NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
                               MORNING REPORT

To:         All National Park Service Areas and Offices

From:       Division of Ranger Activities, Washington Office

Day/Date:   Tuesday, October 20, 1998

INCIDENTS

98-577 - Olympic NP (WA) - Follow-up: Theft by Former Employee 

On August 2nd, a Stihl chainsaw was reported missing from the Ozette ranger
station.  Investigators subsequently contacted C.D., 23, a
former NPS employee, who confessed to the theft of the saw and numerous other
items taken from the park.  During a consent search and later warrant search,
investigators recovered 87 items and groups of items with a cumulative value
of $11,124.  On October 15th, C.D. pled guilty to one count of receipt of
government property in excess of $1,000, a violation of 18 USC 641. 
Sentencing is scheduled for December 4th.  The maximum penalty for this
felony violation is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  [Mike Butler,
CI, OLYM, 10/19]

98-676 - San Antonio Missions NHP (TX) - Flooding

The heavy rains (more than 14 inches) that fell on the San Antonio area over
the past weekend resulted in serious flooding throughout the city.  Mission
Espada and the nature trail at Mission San Juan were closed on Saturday due
to rising waters and excessive mud at both sites.  On Sunday, Mission Espada
and Mission San Juan were closed because some staff had difficulty getting to
work.  The park closed at 3 p.m. as a safety precaution and to permit
employees an opportunity to get home before dark.  An assessment of park
resources is underway.  [Dan Steed, CR, SAAN, 10/19]

98-677 - Death Valley NP (CA) - Assist; Methamphetamine Drug Lab

The park's criminal investigator assisted BLM staff in searching a discarded
methamphetamine drug lab for evidence on September 11th.  The complete lab
was found bagged up in seven, 55-gallon plastic trash bags underneath an
informational kiosk along Highway 127 near the park's southwestern boundary. 
This is the fourth dump site found near the park during the past two years. 
One of the main ingredients for the methamphetamine recipe in this lab was
iodine crystals.  The criminal investigator obtained important evidence that
has proven useful to local agencies in other on-going cases in the area. 
[Eric Inman, LES/CI, DEVA, 10/19]

98-678 - Arches NP (UT) - Assist; Bicycle Accident with Fatality

On October 13th, K.K., 43, of Conifer, Colorado, fell more than 200
feet to his death in a mountain bike accident on BLM land immediately
adjacent to the park.  Seven rangers from Arches and Canyonlands joined over
30 county SAR personnel in the recovery effort, which was complicated by
nightfall, a high potential for rockfall, and the lack of helicopter support. 
The operation lasted for six hours and included several vertical litter
lowerings and a 600-foot, belayed, low-angle scree evacuation.  About six
months ago, another mountain biker fell to his death from the same location. 
Many of the rangers and county rescue personnel worked both incidents.  [Jim
Webster, CR, ARCH, 10/16]

98-679 - Haleakala NP (HI) - Assist; Bicycle Accident with Serious Injuries

Rangers responded to their third medical incident in as many hours on the
morning of October 19th, reportedly another routine bicycle accident.  County
dispatch requested a mutual aid response by medics to the 6,000-foot
elevation of the highway leading to the park, which at that point passes
through private open-range ranch lands.  Upon arrival, rangers found a 45-
year-old woman in the highway; she was suffering from multiple traumatic
injuries and severe closed-head injuries, was breathing poorly, and had an
altered level of consciousness.  The woman was evidently passing a small
group of cattle along the roadside when one of the dehorned cows turned,
charged the bicycle, and butted it in the rear tire, pitching the woman over
the handlebars.  She remains hospitalized in critical condition.  [Kerry
Buck, DR, Summit District, HALE, 10/19]

98-680 - Timicuan E&HP (FL) - Special Event

The 200th anniversary of Kingsley Plantation, a historic site within the
park, was observed from October 9th to the 11th with a heritage celebration
and a reunion of descendants of plantation inhabitants.  Events included
living history demonstrations, lectures on slavery, a performance by the
Georgia Sea Island Singers, and the premier of a play written for the event. 
Nearly 5,000 visitors attended the event, including descendants traveling
from the Dominican Republic.  Normal site visitation is about 50,000 people
annually.  [Kathy Tilford, PR, TIMU, 10/15]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION

No entries.

PARK DISPATCHES

No entries.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

No entries.

MEMORANDA

No entries.

INTERCHANGE

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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