NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
INCIDENTS
Kings Canyon NP
Search For Missing Backpackers Concludes Successfully
The search for three missing backpackers concluded successfully on the afternoon of Thursday, October 15th, when brothers Ja.Z. and Jo.Z. and L.R. were reunited with their families after being short-hauled off a ledge above the Roaring River in the Cedar Grove area. The three had begun an ambitious 65-mile hike on October 8th with the intention of walking out on October 12th. Family members contacted park staff at 10 p.m. on Monday when the group failed to return. An investigation into the incident began on Tuesday, although heavy rain and high-elevation snow hampered initial aerial and grounds search efforts. A hasty search was conducted as weather permitted on Wednesday, and additional resources were ordered for a full-scale search on Thursday. Approximately 50 searchers and two helicopters (including the park helicopter) were in the field or on their way to the search area when the three men was located. Rangers Jack Corrao and Debbie Brenchley conducted the short haul operation from Helicopter 552. Statements from the three men acquired after the incident indicated that they had not been able to complete the hike that they'd planned and began to backtrack in the middle of the trip. They became stranded after attempting to return to their vehicle via a treacherous cross country route through the Roaring River drainage. Kings Canyon district ranger Ned Kelleher was the incident commander. [Adrienne Freeman, Acting Public Affairs Specialist]
Cape Hatteras NS
Surfer Drowns Under Avon Pier
Nine friends - boys ranging in age from 14 to 17 years old - went surfing on the north side of the Avon pier late on the morning of Friday, October 16th. The surf was running from six to eight feet, with a strong current of about eight knots moving south parallel to the shore under the pier. One of the surfers was swept into the pilings under the pier, where the leash attaching him to his surfboard became entangled in the pilings and trapped him underwater. Several of the other boys attempted to rescue him, but were unable to do so because of the current. Ranger Mark Krebs responded along with Dare County EMS and Hatteras Island Rescue Squad. A PWC with a rescue swimmer was launched and efforts were made to rescue the boy. They were unsuccessful, though, due to the surf and the current around the pilings. The surfboard and leash broke about an hour after the incident began, freeing the boy. He was brought to shore, where he was pronounced dead by a doctor who'd responded with the rescue squad. The deceased has been identified as 15-year-old Craig Marshall. [Paul Stevens, Chief Ranger]
Blue Ridge Parkway
Ranger Pursues And Stops Impaired And Reckless Driver
Ranger Marc Cyr saw a vehicle being driven erratically and at a high rate of speed on the parkway on Sunday, October 11th. When he attempted to stop it, the driver increased his speed and his reckless driving behavior. During the 15-mile pursuit that ensued, the driver hit speeds of more than 90 mph and repeatedly traveled in the wrong lane, forcing vehicles off the roadway. The driver almost wrecked on several occasions and lost one of his front tires - but continued driving at high speeds on the rim. He was seen tossing syringes out of the car's window during the chase. Although the driver managed to avoid spike strips laid down by a cooperating agency, Cyr was able to use his cruiser to push the vehicle off the roadway and pin it against a curb. The operator, a 19-year-old man from Nelson County, Virginia, was taken into custody without further incident. He was found to be under the influence of both alcohol and a controlled substance. He's been charged with felony evading, with additional charges pending. [Kurt Speers, Ridge District Ranger]
OTHER NEWS
The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS:
Civil War Sesquicentennial - Persistent weekend rains did little to dampen the enthusiasm of thousands of visitors attending the 150th commemoration of John Brown's Raid at Harpers Ferry NHP this past weekend. The event was one of the first among many planned for the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, which runs through 2015.
Risk Management Division - This year, the National Park Service will offer two public safety awards and two employee safety awards to recognize individuals and groups who have demonstrated outstanding success in promoting health and safety in the parks. Nominations are due by mid-November.
National Capital Region - Jim Sherald, chief of natural resources and science for National Capital Region, will retire in January after a 35-year career with the National Park Service. 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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