NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Thursday, August 28, 2008
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INCIDENTS
Southern Utah Group
Major Motorcycle Gang Rally Held In Region
Between August 21st and August 24th, law enforcement staff from Canyonlands and Arches, assisted by personnel from Glen Canyon, Black Canyon, Hovenweep, Natural Bridges and Glen Canyon, joined other regional law enforcement officers - a total of 200 - in working a large motorcycle rally in Grand County and the city of Moab, Utah. During that period, the Banditos motorcycle club held its annual meeting in Grand County. About 700 members attended. An interagency incident command team was formed and spent several months preparing for the event. Park law enforcement staff assisted in the planning efforts. Under agreements with local sheriffs' departments, rangers participated in activities outside of the parks but were in return supported by the other officers. The high-profile enforcement strategy employed proved successful, as incidents and arrests were over minor infractions and infrequent. Both Canyonlands and Arches were visited by club members, but with no impact to the two parks. [Denny Ziemann, Chief Ranger, Canyonlands/Arches]
Great Smoky Mountains NP
Search For Missing Kayaker Culminates With Discovery Of Body
The body of a missing kayaker was found yesterday morning in a section of the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River. The victim, I.L., 27, of Hartford, Tennessee, was discovered by two kayakers who were not part of the search team that was looking for him, but were running the river on their own. I.L. was reported missing on Tuesday evening by his two companions. They'd entered the water near the Chimney Tops trailhead with the intention of running rapids on the lower section of Road Prong, a tributary to the West Prong. The plan was to takeout before they reached the West Prong. I.L.'s companions returned to shore shortly after they entered the river when they realized how swift the current was moving, but I.L. continued on. His body was found about a thousand feet downstream from the confluence of Road Prong and West Prong. The stream level dropped about two feet yesterday, and his body was found above the water, entangled in vegetation. The area where the body was found is extremely rugged and heavily vegetated and not near a trail. At the time of the report, park personnel were still trying to reach the location. [Nancy Gray, PAO]
Lassen Volcanic NP
Driver Killed In Rollover Accident
Just before 9 a.m. on Sunday, August 24th, a van operated by a 62-year-old visitor left the park road after failing to negotiate a curve at Windy Point. The van went about 100 feet down an embankment, rolled numerous times, and ejected the driver. Rangers performed CPR for about 15 minutes until the driver was confirmed dead by a paramedic from the Chester Fire Department. There were no other occupants in the vehicle. Witnesses told the investigating ranger that they'd seen the van heading northbound on the main park road at a high rate of speed prior to the accident. They also reported that the van swerved onto both shoulders of the road several times prior to leaving the pavement. Alcohol may have been a factor. Rangers, assisted by the park's fire fuels crew and an interagency fire engine crew, conducted a low-angle scree evacuation to recover the body. [Tim Havens, Park 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:
Washington Office - The National Park Service celebrated its 92nd birthday on Monday with the help of some four-legged friends. Pixie and Sorrel, retired Alaskan husky sled dogs from Denali National Park, visited Washington D.C. on Founders Day with their owners.
Pinnacles NM - Lisa Lee Smith, trails supervisor for Pinnacles National Monument, will be retiring on August 30th after over 30 years with the National Park Service.
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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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