NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

BLACKBERRY EDITION

Thursday, August 25, 2005

INCIDENTS

South Florida Parks

Preparations Underway for Tropical Storm Katrina

Parks in south Florida are assessing the potential impacts of Tropical Storm Katrina, which will likely be a hurricane by the time it makes landfall, and are taking actions as deemed appropriate:

Everglades NP - The park's incident command team is meeting at 7 a.m. this morning to assess the threat the storm poses to the park and local area. Park employees will be securing facilities and equipment today. The park remains open, however, with all facilities and services operating on their normal schedule until further notice.

Big Cypress NP - The park has not activated its hurricane team yet. They are preparing to deal with heavy rains with tropical storm force winds and accordingly battening down areas that are vulnerable to wind and rain. A regular work day is planned for today, but the park may close on Friday.

Biscayne NP - The park, including the Dante Fascell Visitors Center, picnic areas and the park's concessioner, is closed today and will remain closed until it is safe to reopen. Employees will likely be released by noon today.

[Bonnie Foist, LES, Everglades; Kevin Walsh, FMO, Big Cypress; Gary Bremen, Park Ranger, Biscayne]

Blue Ridge Parkway

Update on Ranger Brian Stackowicz

Ranger Brian Stackowicz continues to do well and is in the process of being moved to a facility near his home for a period of convalescing prior to starting a rehab program. He will not begin this program until his pelvis can support his weight, but will be working with his arm and other recovery issues. The long term outlook remains very good, with return to full duty the goal. Brian is a long way from that and is aware of what is in front of him and has the commitment to that goal. He has heard from many people from across the Service and extends his thanks and appreciation to everyone who's been in touch. Brian's next stop on his road to recovery: The Brian Center for Health and Rehabilitation, 218 Laurel Creek Court, Spruce Pine, NC 28777. [John Garrison, Chief Ranger]

Zion NP

Rescue of Boy Scout from The Narrows

On the evening of Friday, August 19th, Zion dispatch received a report that a 15-year-old Boy Scout was suffering from hypothermia in the Narrows. Through-hiking the Narrows involves 16 miles of river walking in the Virgin River in the bottom of a narrow slot canyon. The Boy Scout was reported to be with two physicians/leaders who believed that the he was unable to complete the hike. The report indicated that the boy was two hours hiking time from the trailhead at the end of the route. A medic and a raft carryout team headed into the Narrows after dark. The leaders were not visible from the primary route through the Narrows, so the carryout team did not locate the boy until 2 a.m. Rangers spent the night with the boy, then floated him to the trailhead by raft the following day. He was found to be suffering from rhabdomyalysis, a rare muscular disorder which can be exercise induced. (Ray O'Neil, IC)

Zion NP

Rescue of Injured Canyoneer

On August 20th, following the rescue of a Boy Scout from the Narrows of the Virgin River, the park received word of a climbing accident requiring a rescue operation. A 32-year-old canyoneer was down-climbing a short drop in Englestead Canyon when a 100-pound rock peeled off and landed on his sandal-clad foot. The canyoneer suffered a mostly amputated big toe along with several foot fractures. The experienced members of his group completed the route and reported the injury to Zion dispatch, leaving three inexperienced and unprepared canyoneers with the victim. The Englestead Canyon route begins in Kane County, outside Zion National Park, and is completed within the park boundary. The route involves about 10 rappels, including a 300-foot rappel to enter the canyon. The park consulted with the Kane County Sheriff's Office and agreed to conduct the rescue. The victim was found a quarter-mile outside the park during a recon flight. Rescuers were flown to the rim of the canyon and park medic Kevin Killian was lowered 600 feet to his location. Killian and the patient were raised to the rim during the night. The rim of the canyon was ledgy and choked with oak brush, so a short haul was completed with the Grand Canyon short haul team on the morning of August 21st. The patient was delivered to a hospital in late morning. Two rangers assisted the three unprepared canyoneers through the remainder of the canyon. (Ray O'Neil, IC)

FIRE MANAGEMENT

NIFC remains at PL 3. Initial attack was light on Wednesday. There are 207 crews committed nationally.

Individual fire entries for today for the National Park Service can be obtained at HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/fire/news" http://www.nps.gov/fire/news . The full NIFC Incident Management Situation Report for today can be obtained at HYPERLINK "http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf" http://www.nifc.gov/news/sitreprt.pdf.

OPERATIONAL NOTES

Nothing today.

PARKS AND PEOPLE

Lake Mead NRA

Passing of Helen Lang

Long-time park volunteer, Helen Lang, 79, died of natural causes on August 9th. Helen and her husband of nearly 61 years, J.R. Lang, both volunteered for more than 18 years at the Katherine Landing area of Lake Mohave. The Langs did a variety of much-needed jobs for the park. or 16 years, the Langs were campground hosts. Helen Lang kept detailed campground records and corresponded with volunteers and campers through the off-season. She kept them up to date with the daily happenings at Katherine Landing. Helen also assisted with filing and managing ranger case file paperwork. For many years, she worked the ranger station front desk, assisting visitors and training all new volunteers who worked in the visitor center area. Ranger Jan Kirwan offers this remembrance: “Most of all, Helen was the ‘Mom' of Katherine Landing, making sure birthdays were celebrated, special days remembered, and that meals were fixed and delivered. She also made sure the single/widowed volunteers on VIP lane were taken care of and taken in as part of the family. We will all very much miss Helen, her smiles, and her jokes.” Superintendent Bill Dickinson said this: “We all have appreciated the hard work and companionship of the Langs. We are saddened by Helen's passing and our thoughts and prayers are with J.R., the rest of their immediate family, and her adopted family at Katherine. The National Park Service was blessed to have the Langs with us for such a long time and it will be hard to ever fill their shoes.” [Roxanne Dey]

JOBS

Nothing today.

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Prepared by Visitor and Resource Protection, WASO, with the cooperation and support of Delaware Water Gap NRA.

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