NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

INCIDENTS

Glacier Bay NP&P

Park Staff Join In Major SAR For Missing Local Resident

On May 3rd, park personnel were asked to assist the Gustavus Fire Department in responding to a vehicle submerged in the water adjacent to the local municipal pier. Divers found no one in the vehicle, but information obtained from the community revealed that a local minor associated with the car was missing. Park staff were asked to manage the emergency response, which included a large number of community volunteers who aided the search via vessels and aircraft. State troopers later arrived and assumed responsibility for managing the incident, which was supported by the Coast Guard, the Civil Air Patrol, Gustavus FD and the NPS. The incident evolved into a large land- and water-based search that covered more than 14 miles of coastline and a large area of ocean known as Icy Straight. More than 70 local volunteers joined park personnel in the search. The body of the missing minor was recovered by divers on the afternoon of May 4th. The tragedy is being felt throughout the small, tight-knit community and the park, where the victim had recently begun service as a volunteer. [Randy Larson, Chief Ranger]

Yosemite NP

Man Sentenced For Abusive Sexual Contact With Child

In May 2007, Yosemite rangers received a report of past acts of sexual abuse against a child committed by N.C., then 76. N.C. had been a maintenance worker at Camp Wawona, a Seventh Day Adventist church camp that is on private property within the park, when the alleged abuse occurred. Special agent Daniel Horner was assigned as case agent. His investigation revealed that the sexual abuse of this particular victim began in 1995, when the victim was four years old, and continued for four years. Horner's investigation further revealed other alleged incidents of sexual contact with different children. After a three-month-long investigation, Horner filed a criminal complaint charging N.C. with 15 counts of abusive sexual conduct (18 USC 2244(a)(5)). N.C. was arrested and indicted by a federal grand jury in Fresno on 18 counts of abusive sexual contact and ordered detained under supervised house arrest with electronic monitoring. Last December, N.C. pled guilty to one count of abusive sexual contact with a minor under age 12. He was remanded to custody pending sentencing. On April 17th, he was sentenced to three years of incarceration, followed by five years of supervised release. [April Lee, Special Agent]

OTHER NEWS

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

Natchez Trace Parkway - Natchez Trace Parkway celebrated National Park Week and Junior Ranger Day by hosting the park's first ever “Wildlife Weekend.” Almost a thousand visitors took part in the event over a three-day period.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7638" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7638

Office of Public Affairs - On April 30th, the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation recognized exceptional volunteers in five categories with the 2008 George B. Hartzog, Jr. Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2334" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2334

Cumberland Island NS - Fred Boyles has been appointed superintendent of Cumberland Island National Seashore, effective June 7th.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2333" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2333

* * * * *

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).

--- ### ---