NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Friday, July 24, 2015

INCIDENTS

Katmai NP&P

Four Rescued From Overturned Plane At Brooks Camp

A Piper PA-22 Pacer on floats with a pilot and three passengers on board made a landing on Naknek Lake in three- to four-foot swells just after noon on July 5th. Although the landing was rough, the pilot was able to settle the plane on the water in a stable condition. He was attempting to sail the airplane to the beach when the plane turned sideways and the wind picked up the right wing, burying the left wing in the water where it remained.

The pilot instructed his passengers to don lifejackets, which they all managed to get on prior to the airplane rolling inverted in the water. All four occupants exited the aircraft underwater and climbed up on the floats.

The accident was witnessed by Chief of Resources Troy Hamon, who, along with Naknek District Ranger Dave Woodcock, had just launched the park's Palyak landing craft to undertake a search for three overdue hikers. They immediately responded to the overturned aircraft. Hamon was able to successfully maneuver the boat in high winds and waves to a point where Woodcock was able to assist the passengers into the boat. This took three or four approaches to get everyone safely into the Palayak. Hamon then offloaded the passengers on the beach, where they were escorted to the Brooks Lodge and a roaring fire.

The lodge manager and employees provided the soggy aviators with dry clothes and hot drinks. All four were uninjured and only slightly cold with no sign of hypothermia.

After dropping off the people, Hamon and Woodcock returned to the sunken airplane and managed to stop the movement of the plane toward the beach by attaching an anchor to one of the floats. The aircraft was refloated and retrieved by the insurance company five days later. Because of Hamon's foresight in anchoring the airplane in deep water, the aircraft remained intact and was successfully righted and flown away.

The search for the overdue hikers resumed later that afternoon, but rough conditions forced the search boat to return to base. The park aircraft was flown during a lull in the winds and located the three hikers, all of whom were in good condition. Pilot Allen Gilliland landed his wheeled Cessna C-185 approximately a half mile away and was able to retrieve all three hikers in two flights.

[Tom Betts, Chief Ranger]

Lake Mead NRA

Rangers Save Couple On Lake Mohave

A husband and wife in their 70s were out on a small bass fishing boat all day on July 8th and returning from the Cottonwood area in the evening when the husband, who was operating the boat, began having difficulty seeing in the fading light. He decided to try to put ashore for the night at Chili Pepper Cove on Lake Mohave.

When he got out of the boat, he inadvertently knocked it away and out of his reach. His wife tried to throw him a line without success. The wind, blowing at 15 to 25 knots all day, immediately took her away from her spouse, who attempted to swim back to the boat. The wife threw him a PFD, which she said hit the water, though she was unsure if her husband was able to retrieve it.

The wife was located a couple of hours later about two miles northwest of where she last saw her husband. Nearly inconsolable, she was not wearing a PFD and the only PFD on board was of questionable service.

A search was started for the husband with the wife aboard the ranger boat in the area she seemed to recognize. The husband was found on the shore in the cove, yelling for assistance. He was wet, cold and stated that he was planning on making a shelter for the night and waiting until the morning to flag down help. The PFD that was thrown to him by his wife was in the same poor condition as the one found aboard their boat. At the request of rangers the couple voluntarily surrendered their old PFD's for new ones supplied through the “Ready, Set, Wear It” program.

Once back at the dock, the husband declined further medical assessment, while his wife was overcome by the emotions of the event and nearly fainted. He said that he had Type IV PFDs (throwable), flares, and a marine band radio on board, none of which were known to the wife. Nor did she know how to use them.

Rangers suggest that a safety briefing is given to all occupants of a vessel by the operator prior to departing on the water. This briefing should include how to locate and use all safety equipment aboard the boat. Rangers also remind visitors not to jump from moving vessels or in windy conditions that will not permit them to stay with their boat, and to wear their lifejackets while on the water.

[Christie Vanover, Public Affairs Officer]

Lake Mead NRA

Man Rescued After Driving Truck Off Cliff Into Lake Mohave

A man driving a Ford Ranger pickup intentionally drove through a guard rail and went over a cliff and into Lake Mohave immediately east of the Davis Dam Bridge early on the morning of July 7th. Bullhead City Police Department officers responded and requested assistance from rangers.  They reported that the man swam into the dam holding basin and was refusing to come to shore.

With the assistance of Bureau of Reclamation security and staff, rangers and Bullhead City police officers were able to access the holding basin, which is barricaded off from vessels. 

The man was using a piece of foam to hold himself above water but refused to go to shore. He was brought onto the ranger vessel without incident approximately one hour after he entered the water. He was transported by vessel and was treated for hypothermia and transported to Western Arizona Regional Medical Center. 

Bullhead City Police Department and Lake Mead National Recreation Area are investigating the incident.

[Christie Vanover, Public Affairs Officer]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories are among those in today's webpage editions of InsideNPS (available to NPS employees only) and the Morning Report (available to all readers):

Golden Gate NRA - This spring, the park launched a Ranger Cadet Program in which at-risk teenagers spend a week in the park with visitor and resource protection staff, participating in many different classes and experiences to help them learn what it means to be a National Park Service ranger.

Lake Clark NP&P - Lake Clark National Park and Preserve has increased youth intern positions by 400% -- from nine in 2012 to 36 in 2015 -- through a partnership with the Student Conservation Association of Alaska.

San Antonio Missions NHP - This summer San Antonio Missions is reaching new audiences by providing outreach in at-risk communities across San Antonio through a partnership with the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department.

Archeology Program - Diving With A Purpose, a program that creates trained volunteer marine advocates to assist in the stewardship of heritage assets in national parks and national marine sanctuaries, has received an award from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial - Jim Jackson, the chief ranger at Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, retired on July 24th after more than 25 years of government service.

Servicewide Training Calendar - The following have been added to this week's calendar - a workshop on mountaineering risk management and a series of webinars on the new Fourth Grade Pass program.

To see the full text of these stories, readers should go to one or the other of the following sites:

NPS employees - HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index

Non-NPS employees - HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/morningreport/" http://www.nps.gov/morningreport/

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).

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