NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Thursday, June 27, 2013
INCIDENTS
Buffalo NR
Rangers Conduct Technical Rescue Of Trapped Caver
Late on the night of June 22nd, the Searcy County Sheriff's Office called the park and asked for assistance with the rescue of a man trapped at the bottom of a 30-foot pit a quarter-mile inside of Kristin's Cave, not far from the park boundary near Cozahome.
Rangers/technical rescue technicians Dale Johannsen, Mark Miller, Melissa Moses and Kevin Moses joined a Marshall Police Department officer and a Searcy County deputy and worked their way to the man's location to assess the situation, an effort that required negotiating several vertical obstacles along the way and conducting a severity probability exposure (SPE) risk analysis to help mitigate hazards.
After locating and making voice contact with the man, who was an experienced caver and a member of a caving club out of Little Rock, they determined that he was thirsty, hungry and cold but otherwise okay and capable of ascending under his own power. The cause of his becoming stranded was that his equipment, including his rope, had been rendered useless by a heavy accumulation of thick, sticky, stubborn cave mud.
Miller rappelled into the pit and provided the caver with water, food, a thermal layer and clean ascending equipment. Belayed from above, the caver was then able to ascend most of the pit on a new rope under his own power, though rescuers used a raising system to assist him with the last ten feet or so. Miller then followed, bringing with him a fused wad of metal, nylon, and mud that had at one point been the victim's original ascending system.
The rescue party emerged from the cave four-and-a-half hours after they entered; because this particular mission occurred during nighttime hours, the rescuers were forced to conduct the entire operation by headlamp. By the time they emerged, the victim had been underground for 17 hours. Kevin Moses served as incident commander.
[Jason Flood, Lower Buffalo District Ranger]
Lake Mead NRA
Numerous Visitors Rescued Following Boat Capsizings
Rangers dealt with several serious incidents last week, including two fatalities and multiple water rescues.
Along with the previously reported HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewincidentsarticle&type=Incidents&id=6648" search for a missing swimmer (still underway) and HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewincidentsarticle&type=Incidents&id=6653" recovery of another missing swimmer's body, rangers responded to a report of overturned vessels in the Callville Bay area with their occupants in the water. Winds at the time of the incident were gusting to 35 mph and waves were from two- to four-feet high. Two people were rescued from the water and another two from the nearby shoreline. All four were wearing life jackets, which likely saved their lives.
Immediately, after the above call, rangers rescued several more people from another overturned boat about ten miles away.
The park has been advising visitors of the importance of wearing lifejackets while recreating on the lake, as the combination of alcohol, high winds and 105+ degree temperatures can quickly turn deadly.
Rangers are currently gearing up for another busy weekend, with temperatures expected to reach up to 118 to 120 degrees. The National Weather service has issued excessive heat warning for the upcoming weekend.
[Prashant Lotwala, Mead District Supervisory 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/):
Director's Office - Join Director Jarvis on the National Mall for the launching of the National Park Service's healthy and sustainable food program in this episode of Flat Hat Chats [available only internally].
Niobrara NSR - For the first time in its 22-year history, Niobrara National Scenic River is a landowner, as the Bureau of Reclamation has transferred eight parcels totaling 186 acres to the park.
Lassen Volcanic NP - On June 5th, a group of veterans who visited the park under the auspices of Project Healing Waters, which offers disabled military service personnel an opportunity to learn fly fishing, cast their lines into Manzanita Lake.
Mount Rainier NP - On June 4th, rangers, dispatchers, a PIO, and an aviation manager from the park participated in a full-blown training drill simulating an active shooter incident in the local middle school.
Pacific West Region - Judy Geniac has been selected as the new superintendent of Hagerman Fossil Beds NM and Minidoka NHS. She replaces Wendy Janssen, who is the new superintendent of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.
Fire and Aviation Management - Jim Hutton, fuels specialist with the Branch of Wildland Fire at the Fire Management Program Center, has announced his retirement on June 29th after 33 years with the National Park Service.
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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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