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Subject: NPS Morning Report - 9/18/98
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Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 09:50:28 -0400
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
To: All National Park Service Areas and Offices
From: Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office
Day/Date: Friday, September 18, 1998
INCIDENTS
97-692 - Kaloko-Honokohau NHP (HI) - Follow-up: Public Nudity Cases
In October, 1997, four individuals were cited for nude sunbathing in the park
under a temporary closure through authority established in 36 CFR 1.5(f).
The case eventually went to court. The defense argued that the
superintendent's order banning nudity was adopted in violation of the
Administrative Procedures Act. On September 9th, a federal magistrate filed
an order supporting the park's authority to make the closure and denying the
defense's motion to dismiss the violations. The park was established in 1978
to "provide a center for the preservation, interpretation and perpetuation of
traditional native Hawaiian activities and culture." Through public input,
it was determined that nude bathing was an inappropriate activity within the
park, and efforts to discourage such activity were begun in the mid-1990s.
In December, 1996, the superintendent published an order prohibiting nude
sunbathing and drafted permanent regulations. The proposed permanent
rulemaking was published in the Federal Register on April 20th. Comments
have been received and compiled and are awaiting final publication in the
Federal Register. [Jerry Case, CR, KAHO, 9/16]
98-598 - Rocky Mountain NP (CO) - Rescue
On September 5th, J.L., 20, of Boulder, Colorado, attempted to ski
down the Tyndall Glacier along the Continental Divide. J.L. made about three
turns before falling and sliding approximately 200 feet down the icy slopes
into rocks below the glacier. His injuries included a compressed lumbar
vertebrae, numerous lacerations, a broken wrist, and possible skull
fractures. A medevac helicopter could not be brought in because of the
terrain and a litter carryout would have required five to six hours, so a
military Blackhawk helicopter with hoist capabilities was brought in from
Fort Carson to lift J.L. off the mountain. This was the first external hoist
operation in the park in ten years. Patty McGlynn-Shafer was IC. [Joe
Evans, CR, ROMO, 9/7]
98-599 - Padre Island NS (TX) - Rescue
L.T., 54, and his fiancee, L.I., 54, were playing in
waist deep water on the unguarded beach near the visitor center on September
13th. While doing so, L.I., who is not a swimmer, drifted into water
that was over her head about 100 yards from shore. She became distressed and
yelled for help. L.T. attempted to swim to her, but was unable to
assist once he got there due to fatigue. J.S., K.H. and
T.G., all employees of the Padre Island Park Company, a concessioner,
saw what was happening, called for a ranger, and swam out with boogie boards
to the couple. The responding ranger brought out rescue equipment.
Satterfield got L.I. to shore, while the ranger made his way to
L.T., who was being helped by Hines, and got him to shore. L.T.
and L.I. told the ranger that they would not have been able to stay
afloat without help from the young men. [Mark Foust, ACR, PAIS, 9/13]
98-600 - North Cascades NP (WA) - Rescue
A.B., 26, of Eugene, Oregon, fell while descending the Fisher Chimneys
route on Mount Shuksan late on September 6th. A.B. fractured his forearm
and sustained possible leg and back injuries. A companion called the county
sheriff's office by cell phone and reported the accident. A contract
helicopter flew rangers Kelly Bush and Galen Stark to the scene the next day.
Bush splinted the fractures and prepared A.B. for a short-haul lift to a
landing zone. A.B. was then flown to a hospital in Bellingham. A.B.
attributed the accident to fatigue, letting down his guard while descending,
and travelling unroped to save time due to impending darkness. [Galen Stark,
NOCA, 9/10]
98-601 - Redwood NP (CA) - Search and Rescue
When Crescent City resident R.T., 56, failed to return from a day
hike and bike trip into the park's Coastal Trail and Nickel Creek area by the
evening of September 10th, his wife called the county sheriff's department.
The sheriff's department accordingly alerted its SAR team, which includes
four park rangers and a park FIREPRO technician. The searchers found
R.T.'s bike locked to a tree near an undesignated trail leading to ocean
cliffs around 1 a.m. the following morning. The search focused on that area
until it had to be suspended due to rough terrain and darkness. The search
resumed at daybreak with the assistance of Coast Guard and California Highway
Patrol helicopters. R.T. was located by a dog team on Nickel Creek just
before 10 a.m. He was cold, hungry and wet, but uninjured. R.T. had
hiked north from the point where he'd left his bike, then went off trail over
a couple of ridges. He soon realized he was lost, stayed in one place that
night, and began hiking back toward the ocean in the morning. [Sharon
Hutkowski, PR, Del Norte District, REDW, 9/17]
98-602 - Great Sand Dunes NM (CO) - Assist, Rescue
Rangers were asked to assist a local SAR team with the rescue of a fallen
climber on August 7th. G.A., 45, was climbing the class four West
Ridge route on Little Bear Peak when a boulder the size of a refrigerator
dislodged and knocked G.A. down a steep talus slope. G.A.'s helmet
struck rocks three times and disintegrated on the final strike. Ranger Kevin
Moses was IC for the rescue effort, which employed four civilians and 20
employees from five agencies. Ground teams transported G.A. a mile up the
rugged Lake Como jeep trail to a clearing at 11,700 feet that provided the
only suitable helicopter landing zone. Due to the altitude, the pilot had to
off-load the flight nurse before flying G.A. to an ambulance. [CRO, GRSA,
8/19]
98-603 - New River Gorge NR (WV) - Base Jumping, Injury
Two parachutists - T.O., 25, and M.B., 24 - jumped from
the New River Gorge bridge around 8 p.m. on August 11th. T.O. landed on
the railroad tracks below the bridge and suffered a mild sprained ankle, but
M.B.'s parachute malfunctioned and he landed in the trees, fracturing a
vertebra in his back and seriously injuring his knee. The park received a
report of a critically injured parachutist around 9:30 p.m. Rangers and fire
department volunteers searched the area for over an hour, but could not find
him. Around 11 p.m., a local hospital advised that they had a patient who'd
just been brought in with injuries received in a fall near New River.
Rangers interviewed M.B. at the hospital and he admitted to jumping from the
bridge. They also contacted T.O. at the scene when he returned to
recover M.B.'s parachute. T.O. also admitted to jumping from the
bridge. T.O., M.B. and B.W., who drove their vehicle, were
charged with illegal air delivery. M.B. was transferred to a hospital in
North Carolina on August 12th. He was still in serious condition at the time
of the report. [Rick Brown, Protection Unit Leader, NERI, 8/12]
98-604 - Little River Canyon NRA (AL) - Felony Arrest
On August 11th, ranger Cody Murphy stopped C.E., 22, of Huntsville,
Alabama, for driving his motorcycle off-road. A check on C.E. revealed
that he was wanted on a felony warrant. As Murphy prepared to make the
arrest, C.E. fled. Murphy caught up with him after a short chase and was
able to handcuff C.E., who is 6'3" and weighs 260 pounds. [Dwight Dixon,
CR, LIRI, 8/17]
98-605 - Delaware Water Gap NRA (PA/NJ) - Attempted Suicide
Ranger Troy Mueller was dispatched to a report of a disabled vehicle near
Zion Church about a half hour after midnight on September 7th. Although the
vehicle at first appeared to be unoccupied, a woman sat up with her back to
the window as he approached. She had a knife in her hand. Mueller got her
to open the locked door, then asked her what she was doing. She said that
she was gong to kill herself, but couldn't decide whether to use the knife or
the pills in her handbag; she also told him that she'd made a prior attempt
at that location, but that the knife was too dull, and showed Mueller several
cuts on her abdomen. She showed him five suicide letters. Mueller was able
to calm her down and get her to turn over the knife. He placed her in
protective custody and took her to a local medical center for involuntary
commitment. [Ed Whitaker, DR, Pennsylvania District, DEWA, 9/8]
98-606 - Wrangell-St. Elias NP&P (AK) - Special Event
The park held a ground-breaking ceremony for a future visitor center and
office building on June 28th. Director Stanton and senator Frank Murkowski
were among the dignitaries attending the event. The new visitor center will
be built along the historic Valdez-Fairbanks Trail near Copper Center. About
70 people attended. [Jim Hannah, WRST, 7/15]
98-607 - Klondike Gold Rush NHP/IHP (AK) - Special Event
On August 15th, American and Canadian officials recognized 30 years of
international cooperation in managing and preserving the Chilkoot Trail by
exchanging proclamations designating the park and its Canadian counterpart as
a single international historical park. The 33-mile trail runs from Dyea,
Alaska, to Lake Bennett, British Columbia, and is most notable as having
served as a route for gold seekers in 1897 and 1898. Klondike Gold Rush NHP
is on the American side; Chilkoot Trail NHS is on the Canadian side. The
international designation is the first for an NPS unit in Alaska. About 250
people attended the ceremony. The incident was managed for both nations by
Alaska Region's all-risk incident management team (JD Swed, IC), which in
turn employed the region's SET team. [John Quinley, PIO, ARO, 8/21]
98-608 - Amistad NRA (TX) - Special Event
The Travis Texas Open team bass fishing tournament was held in the park on
August 8th and 9th. A total of 527 teams entered the tournament, which
featured $200,000 in cash and prizes, including seven new boats and trucks.
Due to record low water levels at that time (59 feet below conservation
level), only three launch ramps were opened to accommodate the 527 boats. An
ICS action plan was utilized to manage the incident; assistance was provided
by state, county and local agencies. Over 6,000 pounds of bass were weighed
in, with an initial mortality of eight percent on release. Researchers from
Texas Tech are conducting a delayed mortality study. [Todd Brindle, AMIS,
8/17]
98-609 - Fort Necessity NB (PA) - Special Event
On September 9th, the park hosted the opening festivities of Keystone Ride
'98, an annual bike ride sponsored by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and
its governor. The two-day event began at the park and concluded in
Pittsburgh. Approximately 200 bicyclists participated in the ride, which
attracted local and regional interest and was well attended by the public,
employees, and park supporters. [Tom Stinedurf, PR, FONE, 9/14]
98-610 - Upper Delaware S&RR (NY/PA) - Special Event
The 150th anniversary celebration of the Roebling Bridge (and aqueduct) was
held on September 13th. Park staff and members of the Upper Delaware
Council, assisted by numerous partners, hosted the event. The bridge is the
oldest existing wire suspension bridge in the country and the forerunner of
the Brooklyn Bridge. The event was attended by over 50 members of the
Roebling family, two New York congressmen, and numerous state and local
political representatives. A total of 875 people attended. There were no
incidents. Mike Reuber was IC. [Glenn Voss, CR, UPDE, 9/14]
98-611 - Mount Rushmore NM (SD) - Special Event
The television show "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee" was broadcast live from
the park's amphitheater at 7 a.m. on September 14th. A second show was taped
shortly thereafter for airing the following day. The governor of South
Dakota was instrumental in bringing the show to the park and attended both
programs. A major segment concerned efforts to preserve and protect the
sculpture. About 3,000 people attended each of the programs. Crowds began
lining up for the event at 1 a.m. and there were nearly 3,000 people in line
by 5:45 a.m. Another group of over 2,000 people lined up for the second
show. Rangers handled heavy traffic, crowd control, and security, and
responded to two serious medical emergencies requiring advanced life support
during the filming. Rangers from Wind Cave, Badlands, Devils Tower and Jewel
Cave assisted park staff in managing the event. [Mike Pflaum, CR, MORU,
9/15]
[Additional reports pending...]
FIRE ACTIVITY
NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS LEVEL - Level II
LARGE FIRE/INCIDENT SUMMARY
Wed Thu % Est
State Unit Fire/Incident IMT 9/16 9/17 Con Con
----- ---- ------------- --- ---- ---- --- ---
MT Beaverhead/
Deerlodge NF Bear Trap -- 727 727 100 CND
Fort Belknap Agency * Dummy -- - 550 100 CND
CA Six Rivers NF Buck T2 710 725 35 9/19
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; FUT = Interagency
Fire Use Management 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
NUMBER OF NEW FIRES (FOUR DAY TREND)
NPS BIA BLM FWS States USFS Total
--- --- --- --- ------ ---- ----
Monday, 9/14 0 0 0 0 61 31 92
Tuesday, 9/15 1 4 0 0 103 13 121
Wednesday, 9/16 1 6 0 0 72 12 91
Thursday, 9/17 0 3 1 0 74 9 87
TOTAL COMMITTED RESOURCES (FOUR DAY TREND)
Crews Engines Helicopters Airtankers Overhead
---- ------- ----------- ---------- --------
Monday, 9/14 60 179 36 5 230
Tuesday, 9/15 64 203 37 5 324
Wednesday, 9/16 63 172 37 8 285
Thursday, 9/17 55 138 28 2 149
CURRENT SITUATION
Fire activity remains minimal.
Very high and extreme fire indices were reported yesterday in California,
Arizona, Nebraska, South Dakota, Idaho, Montana, Washington and Oregon.
NICC has posted a RED FLAG WARNING for gusty winds, low humidity, and high
Haines indices in Utah, and a FIRE WEATHER WATCH for gusty winds in eastern
Montana and southern and eastern Nevada.
[NICC Incident Management Situation Report, 9/18]
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION
No entries.
PARK DISPATCHES
No entries.
OPERATIONAL NOTES
No entries.
MEMORANDA
No entries.
INTERCHANGE
No entries.
* * * * *
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
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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