder Basin District, LAME, 3/24]

98-114 - Lake Mead NRA (NV/AZ) - Multiple Incidents

On the afternoon of Sunday, March 22nd, Boulder Basin District rangers
responded to a two-vehicle motor vehicle accident with injuries at the
intersection of Northshore and Lakeshore Drives.  Two people with serious
injuries and two with moderate injuries were treated by rangers and taken to
the trauma center at the University Medical Center in Las Vegas.  At about
the same time, Northshore District rangers responded to a medical at
Callville Bay, a single-vehicle rollover accident near Overton Beach, and the
report of two drunken drivers leaving the same beach.  As Boulder Basin
rangers cleared from the first accident, they were dispatched to another
motor vehicle accident with injuries, this time on Lake Mead Boulevard.  The
report indicated that several victims were lying on the road, but was
ambiguous regarding the location.  The accident was found to be outside the
park, but rangers provided traffic control, as the boulevard was closed for
several hours.  Around 4:30 p.m., rangers responded to the disturbance noted
above (98-113) at the Lake Mead Marina restaurant and lounge.  Then, at 6
p.m., rangers and park fire and rescue units were summoned to a vehicle fire
on Lake Mead boulevard.  The vehicle was fully involved when they arrived. 
The fire was extinguished.  During the incident, a driver attempted to pass a
ranger directing traffic and was arrested for driving under the influence. 
[Paul Crawford, Shift Supervisor, Boulder Basin District, LAME, 3/24]

98-115 - Death Valley NP (CA) - Fee Program Fraud Violations

The park developed and implemented a program to combat and track fee fraud
violations in 1997.  Over the course of the year, rangers seized a total of
54 Golden Eagle, five Golden Age and two Golden Access passports which had
been fraudulently obtained or used and presented at visitor contact stations. 
A standard questionnaire and signature form were developed and utilized in
each case.  In most cases, the person presenting the passport was not cited,
but the passport was seized and the visitor was required to either pay the
park entrance fee or obtain an appropriate passport.  Of the 61 passports
seized, 35 were presented by visitors from Germany and 14 by visitors from
other European countries.  Ten were held by U.S. citizens and the remaining
two by Canadians.  [Eric Inman, CI/LES, DEVA, 3/23]

98-116 - Mojave NP (CA) - Rescue; Life Saved

On the afternoon of March 15th, rangers received a report of a fall in the
Hole-in-the-Wall area.  Rangers Brian Willbond and Tim Duncan arrived on
scene and soon located C.H. of Los Angeles, who had fallen
about 40 feet down a sheer rock wall to its base - but still 250 feet up the
side of a steep rock scree slope.  He had sustained head and massive body
injuries to his right side.  Due to darkness and the victim's location, a
helicopter rescue was deemed impractical.  County fire and ambulance units
from Needles and Baker responded to support the three-hour-long technical
rescue.  C.H. was flown to a trauma center in Palm Springs.  [Tim Duncan,
DR, MOJA, 3/22]
     
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

PHS Update - The Public Health Service (WASO) will be providing the Morning
Report with periodic updates on important health issues which should be of
concern to some or all NPS employees.  Today's is on hepatitis C.  A campaign
by federal health officials is underway to notify and identify thousands of
Americans who may be infected with hepatitis C virus from blood transfusions
received before 1990.  Hepatitis C is an infectious, blood-borne disease that
can cause chronic liver disease, liver cancer, and cirrhosis or scarring of
the liver.  Symptoms include jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of
appetite, intermittent nausea, and vomiting.  Hepatitis C is transmitted by
blood, sexual contact, and from mothers to infants. Persons at risk for
infection include injecting drug users, health-care workers, hemodialysis
patients, persons living at a low socio-economic level, sexual/household
contacts of infected persons, sexually active heterosexuals, and transfusion
patients.  There is no vaccine for hepatitis C.  The hepatitis C virus
remains in the body in 85% of its victims, who often show no signs of trouble
until serious liver disease begins to cause problems, sometimes 20 or 30
years after infection.  There is no cure for hepatitis C, although longer-
term interferon alpha treatments have been beneficial in some patients.
Reliable blood screening for hepatitis C became available in June 1992.  As a
result, the chances of contracting hepatitis C from transfusions has dropped
to less than one in 100,000.  If you have any questions, please contact your
regional public health consultant or park sanitarian, or call WASO PHS for
more information at 202-565-1120.  [Jerry Johnson, PHS/WASO]

MEMORANDA

No entries.

EXCHANGE

No entries.

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Prepared by the Division of Ranger Activities, WASO, with the cooperation and
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