- Subject: NPS Morning Report - Tuesday, June 30, 1998
- Date: Tues, 30 Jun 1998
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Tuesday, June 30, 1998
INCIDENTS
98-218 - Glacier NP (MT) - Follow-up on Concession Employee Fatality
Late last week, rangers shot and killed the third of the three grizzlies that
consumed the remains of hiker C.D. in May. The bear's mother was shot
and killed shortly after the incident; the other cub, a two-year-old female
grizzly, was captured and put down in early June. The search for the third
bear was resumed on June 24th after it bluff charged and circled a group of
17 hikers as they left a tour boat at the head of Two Medicine Lake. The
bear was not seen again until the following evening, when it was spotted by a
ranger. Rangers hiked closer and confirmed the bear's identity through an
ear tag and an identifying ear notch before shooting it. Experts agreed that
the three bears could not be allowed to remain in the wild after predating on
a human. [Amy Vanderbilt, PIO, GLAC, 6/26]
98-321 - Hawaii Volcanoes NP (HI) - Assault on Ranger; Pursuit
On Friday, June 26th, a ranger stopped a vehicle being driven by D.R.,
33, for expired license plates and an expired inspection sticker.
D.R. was advised that he would be cited for multiple violations and that
his vehicle would be towed; he became argumentative and repeatedly refused to
get out of his car when ordered to do so. He then started the vehicle and
drove off, pushing the ranger into the traffic lane, where he was nearly
struck by oncoming vehicles. The ranger and a park criminal investigator
pursued the fleeing vehicle for 21 miles at speeds in excess of 100 mph. The
pursuit ended when the D.R. drove his vehicle into a residential area
adjacent to the highway. Rangers and assisting officers were unable to
locate it. The U.S. attorney's office has issued an arrest warrant for
D.R. for assault (18 USC 113); charges of fleeing from an officer and
multiple traffic offenses are pending. [Greg Jablonski, HAVO, 6/26]
98-322 - Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - Fall; Rescue
On the afternoon of June 13th, park dispatch was contacted by a Los Angeles
air traffic controller regarding an emergency on the Colorado River. A
commercial airliner flying over the park had received a radio call regarding
a "severe medical" at Stone Creek. Park medic Stephen Willis and paramedic
Nancy Mecham were immediately dispatched in the park helicopter. They found
that a 43-year-old woman from a commercial river trip had fallen 45 feet
while taking a side hike during a stop at Stone Creek. Her injuries, which
were numerous, included nine rib fractures, a spinal fracture/dislocation,
internal bleeding, and respiratory distress. She was stabilized and flown
directly to Flagstaff Medical Center. Her condition en route was critical
due to several life-threatening injuries. The tentative prognosis is that
she will be paralyzed below the waist. [Ken Phillips, SAR Coordinator, GRCA,
6/18]
98-323 - Haleakala NP (HI) - Falling Fatality
J.L., 32, of Alabama died from an 80 foot fall late on the afternoon
of Friday, June 26th. Visitors reported seeing him flexing from the top of a
waterfall near the ocean when he lost his balance. He appeared to slip,
attempted to catch himself on a tree branch, fell to a rock ledge below, then
into a pool. J.L. sustained massive head injuries and a broken leg. Park and
county rescue personnel found his body submerged 15 feet below the surface of
the 40-foot deep pool. His fanny pack was found near the base of another
waterfall in Ohe'o Gulch, upstream from where he died. Documents recovered
from it revealed that J.L. had been living in Hawaii for some time and that he
was apparently homeless. Personal gear found nearby indicated that he'd been
camping in a cave along the stream. Among his belongings were a frying pan
and small hand tools belonging to the park. Court documents in the pack
revealed that he was on probation for a felony burglary charge and that there
was an active temporary restraining order against him for making terroristic
threats. Efforts are underway to locate a cache which may contain money
and/or drugs. Park employees remember seeing the man in the vicinity for the
past two to three weeks and recall that he had come into the visitor center
and talked about cliff jumping. [Karen Ardoin, CR, HALE, 6/29]
98-324 - Saint Croix NSR (MN/WI) - Drowning
R.P., 60, of Grantsburg, Wisconsin, was reported missing by his
family around 10:30 p.m. on June 24th. Rangers located his body face down in
the water in the St. Croix River about an eighth of a mile south of the
Highway 70 bridge near the Marshland visitor center. R.P.'s personal
belongings were found on a trail on the shore of the river in Pine County,
Minnesota. The county medical examiner pronounced R.P. dead, apparently
from drowning. R.P. regularly fished on the river. The family has
apparently declined an autopsy and accepted drowning as the cause of death.
Investigative reports are being compiled. [Brian Sacia, PR, SACR, 6/26]
98-325 - Shenandoah NP (VA) - Apparent Attempted Suicide
On the afternoon of June 26th, the park received a report that a woman had
been found shot inside the park boundary near Old Rag Mountain. Rangers,
Madison County deputies and the country rescue squad found S.D.,
60, of Madison, Virginia, with a gunshot wound in her chest. She was flown
to a hospital, where she underwent surgery and is currently listed in serious
condition. Alcohol and a small caliber handgun were recovered at the scene.
The wound appears to have been self-inflicted. Criminal investigator Tim
Alley is leading the investigation. [Clay Jordan, DR, Central District,
SHEN, 6/27]
98-326 - Blue Ridge Parkway (VA/NC) - Fatal Motorcycle Accident
One of a group of motorcyclists who'd driven down the parkway en route to a
motorcycle rally in Asheville called the park communication center at 10 p.m.
on the evening of June 22nd and asked if the park had received a report of an
accident involving a red Honda motorcycle. He was advised that there'd been
no such report and hung up. The following morning, members of the group told
rangers that N.T., 34, of New York City, never arrived in Nashville.
A search was begun. Around 7:30 p.m., a local SAR team found his body near
Spruce Pine, North Carolina. N.T. evidently lost control in a curve, ran
off the road, crashed, and died of unspecified injuries. The incident was
not witnessed. Neither his body nor the motorcycle were plainly visible to
parkway motorists. Ranger Jim Godwin is leading the investigation. [CRO,
BLRI, 6/24]
98-327 - National Capital Parks (DC) - Assist; Resource Violation Conviction
On June 1st, Browning-Ferris, Inc. (BFI), a major national waste management
firm, and G.S., a former plant manager for BFI, pled guilty to five
counts of violating the pre-treatment provisions of the federal Clean Water
Act by discharging medical waste into the district's sewer system. The waste
was released from a BFI medical waste facility adjacent to park land. The
investigation was led by FBI and EPA agents; NPS regional office rangers and
lands specialists assisted with various lands issues. BFI was storing
trailers of medical waste on land which the NPS had transferred to the DC
government for recreational purposes. BFI will pay a criminal fine of $1.5
million, donate $100,000 to the Anacostia Watershed Society for Anacostia
River conservation projects, and close the medical waste facility. BFI has
previously been convicted of similar violations in Philadelphia. [Einar
Olsen, RCR, NCRO, 6/26]
98-328 - Lake Roosevelt NRA (WA) - Suicide
On June 16th, two surveyors reported a car and a body along the shore of Lake
Roosevelt four miles north of Snag Cove campground. Ranger Bernie Merritt
and Stevens County detectives investigated. They found the body of G.H.,
43, lying beside the lake; a revolver was still in his hand. G.H.
had evidently been despondent over a chronic illness. [Bruce Edmonston, DR,
LARO, 6/25]
98-329 - Buffalo NR (AR) - Drowning
R.L., 17, of McGhee, Arkansas, was canoeing on the Buffalo River on
June 4th with 60 members of a National Guard youth challenge program when he
began experiencing cramps. He and his partner pulled their canoe to shore
where the Little Buffalo River joins the Buffalo River. While standing in
the water, R.L. suddenly fell and went underwater. Other members of the
group pulled him to shore; he was not breathing, so they began CPR. It took
45 minutes for other canoeists to paddle downriver and locate rangers who
were clearing a hazardous tree from the river. By the time the ranger and
paramedics got to R.L., CPR had been underway for at least 90 minutes.
Medical control eventually ordered it stopped. The medical examiner has
ruled the cause of death to have been accidental drowning. [Bob Howard, LES,
BUFF, 6/8 and 6/22]
98-330 - Suitland Parkway (MD) - MVA with Fatality
The 31-year-old male operator of a car lost control of his vehicle and struck
a tree on June 26th. He was uninjured, but the 34-year-old male passenger
was pronounced dead at the scene. Preliminary investigation indicates that
speed was a factor in the accident. [Henry Berberich, RLES, NCRO, 6/29]
[Additional reports pending...]
FIRE ACTIVITY
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level III
LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY
Sun Mon % Est
State Unit Fire/Incident IMT 6/28 6/29 Con Con
FL Osceola NF Oak Head T1 20,120 20,120 90 6/30
Merritt Island NWR Merritt Island Cx -- 4,300 4,426 80 NEC
State Suwanee Cx T1 16,416 16,416 100 CND
Bunnel Cx T2 20,456 20,456 70 NEC
Bunnel-Volusia Cx T2 46,504 61,500 45 NEC
Perry Cx T2 20,400 20,400 95 6/30
Orlando Cx T1 UNK NR NR NR
Withlacootchee Cx -- 3,807 3,807 90 NEC
TX Lake Meredith NRA * Palo Duro -- - 5,000 50 6/30
State * Cash Johnson -- - 800 UNK NEC
* Ranchland Estates -- - 180 100 CND
CO Arapaho-Roosevelt NF Bear Track T2 310 420 15 NEC
Pike-San Isabel NF * Muddy Creek T2 - 150 UNK NEC
* White T2 - 130 UNK NEC
NM Gila NF Leggett T2 320 253 100 CND
Santa Fe NF Oso T1 1,000 2,560 10 NEC
UT Cedar City District Bulldog -- 5,300 6,000 75 7/1
AZ Coronado NF Rim Tank -- 200 200 100 CND
AK Fort Greely Carla Lake T2 60,520 60,520 80 NEC
Heading Notes
Unit Agency = BIA area; NF = national forest; RU = CA state resource
or ranger unit; RD = state ranger district; District = BLM
district; NWR = USFWS wildlife refuge
Fire * = newly reported fire (on this report); Cx = complex
IMT T1 = Type I; T2 = Type II; ST = State Team
% Con Percent of fire contained; UNK = unknown
Est Con Estimated containment date; NEC = no estimated date of
containment; CND = fully contained; NR = no report
FIRE NARRATIVES
Palo Duro/Cash Johnson Fires (TX) - The Palo Duro Fire is just outside of
Fritch. The fire jumped several roads yesterday and made a significant run.
It has burned about 85% of Alibates Flint Quarries NM, which is managed by
Lake Meredith NRA. The Cash Johnson Fire is burning onto Alibates Flint
Quarries.
NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FOUR DAY TREND)
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
Friday, 6/26 0 15 4 0 128 13 160
Saturday, 6/27 0 2 8 0 82 10 102
Sunday, 6/28 1 15 3 0 40 21 80
Monday, 6/29 2 3 5 2 192 37 241
TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND)
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
Friday, 6/26 50 165 27 5 468 @
Saturday, 6/27 54 204 31 11 545 @
Sunday, 6/28 69 159 44 14 551 @#
Monday, 6/29 143 225 63 34 771 @&
@ Resource commitments were not reported on many fires in the South.
# Resource commitments were not reported on many fires in the Southwest.
& Resource commitments were not reported on many fires in the Rockies.
CURRENT SITUATION
Initial attack and large fire activity escalated yesterday in the Southwest
and Rocky Mountains. Initial attack also increased in eastern Texas.
Very high to extreme fire indices were reported yesterday in units in
Florida, Georgia, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and
California.
NICC has posted a FIRE WEATHER WATCH for low relative humidity in northern
Florida.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 6/30]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Guadalupe Mountains NP (TX) - Mountain Lion Advisory
The number of reported mountain lion sightings has increased significantly
recently, possibly because of the continued hot and dry weather in the area.
The animals have come close to visitors and staff on several occasions. They
have displayed neither fear nor any intention of moving on. Because of this
activity and recent problems between lions and visitors at Big Bend NP, the
park has issued a hiker alert, advising visitors and employees alike to be
vigilant and watch for lions and to exercise extreme care when encountering
mountain lions. [Larry Henderson, Superintendent, GUMO, 6/29]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
CISD Resources Needed - The Servicewide critical incident stress debriefing
(CISD) roster needs to be updated. Names on the roster may be utilized for
out of park callouts and should only be submitted with your supervisor's
approval. If you are interested in being listed on the roster, please send
the following information:
Phones where you can be contacted (work, home, cell, pager)
Your supervisor's name
Your supervisor's phones (work, home)
A summary of your CISD training
A summary of your CISD experience
A summary of your work experience in the NPS
Submissions should be sent to NPS CISM coordinator Pat Buccello via cc:Mail
at NP-DEN1. Questions should be directed to her at 435-772-0180.
Safety Brochure Info Solicited - The NPS, Forest Service, SCA and Association
for Experiential Education are developing a brochure on personal safety from
natural and human dangers in the backcountry. Many available brochures have
text on how to be safe from natural hazards, but not from human hazards.
This brochure will cover both in a quick, simple overview of "common sense"
precautions in unfamiliar terrain. If you have suggestions for text, please
forward them to Vivien Rose via cc:Mail at NP-WORI, or call her at 315-568-0007.
The deadline is July 8th.
MEMORANDA
No entries.
EXCHANGE
No entries.
UPCOMING IN CONGRESS
Congress is not in session.
* * * * *
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pertaining to receipt of 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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