NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
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INCIDENTS
Gateway NRA
One Killed, Others Injured In Lightning Strike On Beach
A 38-year-old man who was walking on an unguarded beach in the park's Sandy Hook Unit with his brother and two cousins during a severe thunderstorm on Sunday afternoon was struck by lightning and killed. The unit's guarded beaches were in the process of being evacuated at the time. The victim's brother said that he saw the lightning and that he found his brother on the ground when he looked back. There appeared to be an entry wound on the the man's left hip and an exit wound in his left carotid (neck) area with major trauma. The man's cousins were both admitted to the hospital for cardiac monitoring and CAT scans, but without specific complaints. Subsequent to the incident, ten other visitors stepped forward, complaining of ringing in the ears and headaches related to the strike. The investigation is on-going. According to news reports, the line of severe, fast-moving storms that crossed the region produced as many as 32,000 lightning strikes in New Jersey alone. There were numerous other lightning injuries from these storms throughout the area, including five soccer players on Long Island and a lifeguard and beach-goer in Cape May, New Jersey. [Pete Tortorell, Law Enforcement Specialist]
Rocky Mountain NP
Life Saved Through Prompt EMS Response
On Thursday, July 24th, a 42-year-old man from Berthoud, Colorado, was backpacking with a dozen young people and a second group leader when he suffered a heart attack while en route to their backcountry group campsite. The incident occurred on the Chapin Creek trail about a mile-and-a-half from the trailhead at an elevation of 10,500 feet. The other group leader hiked out to the trailhead, drove to the Alpine Visitor Center, and reported the incident. He said that his partner had a history of heart disease and was displaying symptoms consistent with a heart attack. Two ranger-medics hiked from the trailhead to the man's location, and a medevac helicopter was launched from Summit County within 20 minutes of receiving the park's request for assistance, arriving on scene with the rangers within five minutes. The victim was stabilized and airlifted to the Medical Center of the Rockies. [Kyle Patterson, PAO]
Blue Ridge Parkway
Motorcycle Operator Killed In Head-on Collision
Kathryn Brett and Miranda Cook responded to a report of a motorcycle-pickup truck head-on collision in the Peaks of Otter area on the morning of July 19th. Upon arrival, they found that the operator of the motorcycle, a 51-year-old Arizona man, had succumbed to injuries sustained in the collision. The two occupants of the pickup were treated for minor injuries at the scene. Big Island Fire and Rescue handled on scene EMS operations and assisted with traffic control and a Virginia State Police trooper assisted with the accident investigation. The investigation revealed that the motorcyclist was travelling northbound when he crossed the center line and collided with the southbound truck. Initial findings from the Bedford County medical examiner indicate that he suffered massive chest trauma in the collision. [Kurt Speers, Ridge District Ranger]
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:
Office of Public Affairs - Podcasts are increasingly becoming an important media for providing visitors with information about parks. This article includes links to many of them from across the System.
Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services - The Department of Justice is accepting nominations for the Medal of Valor, the highest national award for valor by a public safety officer, through the end of the month.
Midwest Regional Office - Gary Candelaria, associate regional director for cultural resources in Midwest Region, has announced his retirement after 35 years of government service, effective July 31st.
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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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