NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
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INCIDENTS
Yosemite NP
Searchers Find Three Missing Snowboarders
The park began a search for three missing snowboarders on Monday afternoon after they failed to meet their ride near the community of Yosemite West, close to the park's western boundary. Their planned route was reportedly from a point just south of the Yosemite West junction on the Wawona Road to that community. A search was begun and continued until midnight, then resumed on the following morning. More than 65 SAR personnel from the park and Mariposa County were committed to the operation, which was also supported by aircraft. They were spotted from a helicopter early yesterday afternoon near the South Fork of the Merced River. All three were able to walk to the helicopter on their own. Medical assessments had yet to be conducted at the time of the report. [Adrienne Freeman, Park Ranger]
Gila Cliff Dwellings NM
Update On Flood Recovery
Rain that fell on January 27th, combined with snowmelt from the Mogollon Mountains, caused impressive flooding along the Gila River's West and Middle Forks. Peak water levels on January 28th were the highest they have been in at least 25 years. While the flooding has now subsided, sections of Highway 15, including the approaches to the West Fork bridge that leads to the cliff dwellings, suffered extensive damage. The road near Little Creek, just above the community of Gila Hotsprings, reopened on Friday, February 1st. While the road is open to the Gila Visitor Center, the cliff dwellings, Upper and Lower Scorpion campgrounds, TJ and Woody's corrals will be closed until repairs are completed to the West Fork bridge, estimated to take at least one more month. During the road closure, visitors to the park will be offered a unique chance to explore an archeological site - an unexcavated surface pueblo referred to as the TJ Ruin - that is usually closed to the public. Tours of the TJ site will be offered four times each day, starting on Saturday, February 2nd, and will only be available with a National Park Service guide. Daily guided tours meet at the Gila Visitor Center at 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Tours last approximately one and a half hours. Although there is no trail through the TJ site, the walk is considered easy. Visitors are encouraged to dress for the weather as the TJ site is located on an open mesa top. For more information call the Gila Visitor Center, open daily from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, at 575-536-9461. [Steve Riley, Superintendent]
Biscayne NP
Fisherman Drowns After Falling Out Of Boat
On the afternoon of Saturday, January 26th, rangers received a report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission advising that they'd found an unoccupied 25-foot boat running in circles east of Elliott Key just outside the boundary of the park. Rangers joined commission officers and Coast Guard personnel in searching the area where the operator was thought to have last been and in checking the shorelines of several islands within the park. The Coast Guard flew 20 missions in the search effort, but all were unsuccessful. On Tuesday, January 29th, a boater found the body of D.S., 45, floating about three miles east of Boca Chita Key and within the park. It's still unclear exactly what happened, but indications are that D.S. fell out of the boat while trolling and was unable to get back to it. The investigation continues. [Heidi Schlichting, Park Ranger]
Mojave NP
Suicide Victim Found Off Cima Road
A park visitor found the body of a 47-year-old Las Vegas man hanging from a rope on a Joshua tree just off Cima Road on February 1st and called 911. Rangers responded along with California Highway Patrol and San Bernadino county officers. Investigation revealed that the man had driven off the road and into a wash and parked his car. He then walked straight from the car to the tree, climbed up on it, placed a rope in a notch on the tree, then placed the other end around his neck and jumped. Ground areas around the car and the man were fresh and showed no other tracks leading to the tree. The death has been ruled a suicide. No note was found. [Kirk Gebicke, Supervisory Park Ranger]
OTHER NEWS
The following stories (among others) can be read on the following sites:
InsideNPS (internal) - HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index
NPS Digest (external) - HYPERLINK "http://www.npsdigest.gov/" http://www.npsdigest.gov/
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Martin Luther King, Jr. NHS - The park commemorated the twenty-second national holiday honoring civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. with a series of events.
Washington Office - The National Park Service's Annual Report for 2007 has been posted to the web and is now available.
Intermountain Regional Office - Lorraine Mintzmyer Denning, retired regional director for Rocky Mountain and Mid-Atlantic Regions, passed away peacefully on February 4th with her husband, Jim Denning, at her side - as he was throughout her courageous battle with cancer. Photo.
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Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).
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