NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

INCIDENT

Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial

Ranger Hit By Car But Not Seriously Injured

Just before midnight on July 11th, a protection ranger was on bike patrol in the park when he saw a vehicle being driven in a reckless manner. He attempted to stop the vehicle as it headed toward a swim beach, but the driver continued and drove onto the sand before returning to the roadway and running into a concrete barrier. The ranger, who had activated the lights and siren on his patrol bike, once again ordered the driver to stop, but the vehicle headed toward him and struck him in the leg before the driver left the area. The ranger requested assistance from Put-In-Bay Police Department officers, who located and detained the two passengers who were still with the vehicle. The driver had fled on foot, but was soon apprehended in town and brought to the police station for the ranger to positively identify. The incident is currently under investigation and charges are pending. The ranger was not seriously injured in the incident. [Jackie Henman, Regional Law Enforcement Specialist, MWRO]

Grand Canyon NP

Hiker Suffering From Heat Exhaustion Rescued From Canyon

Late in the afternoon of Thursday, June 30th, park dispatch received a call from a visitor reporting that a man in his early 60's was suffering from heat exhaustion on the Grand View trail. Preventative search and rescue ranger Tom Bruno responded and located the man on the trail approximately a mile below the canyon rim. Bruno began to treat the man for heat exhaustion by rehydrating him and cooling down his core temperature. The man was showing little improvement two hours later, so Bruno began making arrangements to extricate him from the canyon. Given the steep and narrow terrain, a litter carry was not feasible. After learning that the park helicopter was not available, preventative search and rescue ranger Ian Buchanan hiked down to their location with overnight gear and additional supplies and prepared the group to spend the night in the canyon. Park paramedic Lisa Hendy hiked in the following morning, provided IV therapy, and prepared the man for transport to the South Rim via short haul. From there, he was transported a short distance to the medical clinic on the South Rim. Although he hadn't complained of chest pain, clinic staff found him to be having asymptomatic cardiac disrhythmias upon arrival. He was immediately flown to the Flagstaff Medical Clinic, where he underwent emergency cardiac bypass surgery later that day. The man had been hiking with his brother when they ran out of water. The air temperature at the time of the incident was 104 degrees. [Elizabeth Aurnou, Backcountry Ranger]

North Cascades NP

Climbers Rescued From Mount Terror And Eldorado Peak

Late in the afternoon of on July 5th, climbers called for help from the false summit of Mount Terror, the highest peak (8,151 feet) in the park's Southern Picket Range. Earlier in the day, the party of four was “simul-climbing” as two rope teams when S.T., leader of the higher team, fell approximately 60 feet. S.T. suffered a femur fracture and apparent head injury and was hanging unconscious on the rope. His partners were able to anchor the injured climber on a small ledge. Two of them then decided to climb higher in an attempt to reach cell service, while one climber remained to care for his partner. With approximately four hours of working daylight left, a climbing ranger was inserted via short-haul to the accident site. The ranger and patient were flown to a staging site, where S.T. was transferred to a medical helicopter. Due to the fading light, a second hoped-for maneuver to rescue the other climber, J.S., was cancelled. However, during the pick-off of the patient, a pack with survival gear and a park radio had been handed to J.S., who was now stranded at the cliff site. Due to fog, rain and eventually snow at the accident site, aerial rescue attempts were postponed. The stranded climber was able to locate a small overhanging ledge, where he stayed for the next four days until the weather was clear enough for an air rescue. J.S. was short-hauled off the mountain and soon reunited with his friends. Rangers then flew directly to the Eldorado Peak area to evacuate another climber via short-haul who had suffered a lower leg injury the evening before while descending through a large boulder field. [Kinsey Shilling, Chief Ranger]

Harry S Truman NHS

Severe Storm Causes Damage In Park

A severe storm struck the park and city of Independence with 65 mile per hour winds and two inches of rain over a four-hour period on the morning of July 12th. The storm also caused electrical outages in several city grids. A maple tree which stands directly in front of the Truman Home front yard sustained breakage of several large branches resulting in the loss of one half of the tree's crown. A professional tree landscape company was hired to remove the fallen limbs and to provide an evaluation of the tree's condition. Several large branches still attached to the tree which were determined to have large cracks were also removed as a safety measure. Additional storm damage resulted in electrical power to the Truman Home being lost for two and one half hours. The visitor center carpet suffered extensive water saturation as a result of rain water being pushed underneath two large fire engine bay doors and through the main visitor center entrance door. [Larry Villalva, Superintendent]

OTHER NEWS

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

Gateway NRA - The Marine Academy of Science and Technology held its 11th Annual and Final Cardboard Boat Armada sailing in the park's Sandy Hook unit last month. This year, only one boat could be credited with surviving the whole journey.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7920" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7920

Youth Programs - On July 7th, the NPS and Student Conservation Association (SCA) signed a new five-year cooperative agreement that will continue their long-standing efforts to provide public service opportunities to youth.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7921" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7921

Grand Canyon NP - A proposed rule to update regulations associated with the management of the Colorado River and adjoining lands administered by the National Park Service within Grand Canyon National Park was published in the Federal Register on Monday.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7924" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=7924

Southeast Region - Cameron (Cam) Sholly has been selected as the new superintendent of the Natchez Trace Parkway. He will report for duty there later this summer. Photo.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2416" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=PeopleNews&id=2416

* * * * *

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).

--- ### ---