NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
INCIDENTS
Yosemite NP
Injured Climber Rescued From El Capitan
On Saturday, September 18th, a 42-year-old Spanish climber fell and sustained serious leg and chest injuries while speed climbing up the Nose on El Capitan. The climber and his partner were training for a “Nose in a Day” attempt when the accident occurred. He was seconding the pendulum traverse between the Sickle Ledge and Dolt Tower on the seventh pitch when he lost control, swung for approximately 50 feet, and hit the wall. Though injured and hanging in his harness, he was able to call 911 for help while his partner rappelled down to him. With the assistance of a park helicopter, rangers Chris Bellino and Keith Lober were short-hauled onto the wall, where they found the two climbers hanging in a steep section approximately 80 feet below their anchor. The rangers provided emergency medical care and extricated the injured climber by short haul to El Capitan Meadow, where an air ambulance was waiting to transport him to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto. This was the third El Capitan rescue this year in which helicopter short haul played an integral role in the success of the mission. The rescue team delivered the injured climber to the awaiting air ambulance in just less than three hours from the time of the first 911 call. [Scott Jacobs, Park Ranger/Incident Commander]
OTHER NEWS
The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS. To see the full text, including images, NPS employees should go to the InsideNPS home page ( HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index). Non-NPS employees can see most of them on the NPS Digest page ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/):
Department of the Interior - Secretary Salazar yesterday honored the life and legacy of Stewart Udall at a ceremony dedicating the main Interior building after the former Secretary of the Interior. Under legislation signed by President Obama, the building will now be known as the Stewart Lee Udall Department of the Interior Building.
Office of Public Affairs - The NPS and Advisory Council on Historic Preservation have awarded $1.3 million in Preserve America grants to 22 projects in 16 states.
National Park Foundation - The National Park Foundation has begun broadcasting live images of Flight 93 National Memorial. Through a partnership with EarthCam, Inc., ongoing construction of the memorial is being documented and recorded online. A link is provided.
Natural Resource Program Center - Barry Long, a 19-year NPS employee, died in Washington, D. C., on September 8th. Barry served as a water quality specialist with the Water Resources Division in Fort Collins and recently assumed the position of surface water program coordinator for the U. S. Forest Service in Washington. Photo.
* * * *
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).
--- ### ---