NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Monday, June 24, 2013
INCIDENTS
Grand Teton NP
Rangers Handle Two Rescues, EMS Response On Same Day
Rangers handled back-to-back rescue missions in the Tetons last Thursday, one of which involved a fatality. At the same time, other rangers dealt with a cardiac arrest in Buffalo Valley.
Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received a call for help from a location on Mount Owen (12,928 feet) just before 2:30 p.m. J.J., 38, of Lander, Wyoming, and his climbing partner were on an ascent of the Crescent Arête (11,200 feet) when a door-sized rock broke free as J.J. was pushing himself onto it. J.J. fell about 15 feet before hitting a sloping ledge below, then another five feet before his climbing protection caught him. Luckily, neither of the climbers was hit by the rock.
Two rangers were inserted via short-haul to a nearby ledge just before 5 p.m. and they prepared the two climbers for short-haul extrication from the accident site to Lupine Meadows. This rescue was completed at 5:15 p.m. The Crescent Arête is adjacent to the Northeast Snowfields route on Mount Owen, and is an uncommon climb due to its technical nature. It is rated a 5.7 on the Yosemite Decimal System. Fred Beckey and Yvon Chouinard made the first ascent of this climb in September of 1959.
Moments after the first mountain rescue was completed, Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received another call for help after a climber fell into a moat in the North Fork of Garnet Canyon. G.M., 55, from Colorado Springs, Colorado, was descending from the Lower Saddle of the Grand Teton after a successful summit of the peak earlier in the day when he slipped on snow and slid into an icy water moat near a rock band. G.M. was on a climb being guided by one of the park's authorized concessioners. Climbing guides successfully extricated G.M. from the moat before rangers arrived at the site.
Six rangers were flown to a temporary landing zone near the moat location in Garnet Canyon. Rescuers raised G.M. to a site where he could be flown in a rescue litter via short-haul to Lupine Meadows by a Teton Interagency contract helicopter. A ranger attended G.M. below the helicopter on the flight to the park's rescue cache. Once at the rescue cache, they were met by a team of park medical providers led by Dr. Will Smith of St. John's Medical Center and an Air Idaho Life Flight ship waiting to provide transport to critical care in Idaho Falls. G.M. was pronounced dead at 8:35 p.m. at the rescue cache and his body turned over to the Teton Country coroner.
Earlier in the day, Teton County requested assistance from rangers for a cardiac arrest underway in Buffalo Valley. A park ambulance and six rangers responded jointly with Jackson Hole Fire/EMS personnel to the incident location. The 56-year-old man was pronounced dead after nearly an hour of resuscitation efforts.
[Jackie Skaggs, Public Affairs Officer]
New River Gorge NR
Visitor Revived By Professional Guide
On Tuesday, June 18th, a commercial raft entered Double Z Rapids on the New River; almost immediately, several people fell out of the raft.
Raft guides with Adventures on the Gorge were able to extract most of the swimmers from the water, but a 42-year-old man from Ohio went through several of the associated rapids on this run before guides could get to him and was unresponsive when rescued.
A river guide with Adventures on the Gorge and a park visitor began CPR. They were able to revive the man, who was then transported by a CSX high railer to the Cole Lot near Fayette Station. Rangers guided a Jan-Care ambulance into the transfer area. The man was stabilized and transported to Plateau Medical Center in Oak Hill, where he was admitted and was in stable condition.
[Jeff West, Chief 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/):
National Weather Service - The National Weather Service has declared this week - June 23rd to June 29th - to be Lightning Safety Awareness Week. The theme this year is “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors.”
Gettysburg NMP - Clyde R. Bell, 61, a supervisory park ranger at Gettysburg National Military Park, passed away unexpectedly at his home overnight on June 19th. He had been at work earlier that day.
Mount Rainier NP - Climbing Ranger Nick Hall died from a fall on Mount Rainier a week ago last Friday. To mark the anniversary of his death, the park conducted a flag lowering on June 20th, placed all flags at half mast for the day, and shared a moment of silence.
Independence NHP - On June 14th, Independence National Historical Park celebrating Flag Day and the birthday of the United States Army with several partners.
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, June 21st.
Northeast Region - William "Bill" McLaughlin, chief of business services for Northeast Region, will retire from the National Park Service on June 28th following a twelve-year career with the NPS.
Keweenaw NHP - Charlie Masten, facility manager and chief of preservation services at Keweenaw National Historical Park, has announced his retirement from the National Park Service, effective June 30th.
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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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