NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Monday, August 31, 2009

INCIDENTS

Lake Roosevelt NRA

Slide-Caused Tsunami Damages Park Facilities

On Wednesday, August 25th, a large landslide occurred near the Blue Creek drainage on the Spokane Indian Reservation side of the Spokane Arm of the lake. Like the one that occurred on January 16th of this year, responding park staff found that a large section of hillside had broken free, creating a wave that was approximately 12 feet high by the time it hit Porcupine Campground on the southern shore less than a thousand yards across the lake. Rangers had just cleared from a drowning in the Seven Bays area when emergency dispatch in both Stevens and Lincoln Counties alerted them to reports of numerous people in the water at Porcupine Bay as a result of the tsunami caused by the landslide. Joining the park in responding to the incident were units from Lincoln and Stevens Counties, the Washington State Patrol, Medstar, Lincoln County EMS, and the Spokane Tribe. NPS rangers and maintenance staff responding to the incident stopped to perform a quick safety review before heading out on the water. Damage to park facilities - including log booms, docks, and a swim platform - is estimated to be about $250,000. Although Porcupine Campground was closed to allow maintenance crews to perform emergency repairs and clean up, the campground was expected to reopen by this past weekend. [Debbie Bird, Superintendent]

Great Smoky Mountains NP

Backpacker Missing For A Week Found By Searchers

M.B., 70, set out on a planned four-day backpacking trip in the park's backcountry on Saturday, August 22nd. The trip included off-trail hiking in a remote and rugged section of the Smokies. M.B. became lost the next day when he became disoriented by the heavily vegetated and steep terrain and impeded by sheer rock bluffs, downed trees and dense rhododendron thickets. He made it to the top of 5,000-foot Porters Mountain on Monday and remained there until found. Since M.B. was supposed to hike out on Tuesday, his family reported him as overdue and a search was begun. M.B. had filed a trip plan and obtained the needed permits, so rangers and volunteers hiked all of the trails listed on his plan on Wednesday in an effort to find him. They were unsuccessful. The search continued through the balance of the week. Late on the afternoon this past Saturday, the pilot of a contract helicopter spotted M.B. waving his arms outside of a tent on a ridge. He was hoisted off the mountain on Sunday morning by a Tennessee Highway Patrol helicopter and flown to Sugarlands Visitor Center. M.B. was in good condition and did not require medical attention. He told rangers that he'd rationed his food - spam and fruit - and was able to capture rainwater during his long stay on the mountain. About 40 NPS personnel were involved in the search. [Bob Miller and Nancy Gray, Public Affairs Officers]

Lake Mead NRA

Woman Hit And Killed By Boat Propeller

A 22-year-old woman died on Saturday evening after being struck by a boat propeller in Gasoline Alley on Lake Mohave. She was brought to the Princess Cove launch ramp, where medical responders were waiting, and was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. The woman was with family and friends aboard a pontoon boat. According to witnesses, she fell off over the bow of the boat when everyone onboard moved to the front, causing the bow to go underwater. She then disappeared under the boat, passing between the pontoons as the boat traveled forward at about six to eight miles per hour. She was found in the water after the boat passed over her with severe injuries from the propeller. The incident remains under investigation. The body has been turned over to the Mohave County Coroner's Office. [Andrew S. Muñoz, Public Affairs Officer]

Buffalo NR

Two Men Arrested After Attempted Armed Robbery In Campground

Around 3:20 a.m. on August 25th, rangers responded to a report that two men armed with a shotgun had attempted to rob one of two camping parties at Ozark Campground and had seriously beaten one of the campers while doing so. Roger Head, the Ozark Campground host, provided timely information and assisted with the care of the injured man. The armed assailants reportedly fled into the woods. Responding rangers set up an incident command post and secured the location of the injured person so medics could get him out. He was transferred by ambulance to a helispot, where he was then placed on a helicopter and flown to a trauma center for evaluation of a closed head injury. As rangers and local law enforcement continued to arrive on scene, a perimeter was set up and checkpoints were established on likely exit routes. Almost the entire law enforcement staff at Buffalo National River (13 rangers), five Newton County Sheriff's deputies, and one state police officer assisted with the operation. A sweep of the area was conducted after daylight by organized teams. The two men were not located. The crime scene investigation and witness statements led to the development of a suspect. Sufficient evidence was obtained for a search warrant, which was executed by the NPS, Arkansas State Police, the Newton County Sheriff's Office, and the 14th Judicial Drug Task Force. This warrant resulted in the location of key evidence tying the suspects to the assault and robbery attempt, as well as other criminal activity. Both suspects in the case are currently in jail under $100,000 bonds. [Robert Maguire, Chief Ranger]

OTHER NEWS

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

Yosemite NP - Nearly a thousand firefighters and overhead personnel are working to suppress the Big Meadow Fire, which has burned well over 4,000 acres and is threatening a number of park structures. Foresta, Old El Portal and the Yosemite View Lodge have been evacuated.

Redwood N&SP - The NPS and California State Parks have formally dedicated a joint 34,000-square-foot operations center that brings together 70 staff previously housed in a score of failing structures in the three state parks and the national park. Photo.

Intermountain Region -On August 22nd, Florissant Fossil Beds NM celebrated the landmark environmental law case that resulted in the creation of the monument 40 years ago. Photo.

To see these and other stories posted on InsideNPS (or NPS Digest, its public version), click on one or the other of the following links (please note that not all stories in the former appear in the latter): NPS employees: HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index ; non-NPS employees: HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/

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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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