NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
MORNING REPORT
Thursday, August 29, 2013
INCIDENTS
Chiricahua NM
Park Employee Critically Injured In Assault
The Cochise County Sheriff's Office was advised yesterday afternoon that an assault had taken place in the Chiricahua Mountains south of Willcox.
The victim, a 60-year-old National Park Service employee, was found unconscious in a picnic area restroom. The caller reported that the woman appeared to have head trauma and it was unknown if she had fallen.
NPS personnel responded and determined the best course of action would be for the woman to be airlifted to Tucson.
The woman's government vehicle could not be found in the area, prompting an “attempt to locate” message to be issued throughout the county. The ATL was given to all local law enforcement agencies and the ports of entry to and from Mexico. The stolen vehicle was identified as a silver Dodge Dakota truck with government license plates.
Sheriff's department officers tracked the woman's cell phone, which was reportedly in the vehicle at the time it was stolen. The search led them to Douglas, where the vehicle was located at approximately 7 p.m.
The vehicle is being processed for evidence and the Cochise County Sheriff's Office, the National Park Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are working closely together on the investigation. The woman remains in critical but stable condition in a Tucson hospital.
“We have all available resources dedicated to this case and we are working closely with our local, state, and federal partners to identify the suspects who apparently seriously injured a federal employee before stealing her vehicle and fleeing the area,” said Mark Dannels, the county sheriff. “We will be diligent in our efforts to find those who are responsible for this senseless act and our thoughts and prayers are with her family in this very sad and stressful time.”
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Cochise County Sheriff's Office at 520-432-9500. All information received will remain confidential.
[Carol Capas, Cochise County Sheriff's Office]
Grand Teton NP
Annual Commercial Vehicle Inspections Held
Six days of commercial vehicle inspections within the park came to a conclusion on August 21st.
This coordinated effort by rangers, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration inspectors and Wyoming Highway Patrol commercial carrier group officers continued an ongoing partnership to improve visitor safety and resource protection in the park.
The three two-day-long inspections were held in Colter Bay beginning on June 19th and resulted in 165 vehicles being inspected and 70 violations being issued. Twenty-nine vehicles were placed out of service for significant equipment malfunctions, multiple safety violations or inappropriate/unlicensed drivers.
Infractions and serious safety issues this year included air brake connections with leaks, brake pads worn to less than 20%, tires worn through to the steel belts, cracked frames, fractured leaf springs and significant hydraulic fluid leaks. One driver was also charged with having an open container of alcohol, but was not intoxicated, and three could not read or speak English at a level sufficient to be operating a passenger carrier in the United States.
During the more than 500 inspections conducted over the past four years, rangers have found that 60% of inspected vehicles have violations, with 21% of being placed out of service.
[Patrick W. Hattaway, North District Ranger]
Lake Roosevelt NRA
Rangers Rescue Two Visitors With Respiratory Emergencies
Rangers responded to two separate respiratory emergencies in the park during the week before last.
On August 10th, Lincoln County Dispatch received a 911 call from a boater who said that her 20-year-old daughter was having an allergic reaction and having difficulty breathing. She said that her daughter had a history of severe allergic reactions to numerous allergens and that they did not have her prescribed HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epi_pen" EPI pen or her HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metered-dose_inhaler" metered dose inhaler.
When rangers met the woman at the Seven Bays marina, she had audible wheezes, rapid shallow breathing and was displaying signs of cyanosis around the mouth. An EPI pen was employed and her symptoms were relieved. Just prior to being transferred to the local ambulance, she said that she felt the symptoms returning and was taken to the Lincoln County Hospital.
On August 16th, rangers working at the Spring Canyon office were notified by a visitor or a possible drowning in the picnic area.
When rangers arrived, bystanders had just completed administering rescue breaths and the nine-year-old boy had just vomited. Although he'd started to breathe on his own, his extremities and face were cyanotic.
Rangers placed the boy in the recovery position and administered high flow oxygen. He was transferred to Coulee Medical Center and was seen playing in the playground there the next morning.
[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/):
National Mall and Memorial Parks - Thousands of people attended the “Let Freedom Ring” ceremony yesterday, which marked both the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and Dr. Martin Luther King's “I Have A Dream” speech. The event featured numerous speakers, including members of Dr. King's family, former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, and President Obama.
Canaveral NS - On the night of August 22nd, Canaveral National Seashore recorded the 7000th sea turtle nest of the season, over 1,000 more than last year's record high of 5,998 nests.
Scott's Bluff NM - On August 17th, Scotts Bluff hosted renowned Mark Twain impersonator Wally Seiler in an event that was cosponsored by the Nebraska Humanities Council as part of their lecture circuit series.
Daily Almanac - The heat wave will continue in the northern Great Plains. Flashflood watches have been posted for areas in southern California and western Arizona.
National Fire/Incident Situation Highlights - The daily national fire summary is posted around 8 a.m. EDT each day and can be found at either of the links above. For the most current information on the Rim Fire in Yosemite, click on this link: HYPERLINK "http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3660" http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3660
* * * *
The Morning Report is 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).
--- ### ---