NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Monday, June 15, 2009

INCIDENTS

Denali NP&P

Two Experienced Climbers Killed In Fall On McKinley

Two men died of traumatic injuries sustained in a fall of several thousand feet on Mt. McKinley on Thursday, June 11th. Dr. J.M., 39, of Newton, Massachusetts, and Dr. A.S., 36, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, were roped together at the time of the fall. Many factors remain unknown about the accident, such as the location where the initial fall occurred and whether the team was ascending or descending at the time. Although the onset of the fall was not witnessed, a team did observe them falling between the 16,500-foot elevation on the Messner Couloir and its base at 14,500 feet. Rangers at the 14,200-foot camp were notified via FRS radio within minutes of the event, which occurred shortly before 2 p.m. on Thursday. Three skiers in the vicinity were first to respond to the climbers who were located approximately 30 minutes away from the 14,200-foot camp. A team of four volunteer NPS rangers, including an emergency room nurse and two medics, followed close behind and confirmed that the two men had died in the fall. The bodies were recovered by the park's A-Star B3 helicopter that same evening and flown to Talkeetna. The two men began an ascent of the West Rib route on May 30th, but their climbing registration forms did not specify a particular descent route. Situated in between the West Rib and the West Buttress routes, the Messner Couloir is a steep, hourglass-shaped snow gully that drops from near Archdeacon's Tower at 19,000 feet down to the 14,200-foot basin. With a 40 to 50 degree snow and ice slope, the Messner Couloir is an occasional advanced ski descent route, but is rarely descended on foot or ascended. J.M. and A.S. were both experienced mountaineers. In 2000, Denali National Park and Preserve presented the two men with the Denali Pro Award, an honor recognizing the highest standards in the sport for safety, self-sufficiency, and assisting fellow mountaineers. During their 2000 attempt of the West Rib route, they aided several different teams in distress; assisted a National Park Service patrol with multiple visitor protection projects; and demonstrated sound risk assessment in their climbing objectives. [Maureen McLaughlin, Public Information Officer]

Big Bend NP

USGS Researcher Rescued After Being Bitten By Copperhead

The park received a satellite phone call at midnight on June 11th from rangers on a river patrol reporting that a member of their party had been bitten by a copperhead snake. The group was camped at the Asa Jones Waterworks in the Lower Canyons section of the Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River. The victim was a 35-year-old USGS research employee. A park medic and an EMT-I stabilized him and asked for a helicopter evacuation at first light. The park arranged for a Border Patrol OH6 helicopter, the only available helicopter small enough to negotiate the canyon, to fly to the campsite and transport the man back to the park. He was flown back to Big Bend NP and transferred to a medical helicopter for further transport to a hospital, where he is expected to fully recover. Floating the Lower Canyons is generally a five- to six-day wilderness experience with little or no access to the river due to the extensive shear canyons, many over 1,000 feet deep. Communication with the outside world is limited to very spotty satellite telephone signals. At least four phone calls were attempted before the message was transmitted and the rescue coordinated. [Mark Spier, Chief Ranger]

Yosemite NP

Visitor Falls To Death From Half Dome Cables

Park dispatch received several 911 calls this past Saturday afternoon reporting that a man had fallen from the cables on Half Dome. M.K., 40, of San Ramon, California, had gone to the top of Half Dome and was descending. Daytime weather conditions mirrored those of the last several weeks, with clouds developing at midday and afternoon showers. At the time of the 911 calls, visitors on the summit reported being caught in a hail storm and unable to descend. The park helicopter transported two rangers to the scene of the fatality, and they quickly determined that M.K. had died in the fall. A team of five rangers was flown to Half Dome to begin the evacuation of 41 visitors from the summit and cables. Many of them had been unable to descend due to the accident and/or exposure to the cold and wet elements which they had experienced for nearly two hours. The evacuation was completed by dusk on Saturday evening, but it wasn't until 2 a.m. before all visitors had returned to the trailhead. An investigation is underway. [Kari Cobb, Public Affairs Specialist]

Yosemite NP

Surprise Tour Bus Inspection Concludes With More Violations

The previously reported surprise two-day commercial tour bus inspection in the park concluded last Thursday. The operation, conducted by park staff in conjunction with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the California Highway Patrol, uncovered numerous violations. A total of 55 buses were inspected. On Wednesday, officers and rangers inspected 24 buses and cited 15 for unsafe operation. Another 31 buses were inspected on Thursday, with 14 cited for violations. Of the 55 buses, five were taken out of service for problems with emergency windows, a non-functioning lever, logbooks that had not been kept, a non-functional tire, and non-operational emergency exits. These five were from Coach America, Franciscan Lines, Incredible Adventures, Meow Group and Bangee Fleet. Only the buses and drivers were taken out of service - not the companies. [Kari Cobb, Public Affairs Specialist]

OTHER NEWS

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

NOTE: As of this hour, early on Monday, the NPS Digest website is down, so no direct links can be added to individual stories. By the time you get to this email message, though, it may be back up again. The link to NPS Digest is HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest . Those of you within the NPS can go to InsideNPS at HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index

Vanderbilt Mansion NHS - This year marks the 400th anniversary, or quadricentennial, of the explorer Henry Hudson's 1609 voyage up the river now named for him. Last week, a replica of Hudson's ship, the Half Moon, sailed past the park on its way north to Albany

Legislative and Congressional Affairs - This week's update on past and upcoming hearings and the status of legislation pertinent to the National Park Service. A highlight this week is tomorrow's Senate hearing on the proposed FY 2010 budget for the National Park Service and proposed Recovery Act expenditures.

Minute Man NHP - General David Petraeus, commander of the Army's Central Command, came to the park with his family recently to perform a commissioning ceremony for his son, a recent graduate of the MIT Reserve Officer Training (ROTC) program.

Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services - Sarah Davis-Reynolds has been selected as the chief of the Branch of Law Enforcement Operations in the Division of Law Enforcement, Security, and Emergency Services, in Washington. Photo.

Intermountain Region - Karl Cordova has been named superintendent of Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. He will assume his new post in late July. Photo.

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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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