NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
INCIDENTS
Little River Canyon NP
Two Stranded Boys Rescued
On the evening of April 22nd, the DeKalb County 911 center received a call from a woman who reported that her son and another boy were stranded on the west bank of the Little River below Little River Falls. Rangers and local emergency service personnel were dispatched to the location and were soon on scene. Some of them set up anchor points and haul systems while others contacted family members and obtained vital information on the two boys. Rescue swimmers were lowered to the river and began shuttling across the rapidly moving water to the boys, who were huddled on a rock attempting to stay warm. With the water temperature at 64 degrees and the air temperature dropping below 60 degrees, the rescuers were concerned that the boys might become hypothermic. They quickly evaluated the boys, placed them in life vests, and moved them safely to the east bank of the river. With their condition improving, they were able to hike out to the parking lot to their waiting family members. During the operation, the grandmother of one of the boys, overwhelmed by fear and anxiety over the safety of her grandson, became faint and could not stand. Members of a responding ambulance service were able to evaluate and comfort her, allowing her to recover and see her grandson rescued shortly thereafter. During the post-rescue interview, the boys said that they'd been hiking along the east shore of the river when they saw what appeared to be a good area to cross the river. They attempted to do so, but the water swept their feet out from under them and washed them downstream to Martha's Falls. They were able to get to the west bank before getting washed over the falls and hiked back upstream until they reached Little River Falls. The family expressed its gratitude to all the men and women who risked their lives and safety to the boys. This was the second rescue in the park this month. Both incidents were the result of people overestimating their abilities while being fooled by the river's power, discreetly hidden by its beauty. [Larry Beane, Park Ranger]
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/):
Cape Hatteras NS - The Bodie Island Lighthouse opened for public tours on Friday, April 19th, following a major restoration of both the lighthouse and its first-order Fresnel lens.
Office of Communications - Ten teenagers have won scholarships and national recognition in the Expressions of Freedom art contest commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Fire and Aviation Management - The National Park Service Division of Fire and Aviation has announced that its 2013 photo and video contest has been launched on the division's Facebook page.
Park Facility Management Division - Lizette Richardson has been selected as manager of the Construction Program Management Division. She has been the chief of maintenance and engineering at Lake Mead since 2004.
* * * *
Guidance on incident notification can be found under the “Hot Topics” heading on InsideNPS or at 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.
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).
--- ### ---