NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
INCIDENTS
Yosemite NP
Missing Plane And Pilot Found In High Country
A single engine plane that was reported missing over the park last December has been located. The plane, which was largely intact, was spotted by a park visitor near Vogelsang High Sierra Camp on Saturday, July 6th. The Vogelsang area is in the park's rugged high country.
Rangers hiked to the location of the plane on Sunday on Sunday and found the remains of N.W., the plane's pilot. He has been positively identified.
N.W., who was flying from the Santa Barbara area to the Mammoth Lakes Airport on the east side of the Sierra Nevada, disappeared during a winter storm on December 17th. After extensive searching of the Yosemite high country, the search was suspended for the winter season. The search was resumed this spring and continued for the past several months.
The park's helitack crew was greatly assisted by the California Highway Patrol, Civil Air Patrol, California Emergency Services, and YoDogs (canine search and rescue assistance) during the extensive search operation.
Rangers will be removing the plane from the backcountry over the next several weeks.
[Public Affairs Office]
Denali NP&P
Employee Pleads Guilty To Theft Of Government Property
In May, park law enforcement rangers were made aware that other park employees suspected that J.D., a special projects supervisor for Denali, was taking government gasoline from the park gas pumps for personal use. An investigation began immediately, including video surveillance and a review of gasoline logs. It confirmed the suspicious nature of J.D.'s activity and the case developed slowly.
By December, sufficient evidence had been gathered that showed J.D. took numerous gallons of gasoline on several different occasions. He subsequently confessed to the theft. The Assistant US Attorney's Office in Fairbanks accepted the case and took the charges forward.
On March 7th, charges were filed in United States District Court against J.D. for three counts of theft of government property. On June 28th, J.D. pled guilty to one of the counts in an agreement whereby the other two counts were dismissed. He was fined $250 and ordered to pay $500 restitution to the park, which will go toward replacing the gasoline.
Throughout the criminal and administrative proceedings, the park began several measures to improve security and accountability within the gasoline dispensing systems which are now in place throughout the park.
[Pete Webster, Chief Ranger]
Chickasaw NRA
Drowning Victim's Body Found After Extended Search
On June 22nd, a 50-year-old Oklahoma man went swimming from a pontoon boat near the Arbuckle Lake Dam. Due to windy conditions, the boat drifted away from him. He was unable to get back to it and disappeared under the lake's surface.
Rangers were on scene within minutes, but were unable to find him. A search was immediately begun but was hampered by wind gusts around 25 mph and rough conditions.
The search continued for the next two weeks with assistance from a number of local agencies. The search effort, which took place during a period of very high heat, included divers, dragging, and the use of side scan sonar and search dogs.
On July 3rd, rangers participating in the ongoing search found the man's body. He drowned in about 75 feet of water.
[Aaron Shandor, 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/):
Vicksburg NMP - Vicksburg National Military Park concluded its ongoing observances and commemorations of the sesquicentennial of the campaign and siege of Vicksburg last week with a series of special programs that began on July 2nd and continued through July 7th.
Mississippi NR&RA - BioBlitz 2013 recently took place at Coldwater Spring, a new site within Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. This BioBlitz provided a crucial baseline of information about the species living within the site and surrounding parkland and riverfront.
Shenandoah NP - On June 21st and 22nd, Shenandoah hosted a group of ten college student athletes enrolled in a DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation summer internship program for an overnight camping and hiking experience in the park.
George Washington Carver NM - George Washington Carver National Monument held its annual summer Junior Ranger program during three consecutive Saturdays this past June.
Pu'uhonua O Honaunau NHP - Between 6,000 and 7,000 visitors attended the park's annual cultural festival on June 29th and June 30th. The event is a showcase for Hawaiian music, food, dance, arts and practices.
Historic Preservation Training Center - An announcement has been issued for a superintendent for the Historic Preservation Training Center. Closes: July 12th.
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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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