NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Monday, October 19, 2009

INCIDENTS

Glen Canyon NRA

Houseboat Fire Sends Six To Hospitals

A houseboat explosion and fire on Lake Powell on Friday resulted in burns and other injuries to six people. Park dispatch received numerous calls of a houseboat fire in Gunsight Canyon around 4 p.m. More calls came in soon thereafter reporting multiple victims with burns and other injuries. NPS firefighters Jared St. Clair, Kean Mihata, Scott Larson, Chad Hunter, Craig Janicki, Jeff Wilson and Eric Scott responded along with two helicopters from Classic Lifeguard. NPS and Utah State Parks units arrived on scene to find the houseboat engulfed in flames on the shoreline of Gunsight Butte. Six people were treated and transported by either Classic Lifeguard or boat. An eight-year-old boy and a 46-year-old man were flown separately to a burn center in Las Vegas. Park medic Laurie Axelsen and FTEP trainee Jason Montoya were first on scene to the burned boy, with ranger Jamey Brazell joining them shortly thereafter. They provided ALS to the boy until the helicopter flew him out. Ranger Greg Hester triaged the other four victims as they arrived by boat at the Wahweap launch ramp. They were taken by Page FD and NPS ambulances to Page Hospital. The privately-owned, 62-foot Skipperliner houseboat was a complete loss. There were several other people on the boat at the time, but they were uninjured and were taken to Wahweap Marina by other boaters. One of the injured persons said that the fire began when a line being used to siphon fuel between two containers leaked gasoline into the boat's generator compartment, causing an explosion and the fire that engulfed the entire houseboat. Ranger Eric Scott was IC. NOTE: The online story is accompanied by an image of the burned houseboat. [Eric Scott, Wahweap District Ranger]

Joshua Tree NP

Follow-up On Illegal Digging In Park

In April 2007, park rangers were told that a man was digging at a historical site within the park. Two rangers responded and contacted S.J. of Foothill Ranch, California, as he was walking back to his car. S.J. had numerous digging implements and two old beer cans in his possession. S.J. was issued an optional appearance citation, which he soon paid. The park archaeologist and a ranger subsequently went to the site and found that 17 holes had been excavated. Because a more serious criminal case was no longer possible due to the citation, a Park Resources Protection Act (19jj) action was begun. The park archaeologist subsequently completed an archaeological injury assessment. In January 2008, S.J. was served with notice of a 19jj violation by an NPS special agent. In late February 2009, S.J. agreed to a settlement that included paying $2,000 in restitution to the park, initiating online discussions on the Brewery Collectibles Club of America (BCCA) and “Rusty Bunch” beer can collecting forums, and submitting an anti-looting article to the BCCA magazine, Beer Cans and Brewery Collectibles. Online discussions were begun by S.J. in April 2009, which led to a very lively discussion. In September 2009, S.J.'s article, “A Reminder to Consider Where We Dig”, was published in the BCCA magazine. This article outlines S.J.'s experience dealing with the violation, why the federal government preserves cultural resources, and lists a variety of federal regulations and laws that protect those resources. [Todd Swain, Special Agent]

OTHER NEWS

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

Thomas Edison NHS - Over 3500 visitors walked through the gates of Thomas Edison National Historical Park during the first weekend of October as the park celebrated the grand opening of the Laboratory Complex. Photo.

George Rogers Clark NHP - After a much needed facelift, the George Rogers Clark Memorial was recently rededicated. The 76-year-old monument to "the frontiersmen of the American Revolution" had been leaking rainwater for more than 75 years. Photo.

Jimmy Carter NHS - Jimmy Carter National Historic Site and the city of Plains, Georgia, partnered to celebrate the 85th birthday of Jimmy Carter during the 13th Annual Plains Peanut Festival on the last weekend of September. Photo.

Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs - This week's update on past and upcoming hearings and the status of legislation pertinent to the National Park Service.

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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