NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Friday, June 20, 2008
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INCIDENTS
C&O Canal NHP
Attempted Assault On Seasonal Employee
On Friday, June 13th, seasonal rangers Dan Kirkwood and Naomi Munk were leading the mules that pull the canal boat Georgetown on the C&O Canal towpath upstream of the 31st Street Bridge in the Georgetown area of Washington, D.C. They were about to hook the boat to the mules when they noticed a woman and man sitting on the ledge next to the towpath. Kirkwood stopped the mules just past the couple. The woman stood up and said that she was sick, that she did not have her medication, and that she was having a seizure. When Kirkwood attempted to help her, the woman lunged first at him, then at the mules, all the while yelling about cruelty to the mules and animal welfare. Kirkwood tried to hold her off, but the woman was able to grab the chain that runs from the back mule to the singletree and pull herself almost under the back mule. Kirkwood managed to wrestle her off, but she tried to bite him, so he released her. The woman then lunged another time. Kirkwood held her off and Munk moved the mules up the towpath away from the woman. The man who had been sitting with the woman helped restrain her. She continued to yell about animal cruelty. Kirkwood then hooked the boat up to the mules and continued the trip up the towpath. He was not injured in the altercation. The incident is under investigation by C&O Canal rangers and DC police. [Brad Clawson, Chief Ranger]
Canyonlands NP
Visitor Falls To Death From Park Overlook
On the morning of June 17th, ranger Brian Hays checked out a vehicle near the Orange Cliffs overlook that had been parked there and left unattended for an extended period of time. He investigated and found the owner of the vehicle - Z.P., 73, of Bristow, Virginia - dead at the bottom of a 70- to 80-foot cliff below the overlook. Rangers from the Island in the Sky District employed a technical litter raising system to recover the body. Initial investigation indicates that he died through an accidental fall, probably several days previously. [Denny Ziemann, Chief Ranger]
Canyonlands NP
Solo River Rafter Dies In Fall Near His Campsite
A park concessioner notified staff in the River District on Monday, June 16th, that a man had failed to appear for his scheduled pickup from a nine-day river trip. A check of river permits confirmed that he was overdue. An air and water search was conducted along a 100-mile-long stretch of the Green River that day in an effort to find him, but without success. On Tuesday, the search operation included searchers checking roads adjacent to the river, flying over the area via helicopter, and checking the river from four boats - two NPS, one Utah state park, and one Emery County. Late that afternoon, they found the body of 62-year-old D.F. of Brookline, Massachusetts. It appears that D.F. was camped along the river and that he fell about 40 feet to his death from a spot near his campsite on or about June 8th. The site of the accident was outside the park on a stretch of the river known as Bull Hollow. River rangers assisted staff from the Emery County Sheriff's Department with the body recovery. [Denny Ziemann, Chief Ranger]
Pipestone NM
Fuel Spill In Pipestone Creek
A tanker fuel truck was parked in the driveway of the local Shell gas station on June 16th, filling the station's tanks, when a pickup truck drove over the large-diameter fuel line leading from the truck to the tank port, causing the hose connections to separate. About 262 gallons of diesel fuel spilled onto the station driveway before the driver could shut off the tanker's pump. Almost all of the fuel flowed into a nearby storm water drain before firefighters could get to the scene. Firefighters flushed the drain and pipe, causing a stream of water and diesel fuel to flow into Pipestone Creek. Firefighters also placed absorbent booms into the creek, but evidently did so after most of the fuel had already entered the creek's channel. Upon arrival on scene, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and its contractor, West Central Environmental Consultants (WCEC), put additional control measures into place. The park was notified at approximately 10:30 a.m., at which time staff began coordinating and assisting MPCA and WCEC by directing them to creek access points in the park and monitoring the migration of the fuel sheen downstream to the park. Law enforcement and natural resource staff photographed and monitored the flow, then reported observations to them. They also assisted them in placing absorbent booms at locations within the park. Numerous observations of Pipestone Creek were made over the course of the afternoon and evening, but no fish kills or other wildlife impacts were seen. MPCA contacted EPA and the US Fish and Wildlife Service very early in the incident. Present in Pipestone Creek is the Topeka shiner, a federally listed endangered species. [Glen Livermont, Superintendent]
OTHER NEWS
Other stories can be read on InsideNPS at one or the other of these two sites:
NPS readers - HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index
Non-NPS readers - HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/
Among the stories in today's edition are the following:
Great Smoky Mountains NP/Blue Ridge Parkway - Tomorrow marks the tenth anniversary of the murder of ranger Joe Kolodski, who was shot and killed in an ambush while investigating a report of a man with a rifle threatening visitors. The two parks offer a remembrance of him and his family.
Independence NHP - On June 3rd, a rollout event was held at the park in which the “Picturing America” exhibit was introduced to 200 Philadelphia students and others. The exhibit, which will appear in several national parks, teaches American history through famous works of art.
Andersonville NHS - National Park Service retiree John H. Flister died on June 1st in Florida at the age of 90.
North Cascades NP - Steve James, North Cascades National Park Service Complex's construction representative and safety and hazmat programs manager, will retire on July 3rd with 23 years of federal service.
Training Calendar - A listing of upcoming training courses offered by both the National Park Service and its partners across the nation. Today's additions include a concessions call-in workshop on backcountry operations, an LE fitness coordinator training course at FLETC, interagency regional stewardship training in New Hampshire, and an ICS command and general staff course in Arizona.
Events Calendar - Today's listing of upcoming NPS and NPS-related events across the nation. Added today is the annual rail camp at Steamtown NHS and an update on the upcoming alumni reunion at Great Smokies.
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Submission standards for the Morning Report can be found at the following web site:
HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=3363
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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