NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
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INCIDENTS
United States Park Police
NY Marine Unit Officers Respond To Airliner Crash In Hudson River
On the afternoon of January 15th, the Park Police dispatch center for the New York Field Office received notification that there was an airplane in the water in the Hudson River. Marine Patrol Unit officers Laura Teeple and John Pommerehn immediately responded from Ellis Island to the area in Marine 7, a 44-foot Sea Ark police vessel, and headed towards the area of the reported crash - the Hudson River west of 49th Street. The weather conditions were extreme, with very cold air and water temperatures and an extremely swift current. Upon arriving on scene, the officers found a U.S. Airways commercial airliner in the water surrounded by passenger ferries recovering the airline passengers from the downed aircraft. There were also numerous law enforcement vessels in the area, including the New York City Police Department with a cadre of divers and the U.S. Coast Guard. A scan of the area by Teeple and Pommerehn revealed no apparent bodies in the water, but there was a large amount of small and large plane debris as well as passenger property floating in the river. The officers were able to retrieve potential evidence from the water, including mechanical and structural components of the plane. Amongst the property recovered was a hydraulic mechanism from the plane as well as parts of the plane's door and miscellaneous fragments of the plane's body. The officers also recovered several pieces of the passengers' property. The officers remained at the scene and assisted in maintaining a secure perimeter around the crash site. [Captain Marty Zweig, New York Field Office]
Rocky Mountain NP
Park Staff Rescue Teenager Stuck On Climbing Route
Park dispatch received a call reporting a stranded climber in the Lumpy Ridge area of the park around 5:30 p.m. on January 16th. A 17-year-old girl from Estes Park was climbing with friends when she got stuck about 200 feet above the ground, unable to climb either up or down. She had no climbing equipment and was wearing a t-shirt and leggings. The caller was unable to specify her exact location. Park staff asked the Estes Park Volunteer Fire Department to use spotlights to illuminate the Twin Owls area of Lumpy Ridge in an effort to locate the climber. She was found on lower Twin Owls, 200 feet up on the route known as Organ Pipes. Park staff arrived above her at 7:10 p.m. They lowered a park rescue person to her location, who reached her at 7:25 p.m.. He secured her with climbing equipment and gave her warmer clothing. Park staff lowered them both to the ground. The girl was able to walk out with park staff and they reached the Lumpy Ridge Trailhead at 9:30 p.m. She was taken by ambulance to Estes Park Medical Center for further evaluation. Approximately 15 park staff were involved in addition to personnel from other agencies, including Estes Park Volunteer Fire Department, Estes Park Police Department and Estes Park Medical Center. Park staff feel this was truly a life saving rescue. [Kyle Patterson, Public Affairs Officer]
Hawaii Volcano NP
Rangers Locate Body Near Glider Wreckage On Mauna Loa
Park rangers received word from Hawai‘i Fire Department officials late on Saturday that wreckage of a glider missing since Friday had likely been spotted at the 9,800 foot elevation on Mauna Loa, about three miles south of Red Hill Cabin. At first light the next morning, rangers flew to the site in a contract helicopter and confirmed the wreckage was that of the missing glider. They also found a body nearby. Located in park wilderness, the wreckage was strewn over a barren ‘a‘a lava flow. The victim's remains were taken to Hilo Medical Center. Positive identification has not yet been made; an autopsy is pending. [Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Officer]
OTHER NEWS
The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS:
National Capital Region - Inauguration Day has arrived and National Park Service operations and activities in support of the event are in full swing, involving hundreds of NPS personnel from National Capital Region, the U.S. Park Police and the Central Incident Management Team. Links are provided to the NPS inaugural web page.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7284" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7284
Legislative and Congressional Affairs - This week's update on hearings and on the status of legislation pertinent to the National Park Service. On January 15th, the Senate passed a bill with numerous provisions pertaining to the NPS, including wilderness designations, trail system amendments, program authorizations, and new area authorizations. Another 19 NPS-related bills were introduced in the House and Senate last week.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7285" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7285
Juan Bautista de Anza NHT - Naomi L. Torres is the newly-appointed superintendent of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historical Trail in Arizona and California. She replaces Stanley Bond, who has transferred to the NPS superintendency at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park in Georgia.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2221" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2221
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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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