NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Thursday, March 18, 2010

INCIDENTS

Canaveral NS

Ranger Saves Lives Of Three People In Boating Mishap

On Sunday, March 14th, ranger Robert Romer responded to a radio request from Brevard County Sherriff's Office dispatch for help in locating an overturned vessel in the area of Haulover Canal on the Indian River. The vessel was described by the dispatcher as a small canoe-type craft. Romer, who was on road patrol, headed to the Haulover boat ramp, where he flagged down a passing boat for assistance. The operator agreed to assist Romer and they set off for the location of the overturned vessel. Romer had difficulty locating the vessel due to heavy chop and wind gusts of 45 mph, but finally found it west of the canal. The victims were in 60 degree water and fighting the heavy chop. Romer could see an older man holding a small boy above the water. Romer lifted the boy, then the father, into the vessel. A third boy clinging to a red gas can was found nearby and also hoisted aboard. Romer immediately started treating all three for hypothermia. Once safely back at the boat ramp, the two boys were carried to a National Park Service vehicle to start the warming process while awaiting the arrival of Kennedy Space Center EMS. Romer's quick thinking resulted in a positive outcome, with three lives saved. [Eric Lugo, Chief Ranger]

Chickasaw NRA

Taser Employed To End Confrontation With Barricaded Man

The Murray County Sheriff's Department contacted the park early on the afternoon of March 14th and asked for help in a high speed pursuit. Ranger Dale Culver responded. While en route, Culver learned that the Oklahoma Highway Patrol had executed a police interdiction technique to stop the car, resulting in an accident eight miles from the park's boundary. Culver was also informed that the operator had barricaded himself in his vehicle and that he was armed with a night stick and a large knife. When he arrived on scene, he found officers from three other agencies holding the man at gunpoint. Culver was the only one with a taser, which is standard issue at Chickasaw, so tried to end the confrontation by tasering him through an open window in the truck. Culver couldn't hit him, though, so a second window was broken out. This time Culver got in a clear shot. The man still refused to drop the knife, so Culver fired it again. This time the man complied and was taken into custody without further incident. Numerous charges are pending against the man, including assault on a state officer with a deadly weapon. A follow-up investigation revealed that the man intended to fight to avoid arrest. Officers credited the taser with preventing serious injury or loss of life in the confrontation. [Dennis Weiland, Chief Ranger]

OTHER NEWS

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

Cumberland Island NS - Cumberland Island conducted its annual horse census last weekend, again employing a group of dedicated volunteers to make the count. Thirty volunteers participated in this year's census and counted 121 horses.

Independence NHP - Interpretive ranger Bob King will retire on March 31st after a 21 year association 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/

NPS serious incident submission standards can be found at the following web site: HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/notify" http://inside.nps.gov/notify

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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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