NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Friday, January 9, 2008

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INCIDENTS

Golden Gate NRA

Ranger Escapes Injury In Head-On Collision

Ranger Terry Swift was heading southbound in his patrol vehicle on Highway 1 between Stinson Beach and the Muir Beach overlook on the afternoon of January 3rd when he was struck head-on by a 16-year-old who was headed north in a sedan at a high rate of speed. The driver, who was operating on a provisional license and had three passengers in his car, failed to negotiate a sharp curve, slamming into Swift's cruiser and causing both vehicles' airbags to deploy. Swift was able to exit his pickup and summon assistance; the four occupants of the car were also able to get out of their vehicle. Swift was taken to a medical facility in Novato for observation and later released. The driver of the car suffered a broken ankle. The size and weight of Swift's Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup, together with airbags and seatbelts, played a significant role in his escaping without injury and in preventing both cars from going over the coastal cliffs along the highway. This was the 16-year-old's second accident. The investigation was done by the California Highway Patrol. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=4342" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=4342

Blue Ridge Parkway

Missing Motorcyclist Found By Searchers

On Sunday, January 4th, rangers were advised of a motorcycle that appeared to have been pushed down the bank at Alligator Back overlook near milepost 242 on the parkway. Rangers Eddy Cartaya, Bruce Gagnon and Colin Fisher responded. An investigation was conducted that revealed that the 57-year-old man who owned the bike had last been seen leaving his residence the previous day and that he'd left a note saying that he was going to South Carolina to visit a friend. The position of the motorcycle and the items left with it led the rangers to believe that the operator might be in the woods and in need of assistance. An interagency search was accordingly begun, with rangers leading both the search and the associated investigation. On Monday, January 5th, ranger Dustin Gunderson found the missing man, who had just hiked up from one of the park's trails. He was cold, wet and dehydrated, but otherwise okay. His daughter took him to a local mental health facility, where he voluntarily admitted himself. [David Bauer, District Ranger]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS:

Yellowstone NP - USGS is reporting that the notable swarm of earthquakes that started beneath Yellowstone Lake on December 26th has stopped for now and may have ceased entirely.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7243" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7243

Natural Resource Program Center - The U.S. Air Force is publishing a semi-annual newsletter that provides useful information on recent airspace actions that may be of interest to parks with concerns about such actions or military overflights.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7248" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7248

US Park Police - On Wednesday, January 14th, a promotion ceremony will be held for Sal Lauro, recently named chief of the United States Park Police, at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2212" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2212

Denver Service Center - On Sunday, January 4th, Adrienne Anderson, a landscape architect in the Transportation Division at Denver Service Center, lost her daughter, Fee Shem, in a traffic accident.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2208" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2208

Lowell NHP - Mike Wurm, volunteer coordinator at Lowell National Historical Park, has retired from government service after 40 years.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2210" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2210

Servicewide Training Calendar - Added today are the following - monthly hour-long concessions chats for January, February and March, and five new NPS Fundamentals II classes at Albright.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Conferences&id=775" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Conferences&id=775

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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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