NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Thursday, April 16, 2009
INCIDENTS
St. Croix NSR
Missing Kayaker's Body Found After Extended Search
Around mid-morning on April 8th, the Washburn County Sheriff's Department learned that R.D., a 45-year-old local resident and experienced kayaker, was missing on the Namekagon River within the park. According to his girlfriend, he'd been left at the Stinnett Landing and put in there. An intensive, three-day search was begun by the park and county sheriff under a unified command. Extensive hasty searches were conducted on the river and at downstream landings by canoe, vehicle and a Life Link helicopter. No sign of either R.D. or his kayak was found. Aircraft, grid searchers, divers and K-9 teams were used over the next two days in areas deemed to be the likeliest places to find R.D., but also proved fruitless. Investigators, however, determined that his kayak had been found during the afternoon of April 8th in a deep pool near Stinnett Landing by a local resident, who admitted to taking the kayak and hiding it in his garage. Criminal charges are pending against him. Divers then recovered R.D.'s body in 18 feet of water near the spot where his kayak had been found. The NPS operation was led by district ranger Chuck Carlson and conducted with assistance from all park divisions. The search involved units from Wisconsin DNR, the Washburn County Sheriff's Department, Sawyer County Search and Rescue, the Canine Emergency Response Team (CERT), Sawyer County Dive Team, and numerous individual volunteers. [Bob Whaley, Chief of Visitor and Resource Protection]
Denali NP&P
Drunk Driver Arrested For Child Endangerment
On the afternoon of March 25th, ranger Michael O'Connor stopped a vehicle for speeding on the George Parks Highway within Denali National Park and Preserve. O'Connor developed probable cause to believe that the driver, R.W.J. of Fairbanks, was operating the vehicle under the influence of alcohol. His wife and one-year-old child were in the vehicle at the time of the stop. R.W.J. was arrested for DUI. Subsequent investigation revealed that R.W.J. had an open 40 ounce bottle of beer in the vehicle, that his license had been revoked due to a prior DUI conviction, and that an active warrant had been issued for his arrest. In 2006, R.W.J. had been convicted in state court for DUI and child endangerment, but had failed to surrender to serve the jail time imposed in his sentence. Before being taken to jail in Fairbanks, R.W.J. was transported to park HQ, where his blood alcohol level was determined to be .15%, well in excess of the legal limit. Under Alaska law, driving under the influence of alcohol with a minor in the vehicle constitutes endangering a child in the first degree, a Class A misdemeanor. An information charging R.W.J. under the Assimilative Crimes Act with this violation, as well as multiple federal traffic violations, has been filed by the US Attorney's Office in Fairbanks. R.W.J.'s 2006 conviction in state court involved similar circumstances. [Peter Armington, Chief Ranger]
OTHER NEWS
The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS:
President's Park (White House) - The Service played a vital role in supporting the 2009 White House Easter Egg Roll held last Sunday. The event, the first Easter Egg Roll of the Obama Administration, continued a 131-year tradition dating back to President Rutherford B. Hayes' presidency and was enjoyed by a record crowd.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7569" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7569
NPS/LETC - Police Week 2009 will be held from May 10th through May 16th this year. Events which will have NPS participation are listed, and links are provided for a complete listing of events.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7571" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7571
Midwest Region - James R. Hill III, currently Midwest Region's coordinator for the national Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program, has been selected as superintendent for Agate Fossil Beds National Monument.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2301" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2301
Glen Canyon NRA - Brian Sweatland has been named the park's chief of planning, compliance and external affairs. He assumed his new duties on April 12th.
HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2302" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2302
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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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