NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

INCIDENTS

Denali NP&P

Search Continues For Missing Climber

The search continues for Dr. G.M., a climber who has not been seen or heard from since his solo summit bid on Mt. McKinley early last week. Favorable flying conditions in the Alaska Range on Saturday permitted more extensive aerial searching and photo documentation of zones previously obscured by clouds. Three aircraft with spotting crews - the park's A-Star B3 helicopter, a Cessna Conquest twin-engine airplane, and a Cessna 206 - together flew over ten hours. Search zones included the upper mountain, elevations between 14,200 and 17,200 feet, and potential north side descent routes. A ground team climbed to Denali Pass on Saturday, but was turned around by high winds. On Sunday, aerial spotters on board two U.S. Army Chinook helicopters attempted to check elevations above 17,000 feet, but strong winds and intermittent clouds during the morning and early afternoon precluded safe searches of the more probable zones high on Mt. McKinley. The park's A-Star B3 was similarly unable to fly the zones safely on Sunday. The U.S. Army Chinook crews remained overnight in Talkeetna and were to resume the aerial search early yesterday morning. Dr. G.M. began his summit bid from the 14,200-foot camp on the morning of Tuesday, May 19th, and is believed to have travelled light with minimal survival gear. He was sighted above Denali Pass (18,200 feet) later that afternoon. An individual climber was observed on the summit ridge the afternoon of Wednesday, May 20th, although it cannot be confirmed that it was Dr. G.M. [Maureen McLaughlin, PIO]

Hot Springs NP

Robbery Investigation Leads To Arrest Of Five Men

On the evening of February 6th, ranger James Latendresse received a report of an assault involving five young men who'd beaten and robbed a visitor who was walking on the park's Grand Promenade. Latendresse's prompt investigation led to the discovery that Hot Springs PD detectives were working on a similar robbery in the city, with suspects who matched those involved in the park incident. Latendresse and NPS special agent Robert Still found and interviewed all five men, some of them housed at the Arkansas Rehabilitation Center located immediately adjacent to the park. During interviews, all five admitted their involvement in the robbery, which they had planned ahead of time. Warrants were authorized by the local U.S. magistrate. On April 13th, Still coordinated three separate warrant pickup teams, one each for the Arkansas towns of Pine Bluff, Strong and Hot Springs. The teams arrested all five men and took them to federal magistrate's court for their initial appearances. Still, Latendresse, Buffalo NR LES Jeff West and Hot Springs rangers Amanda DeFriese and Jason Flood served on the warrant teams. [Dennis Stock, Chief Ranger]

Natchez Trace Parkway

Rangers Respond To Suicide Report

Dispatch received a 911 call reporting a possible suicide on the Highway 96 Bridge just before 11 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20th. Rangers found that L.V., 34, of Nashville had evidently jumped to his death from the 155-foot-high bridge. His body was found on the road shoulder below. [Allen Etheridge, Chief Ranger]

OTHER NEWS

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

Office of Public Affairs - Peter Armington, chief ranger at Denali, is this year's recipient of the Harry Yount National Park Ranger Award for excellence in “rangering.”

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7721" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7721

Director's Office - Acting Director Wenk has issued a statement to the field concerning the firearms legislation passed by Congress.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7731" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7731

Legislative and Congressional Affairs - This week's update on past and upcoming hearings and the status of legislation pertinent to the National Park Service.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7732" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7732

Golden Gate NRA - The family of Brian O'Neill, the National Park Service, and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy are inviting Brian's friends and colleagues to a celebration of his life this coming Friday.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2357" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2357

Mesa Verde NP - Kirby Weaver is retiring on May 31st after 27 years with the National Park Service, all of it at Mesa Verde National Park.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2358" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2358

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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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