NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Monday, June 22, 2009

INCIDENTS

North Cascades NP

Missing Hiker Found After Weekend Search

A missing hiker was found on Sunday afternoon when he walked out of the backcountry under his own power after six nights in the Cascade Pass area of the park. M.A., a 22-year old resident of Everett, Washington, was reported missing on Thursday, June 18th, when he did not return to work or check in with family after going hiking. The park was notified late Friday that M.A. had planned to hike somewhere in the North Cascades range. A search was begun, and it was determined that he'd obtained a backcountry camping permit for the Cascade Pass area for the nights of June 15th and 16th. His car was also found at the corresponding trailhead. M.A. said that he became disoriented in the thick and low fog cover on Wednesday morning as he descended from Sahale Glacier camp, where he had a permit to camp. Realizing that he was lost, he pitched his tent to await help. On Sunday morning, he made a successful attempt to find his way down a creek drainage to the Cascade River Road and to the rescue crews stationed at the Eldorado parking area. Approximately 60 searchers, including two dog teams, were involved in the search over the weekend. Teams of searchers included National Park Service employees and volunteer groups from Bellingham Mountain Rescue, Skagit Mountain Rescue, Olympic Mountain Rescue, Seattle Mountain Rescue, King County Explorer Search and Rescue, and Bellingham Summit to Sound Search Dogs. [Kerry Olson, Stehekin District Interpreter]

Colonial NHP

Confrontation With Disorderly Crowd Leads To Multiple Arrests

Rangers received a call for an officer needing assistance at the park's beach picnic area just before 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 13th. Two York County deputies had responded to a domestic violence call there and attempted to make an arrest, but a confrontational crowd had gathered around the officers and efforts were being made to free the prisoner. People in the crowed had pushed the deputies back against their patrol vehicle, causing one deputy to pull out his taser in an attempt to keep them at bay. Ranger Sean Blake was the first backup to arrive on scene and immediately went to the officers' aid. Blake saw one woman push a deputy, then blend back into the crowd, then saw a large man - about 5'8” tall and weighing approximately 350 pounds - acting aggressively towards another woman holding a baby. Blake told the man to desist and pushed him away from her. The man then turned towards Blake and a deputy and took an aggressive stance. Blake brought out his taser and both Blake and the deputy told the man to back off. He instead came towards the deputy, so both Blake and the deputy discharged their tasers. The man went down, then attempted to regain his footing. He was ordered down again and again refused to comply. Blake again used his taster, this time getting the man to the ground. He was then placed under arrest. Additional rangers and deputies soon arrived on scene. Deputies arrested three more people and dispersed the crowd. Nobody was injured in the incident. [Tom Nash, Chief Ranger]

Golden Gate NRA

Rangers Find And Recover Body Of Suicide Victim

On the morning of June 9th, ranger AJ Legault found an unoccupied vehicle in the Muir Beach overlook parking lot along Highway 1. The vehicle had been locked within the lot overnight and had a violation notice on its windshield from the previous evening. Legault searched the area to see if he could find the owner, but without success. When he got back, he checked the vehicle again and discovered what appeared to be a suicide note scrawled on a Parade magazine cover. Legault contacted park dispatch to report it and secured the area. Rangers then began searching along the cliff sides and the ocean waters below and discovered the body of a man lying face down on the jagged rock outcroppings approximately 450 feet below a trail. Park lifeguards, Muir Beach and Southern Marin fire personnel, Marin County SO officers, and U.S. Park Police criminal investigators arrived on scene to assist with the recovery. The Coast Guard conducted a risk assessment of the recovery operation and decided it was too dangerous to use a helicopter. The decision was made to have a ranger and paramedic from Southern Marin fire descend to the body and extricate it using a rope and picket system. The body was recovered and brought up to the parking lot; the medical examiner took possession of the victim and the suicide note. Empty vodka bottles and prescription medication were also found inside the vehicle. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]

Mojave NP

Woman Killed In High-Speed Rollover Accident

N.N.L.M., a 28-year-old resident of Hawaii, was northbound at high speed on Morning Star Mine Road around 11 a.m. on June 17th when her car went off the road and overturned. Rangers and firefighters in the park's engine responded along with California Highway Patrol officers. They found that N.N.L.M. had died in the accident. CHP is investigating. [Kirk Gebicke, Supervisory Park Ranger]

OTHER NEWS

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

Grand Teton NP - Firefighters from several agencies, including the NPS, joined homeowners in early June in an annual regional fire training exercise that focuses on both fire management drills and on evaluating homes abutting public lands to determine how well defended they would be from an approaching wildfire.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7843" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7843

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=7844" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7844

Yosemite NP - Dick Ewart has been named the recipient of the 2009 Barry Hance Memorial Award. Photo.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2389" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2389

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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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