NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
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INCIDENTS
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
Ranger Struck By Vehicle, Shoots Assailant
A uniformed park law enforcement ranger was treated and released from a St. Louis hospital last Sunday evening after being attacked by a man earlier that morning. The incident occurred at approximately 5:30 a.m. on June 29th when the ranger approached four men who were throwing barricades into the Mississippi River near First Street and Washington Avenue. One of the men attacked the ranger, who then attempted to subdue him with a taser. The ranger was able to handcuff one wrist before the man ran to his vehicle. The man, now in control of the vehicle, struck the ranger with the car and the ranger in response fired several rounds from his service weapon. The man then drove the vehicle about 10 blocks north of the park before being involved in a motor vehicle accident. When city police arrived at the accident, they found the man trapped in the car with several gunshot wounds. He was transported to the hospital, where he later died. An investigation is being conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department for the city of St. Louis, with cooperation from the National Park Service. [Frank Mares, Assistant Superintendent]
Grand Canyon NP
Firefighter Killed In Private Medical Helicopter Collision
Firefighter Michael MacDonald was tragically killed in a private medical helicopter collision while being transported from the Grand Canyon to a northern Arizona hospital for a medical condition not directly related to firefighting on Sunday, June 29th. Six people, including MacDonald, were killed in the collision of two medical helicopters near Flagstaff Medical Center. “Our condolences go out to the families and co-workers of those that were lost yesterday in this tragic incident,” stated Steve Martin, the park's superintendent. “The fire community lost a young firefighter, the Flagstaff Medical Center, Guardian Air and Classic Lifeguard lost coworkers and friends, and the Blackfeet Nation, Flagstaff and Grand Canyon communities all suffered a great loss. We offer our deepest condolences to all who lost family, friends and co-workers yesterday. On behalf of community members, co-workers, family and friends, our thanks go out to all rescue and medical personnel who responded to the incident yesterday. We appreciate their heroic efforts to save the lives of others at the risk of their own.” MacDonald, 26, was a member of the Chief Mountain Hot Shots, an elite Bureau of Indian Affairs-funded Native American firefighting crew based on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Browning, Montana. The crew was assigned to the Walla Valley Fire on the North Rim. The Chief Mountain Hot Shot crew will be released from the incident today to travel home. [Shannon Marcak, Public Affairs Specialist]
Glacier NP
Update On Search For Missing Seasonal Employee
Evidence has been found of the final resting place of a seasonal employee who disappeared on a day hike last November in the Wind River Range in Wyoming. On November 10, 2007, seasonal C.R., 46, failed to return from a day hike in those mountains. C.R. worked as a backcountry permit writer in Many Glacier from 2001 to 2006 and remained on as an intermittent employee thereafter. He was working for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and was reported missing when he failed to report for work. C.R.'s spouse, Rachel Jenkins, worked as a bear ranger in Many Glacier for 12 seasons. An extended search was conducted, but failed to find any evidence of his whereabouts. On June 8th, physical evidence was found indicating that C.R. had died in Sinks Canyon. DNA tests are being conducted to confirm this. A team of searchers discovered the evidence approximately three-quarters of a mile east of Sheep Bridge, which is on the Middle Fork trail of the Popo Agie River. Initial indications point to Clay falling about 75 feet from a cliff off of the trail. The area in which the evidence was found was part of the original search area that was drawn up last November and had been searched with both people and dog teams. The area was obscured from the air and required luck and persistence from the ground searchers. The site had attracted two different dog teams last November, but did not reveal any clues at the time. The recent search was comprised of volunteers from a number of states and agencies. The team that discovered the evidence was made up of friends from Glacier, all either retired or on leave from the park. Charlie Logan, the incident commander of this recent search, shared his appreciation of the search efforts that the Fremont County Search and Rescue team made last November. Without their thorough and well-executed search efforts, the evidence would likely not have been discovered so early in this recent search. The Fremont County Coroner's Office is handling the investigation of the site. For a copy of the original report, click on the link below. [Melissa Wilson, Public Affairs]
HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=3616" http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=3616
Zion NP
Canyoneer Rescued By Short Haul
On the afternoon of Wednesday, June 25th, M.H., 39, was attempting to complete the final rappel along the popular Subway canyoneering route in the Left Fork of North Creek - a route that involves several swims and short rappels. Instead of rappelling, though, as other members of his group had done, he chose to climb down a series of ledges, leaving him with a six- to eight-foot jump to reach the canyon floor. M.H. injured his lower right leg when he landed on the uneven creek bottom. Members of M.H.'s party hiked to the trailhead to seek assistance. Ranger Cody Cole, field training ranger Moses Rinck, and ranger Chris Scheid hiked into the canyon and met up with M.H. around dark. The rangers spent the night in the canyon with M.H., who had been attempting to hobble downstream. On the morning of June 26th, M.H. found that he was unable to bear any weight on his injured leg. A short-haul helicopter rescue was organized utilizing the Grand Canyon's short-haul team. The operation was complete by early afternoon. This was the third short-haul rescue of an injured hiker out of the Left Fork canyon in the past two months. Jumping, as opposed to using a rope to rappel, is one of the most common causes of preventable injuries in Zion's backcountry. Plateau district ranger Ray O'Neil was the IC. [Bonnie Schwartz, Chief Ranger]
Cape Hatteras NS
Update On “Operation Consent Decree”
A new act of vandalism and trespass to posted shorebird protection areas occurred on Bodie Island Spit just north of Oregon Inlet on Sunday, June 22nd. Park staff discovered damaged fencing and off-road vehicle tire tracks within three resource protection areas south of Ramp 4 towards the inlet. The ranger who investigated the violation found one sign destroyed and numerous tire spin-out tracks in the sand, including zigzagging across the beach, “doughnut” tire marks, and evidence of sand thrown considerable distances from the tire tracks, which suggested that the vehicle was traveling at excessive speed. In accord with the court-ordered consent decree, the park automatically expanded the closure area by 50 meters. Should there be a subsequent violation, the buffer zone will be expanded by 100 meters; a third would cause it to be expanded by 500 meters. [Cyndy Holda]
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/
Please note that both publications carry a combined NIFC/NPS fire report. That is generally posted around 8 a.m. Eastern.
Among the stories in today's edition are the following:
National Interagency Fire Center - Although the story will not be posted until 0730 EDT this morning, the fire center is going to Preparedness Level 5 today - it's highest level.
Wright Brothers - On June 25th, the park celebrated a major restoration of the Wright Brothers memorial and its reopening to the public.
Learning and Development Division - The Capital Training Center is recruiting interested employees to serve as 2009 Albright-Wirth Grant panel peer and management evaluators.
National Mall and Memorial Parks - Lance Hatten has been selected as the new chief of visitor services for the National Mall and Memorial Parks.
Denver Service Center - Rob Ryan, project specialist and landscape architect in Design and Construction Division, will retire on July 3rd.
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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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