NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Monday, June 3, 2013
INCIDENTS
Sequoia-Kings Canyon NPs
Missing Man Found Following Extended Search
A missing 63-year-old California man was found by searchers on Saturday in his wrecked pickup truck 300 feet down a mountainside about a quarter mile north of a popular vista in Sequoia National Park. The man, who'd been missing since May 28th, was alive, but his condition was not known at the time of the report. Family members reported him missing to Bakersfield PD on May 28th and that department issued a regional ‘be on the lookout' message that included a description of his vehicle. Family members contacted park staff late on May 30th and advised that he might have been traveling to Sequoia-Kings Canyon or other public lands in the area. Video surveillance records confirmed that he'd entered the park's southern entrance, and a full-scale search was immediately begun. Other agencies joined upwards of 40 park staff in the effort to find him, including the Tulare County Sheriff's Office, California Highway Patrol, Fresno County Sheriff's Office, and Sequoia National Forest. [Dana Dierkes, Public Affairs Officer]
Lake Mead NRA
Las Vegas Man Dies In SCUBA Incident
A Las Vegas man died of unknown causes while scuba diving in the lake on June 1st. Park dispatch received several 911 calls reporting that the diver was in distress early that morning. The man was diving with a group in the Kingman Wash area just north of Hoover Dam when the accident occurred. Witnesses said that he was unresponsive when he surfaced. People on a nearby boat began CPR and took him to Hemenway Harbor, where emergency personnel from the park attempted unsuccessfully to revive him. The county medical examiner is investigating. [Christie Vanover, Public Affairs Officer]
Lake Roosevelt NRA
Search In Progress For Body Of Drowned Man
A search is underway for a 75-year-old Spokane man who fell out of his small boat just south of the Kettle Falls Bridge on May 21st. Upon receiving a report of the accident from a witness, two rangers immediately launched a vessel and began searching for him. A third ranger responded by patrol vehicle to the bridge with a life ring to also assist in the rescue. The boating rangers recovered the boat, but the man himself was not visible. According to the witness, he wasn't wearing a lifejacket. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were variable, with lightning and sustained winds of 13 knots and gusts to 29 knots. The water temperature was approximately 53 degrees Fahrenheit. Search efforts were suspended that day due to deteriorating weather, including wind gusts to 39 knots and nine foot swells. Officers from the US Border Patrol, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington State Patrol, Stevens and Ferry County Sheriff's Office, and the county's joint rescue squad assisted along with private citizens. On May 28th and 29th, members of Kootenai County Sheriff's Department's search and rescue unit deployed a vessel with side scan sonar, but were unsuccessful in locating the body. The sheriff's office is taking the lead in the investigation, with the NPS taking the lead in the recovery effort. Ranger Beth Lariviere is coordinating search efforts and serving as the family liaison. [Bill Archard, District 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/):
Carl Sandburg Home NHS - The 27th annual Carl Sandburg Folk Music Festival was held on Memorial Day. The festival honors Carl Sandburg and his preservation of traditional folk music as found in his collection, The American Songbag.
Office of Communications - The NPS and DOI have announced the designation of 28 trails as national recreation trails, adding almost 650 miles of trails to the National Trails System.
Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs - This week's update on past and upcoming hearings, newly introduced bills, and the status of legislation of interest to the National Park Service. This report covers the week ending on Friday, May 31st.
Gila Cliff Dwellings NM - Steve Riley, superintendent of Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, retired on May 31st after 11 years at the monument and over 40 years with the National Park Service.
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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).
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