NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
INCIDENTS
Great Smoky Mountains NP
Seriously Injured Hiker Rescued
On the afternoon of Saturday, March 9th, park dispatch received a call from Jackson County 911 reporting an injured hiker on Alum Cave Trail approximately a mile above Alum Cave Bluffs. A 55-year-old man had fallen about ten vertical feet and then taken a tumbling fall of another 60 feet while moving over for hikers passing him on the trail. He suffered a three inch laceration to his neck, a five inch laceration to his leg, and a deep tear in his hand. He was able to make it back up to the trail, where he was assisted by visitors, although they were unable to control the bleeding from his neck. Rangers made a very quick response up the trail while park dispatch pulled together a litter crew of park staff and two AD hires. Trail conditions were treacherous due to recent snow and traction aid devices were required. The man's bleeding had been controlled prior to the arrival of the rescuers, though he had suffered a significant blood loss and a drop in his body temperature. He was packaged and removed by a combination of wheeled litter and sliding the plastic litter along the snow covered trail. A lowering system for the litter was used at Arch Rock. The litter team arrived at the trailhead at 2 a.m., where the patient was transported by ambulance to an LZ by Gatlinburg EMS. He was then flown to University of Tennessee Medical Center by Lifestar. [Clay Jordan, Chief Ranger]
Great Smoky Mountains NP
Visitor Dies Following Canoeing Accident
A 65-year-old Ontario man was seriously injured in a canoe accident above The Sinks early on Monday afternoon. He was visiting the area to attend the Ain't Louie Fest, which includes a series of river trips loosely organized by a group of whitewater enthusiasts, and became trapped after his canoe capsized and he was swept downstream. Many of the participants are well trained in swiftwater rescue and immediately began rescue operations. They'd pulled him from the water and begun CPR by the time emergency responders arrived on scene. Although he'd been underwater for about a half hour and was unresponsive when rescued, he resumed breathing and his heart again began to beat, but later expired at a local hospital. The Townsend Volunteer Fire Department, Townsend Police Department, Blount County Sheriff's Department, and Blount County Fire also responded to the incident. Little River Road was closed for over an hour to allow for emergency traffic. [Dana Soehn, Public Affairs Officer]
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 - The creation of 13 new national historic landmarks was announced yesterday, including an Alabama bridge that was the site of “Bloody Sunday” during the civil rights movement, a 400-year-old historic district showcasing the influence of Spanish culture in Puerto Rico, and a historic stadium used by Negro league baseball teams in 20th-century segregated America.
Intermountain Region - Steve Shatz, southern Arizona parks contracting officer for the Service's Arizona Major Acquisition Buying Office, died unexpectedly on March 6th from an apparent undetected heart condition. He was 43.
Denver Service Center - The Intermountain Region Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate and Denver Service Center Planning Division co-hosted a climate change workshop in Lakewood, Colorado, on February 5th and 6th.
U.S. Park Police - United States Park Police Explorers recently worked in a Maryland Food Bank distribution center to help prepare foods and other products for dissemination to needy people.
* * * *
The Morning Report is a publication of the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, produced by the Office of Communications with the support of the Office of the Associate Director for Information Resources. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@contractor.nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@contractor.nps.gov).
--- ### ---