NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

INCIDENTS

Big South Fork NRRA

Searchers Find Lost Hikers

A Scott County Sheriff's Office dispatcher received a cell phone call from a lost hiker on Friday, December 18th. The number was given to rangers and contact was made with J.H. J.H. reported that he'd been hiking in the Twin Arches area with two other people late Thursday night when they decided to go off trail and camp. When they attempted to return to the trail, they became disoriented. A description of where they had gone off trail put them in the Charit Creek drainage. Rangers attempted to determine a more precise location, but could not due to J.H.'s lack of knowledge of the area. A search was begun immediately, as it was raining and the forecast called for it to soon turn to snow. Personnel searched for approximately six hours without luck. The rain did not turn to snow, and plans were made to continue the search at first light the next day. Additional personnel were called in and the search resumed early on Saturday morning. Further phone contact helped them to finally locate the trio in mid-afternoon. Search efforts were hampered by the men continuing to move after being told to stay in one position so that searchers could find them. Tommy Barnes was IC. There were no injuries to either hikers or searchers. [Frank Graham, Chief, Visitor Services]

Great Smoky Mountains NP

Hiker Dies Of Injuries Sustained In Fall Into Stream

The park received a 911 alert regarding a hiking accident just before noon on Monday. Cindy Hill and her husband, Ron, were hiking along the Greenbrier Road, which was temporarily closed due to snow. They walked about three miles from the ranger station, then stopped to take a photo on some rocks along a stream. Cindy Hill lost her foot on a rock and fell into swift-moving water. Her husband grabbed her, but she slipped from his grasp. He finally reached her again about 20 yards downstream, pulled her to the shore, and began CPR. She proved unresponsive. While running back toward the ranger station to get help, Hill encountered a visitor who made the 911 call. Rangers and Gatlinburg fire and EMS personnel responded, arriving at the scene simultaneously. Paramedics began advanced life support, but without effect. She was taken by ambulance to Fort Sanders Sevier Medical Center, where emergency personnel were able to establish a pulse. She was then transported by air to Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center for additional treatment, but attempts to revive her there were unsuccessful and she was pronounced dead. [Nancy Gray, Public Affairs Officer]

OTHER NEWS

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

Natural Resource Program Center - The annual nationwide Christmas bird count is now underway. The National Park Service is a long-time sponsor of the count and hosts bird counts and events in parks and gateway communities throughout the country.

Everglades NP - Everglades National Park, in partnership with other Federal and state land management agencies in Florida, recently launched a year-long billboard campaign to highlight the ongoing issue of invasive species in the Everglades. Photo.

Gulf Islands NS - Jerry Eubanks, who joined the NPS in 1960 and has been superintendent at Gulf Islands NS since 1984, will retire on January 2nd.

Yosemite NP - Tom Medema has been selected as the chief of interpretation and education at Yosemite. Tom has been in the position in an acting capacity for well over a year and will officially begin his duties in January. 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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NPS serious incident submission standards can be found at the following web site: HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custompages.cfm?prg=45&id=8728&lv=2&pgid=3504" http://inside.nps.gov/waso/custompages.cfm?prg=45&id=8728&lv=2&pgid=3504

Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).

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