NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Thursday, September 10, 2009

INCIDENTS

Grand Canyon NP

Body Of Missing Man Believed Found

The body of a lone male was spotted from the park's helicopter late yesterday morning. It's believed to be that of 43-year-old A.B. of Clayton, North Carolina, who searchers have been looking for since last weekend. It was outside the initial search zone, which had been based on his past history of short to medium day hikes in the area and the lack of a backcountry permit indicating a longer itinerary. Investigators also determined that A.B. had not shared a specific itinerary with anyone in his immediate family and that he had not been seen since approximately 5:00 a.m. on August 31st. By yesterday morning, all of the high-probability areas within the initial search zone had been searched and in many cases re-searched by ground crews, dog teams and technical rope/canyoneering teams. As a result, ground search crews had begun to scale back operations in the area. At the same time, continuing efforts by investigators led to a co-worker who believed that A.B.'s plans might have been a great deal more extensive than his past history in the park had indicated. This led search and rescue personnel to expand their search zone. With fewer ground personnel to support, the park's helicopter was able to engage in aerial search operations beyond the original search zone. Helicopter crew members spotted the body in a drainage north of the Tonto Trail and approximately two miles east of the South Kaibab Trail in the vicinity of Pattie Butte. The body was retrieved by helicopter via long-line operation and taken to the South Rim, where it was transferred to the Coconino County medical examiner. The park has extended its thanks to the local and national media and local communities that took an interest in this story and provided assistance in reaching out to the public for information about A.B. An investigation is underway. [Shannan Marcak, Public Affairs Officer]

Great Falls Park

Eagle 2 Medevacs Woman Injured In Fall From Billy Goat Trail

Two local residents had a rocky start to their future together. While hiking the Billy Goat trail in Great Falls Park on September 6th, the couple paused to admire the scenery. The setting was perfect - a late summer day with the sun glinting off the Potomac River below, the breeze pushing through the thick tree canopy, and the grey rocky trail weaving up and down with steep crevasses and a long drop to the water. The setting was perfect for a hike, but also for more romantic purposes - a marriage proposal. Although many couples have become engaged in this area, this one also engaged the services of the Montgomery County Department of Fire and Rescue Services and the United States Park Police Aviation Section. The bride to be was swept off her feet - but after the magic moment, she slipped on the rocks and fell a short distance, leaving her with head and chest injuries. Montgomery County Fire medics could only reach her by boat, followed by a scramble up a steep rock face. After the medics evaluated the patient and packaged her on a backboard and stokes basket, they realized that she would either need to be lowered down the steep rocks or carried over a mile of rough terrain. Neither option was good considering her injuries, so the Park Police were asked for assistance. Eagle 2, with Sgt. Kevin Chittick in command, Sgt. Ken Burchell as co-pilot, and Sgt. Chris Perkins working the medic/rescue technician position, responded to perform a hoist rescue. The woman was hoisted aboard Eagle 2 and transported to Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, where she was treated for head and chest injuries and later released. Oh, yes - prior to her fall, she said ‘yes' to the question posed to her. [Sergeant David Schlosser, Public Information Officer]

Glen Canyon NRA

Mother And Son Injured In Parasailing Accident

On the evening of Monday, September 7th, park dispatch received a cell phone call reporting that a visitor had sustained severe head injuries. Rangers and Classic Lifeguard Helicopter personnel responded immediately to a location on Lake Powell near the mouth of the San Juan River. When they arrived, rangers found a 42-year-old woman suffering from severe head injuries. She was treated and evacuated by helicopter to the Flagstaff Medical Center. A 17-year-old boy with her had also been injured and was transported by ranger patrol boat to Page Hospital. An on-site investigation revealed that the victims were a mother and her son, and that both had been injured in a parasailing accident. The boy was in the parasail and was attempting to takeoff from a ledge approximately 10 feet above the waterline. Several other people, including his mother, were on the ledge observing the parasailing. When the boat began to pull forward, the sail went sideways, entangling the woman and dragging her a short distance before she was dropped onto her head along the shore. The boy struck the ledge several times before being dragged into the water. Parasailing, which involves an individual attached to a parachute being pulled behind a boat, is prohibited without a permit by federal regulation in all National Park System areas. The activity can be extremely hazardous, particularly in an area such as Lake Powell, where high rock cliffs, high winds, and heavy boat traffic can endanger both the parasailor and the public. Glen Canyon does not issue permits for this type of activity because of the dangers involved and past accidents. A citation was issued to the boat operator. [Brian Sweatland, Public Affairs Officer]

Lake Roosevelt NRA

Man Drowns While Trying To Retrieve Fishing Pole

R.D., 67, and a friend headed out from the Seven Bays marina area in their boat to go trout fishing around midday on August 25th. They were trolling at just over a mile an hour when R.D. got a bite. The fish pulled his pole overboard and he immediately jumped overboard in an attempt to recover it. After a few moments, R.D., who was not wearing a lifejacket, told his friend that he needed help and began struggling in the water. His friend jumped into the water, also without a lifejacket, and soon found himself in trouble, with their boat floating away. He was able to get back onboard, though, and attempted to throw a rope to R.D.. R.D. was unable to reach it and soon stopped struggling and went under. After hearing calls for help, passing boaters attempted to pull R.D. from the water. Efforts to do so proved unavailing, so a rope was tied to him and he was pulled back into the marina. One of the passengers on that vessel began CPR immediately after getting him to shore. Rangers, local sheriff's deputies, ambulance personnel and Medstar paramedics soon arrived on scene and took over care. They were unable to revive him, though, and he was pronounced dead after about 90 minutes of resuscitation efforts. There was no throwable personal floatation device on board the vessel, and other lifejackets were stored in an area not readily accessible for use in an emergency situation. R.D. was in the water for less than five minutes before he drowned. The weather and wake conditions were calm at the time of the incident. [Adam Kelsey, Acting Chief Ranger]

Buffalo NR

Two Auto Burglars Confess To Crime

On July 31st, a park visitor reported that her truck window had been smashed and that a purse had been stolen from inside. Ranger Melissa Lamm investigated the case over the next several weeks and was able to develop several leads from the numerous interviews she conducted. Ranger Lee Buschkowsky and ISB agent Robert Still assisted with several of these interviews. Lamm was eventually able to identify two principle suspects. The first confessed to the crime during an interview, and provided information on how he destroyed the stolen items. At the time of the interview, he was in jail for other theft charges from surrounding counties. He also claimed that he was the only one involved in the crime. Lamm persisted in the investigation and interviewed the second principle suspect, who also confessed. This confession resulted in the recovery of almost all the stolen items. The case has been submitted for prosecution. [Jeff West, Law Enforcement Specialist]

Lake Mead NRA

Teenager Drowns In Lake Mohave

The body of a 19-year-old Las Vegas man who drowned in Lake Mohave was recovered on Sunday, September 6th. Divers from Las Vegas Metro Police found the body in about 14 feet of water. The park had learned of the drowning earlier that afternoon via a transferred 911 call from Bullhead City. According to reports, the man swam out to a point of land with five friends, but lagged behind and disappeared under the surface on the way back. Friends and bystanders began searching the area. They were unable to find him, so called 911 about 20 minutes after he went under. Rangers and Arizona game wardens responded. Rangers located the body about 35 feet from shore in 14 feet of water. He wasn't wearing a lifejacket. [Andrew Muñoz, Public Affairs Officer]

OTHER NEWS

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

Flight 93 NM - This year's remembrance ceremony for those who died on Flight 93 on September 11, 2001 is entitled “Upon this Sacred Ground, Courage Remembered.” General Colin Powell will be the keynote speaker.

WASO Public Affairs - Hot Springs, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Grand Canyon National Parks will be the first sites commemorated in a new quarter-dollar program announced today by the U.S. Mint.

Harpers Ferry Center - A new update to “Programmatic Accessibility Guidelines for National Park Service Interpretive Media” provides comprehensive guidelines for interpretive media.

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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