Congaree |  |
The following Incident Reports were extracted from the NPS Morning Reports/Coalition Reports from 1989-2024. They are not a complete record of all incidents which occurred in this park during this timeframe. INCIDENTS | |
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Tuesday, May 16, 1995 T.P., 43, recently named superintendent of Congaree Swamp, was killed in a car accident near Centralia, Illinois, on the evening of Friday, May 12th. T.P. was on her way back to Atlanta after picking up one of her college student sons, To.P., at Washington University in St. Louis. Police sources said that T.P. was driving when her vehicle scraped a median wall on I-64, then veered off the road, rolling several times. Police speculated that she might have fallen asleep at the wheel. To.P. was injured in the accident, but is expected to be released from the hospital soon. Trish began her NPS career as a temporary clerk-typist in Southeast Regional Office and rose quickly through the ranks to one of the region's top science positions. Over the past few years, she was responsible for monitoring and inventorying natural resources in Southeast Region parks, working closely with universities and other federal and state agencies. She is survived by her husband, D.R., a professor of public policy at Georgia Tech, and by three sons - R., 21, and twins To. and K., both 19. Funeral services will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at Northwest Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. The family asks that remembrances be sent in lieu of flowers to the Galloway School in Atlanta, which her sons attended and where she was active in the PTA. Cards may be sent to the family. [Public Affairs, SERO, 5/16]
On the afternoon of July 15th, J.W. was swimming in the Congaree River at Bates Bridge Landing outside the park. While swimming against a swift current, he became fatigued and unable to reach shore under his own power. Ranger Jim Watkins, who was concluding a boat patrol along the park's south boundary, heard J.W. shouting for help and went to his aid. J.W. was hauled aboard and returned to the landing. A short time later, he began experiencing difficult in breathing. Assistance was requested, and J.W. was transported to a local hospital. Following evaluation there, he was transferred to a mental health facility in Columbia. [CRO, COSW, 7/28]
As Hurricane Floyd wends its way north, parks and regional office staff in SER are making necessary preparations. Bob Panko's Type II team will arrive in Atlanta tomorrow to begin planning for post-hurricane natural and cultural resource damage assessments in conjunction with regional staff. All National Park Service Type I and Type II teams have been contacted by SERO and are prepared to respond as needed to recovery operations. SER staff will be contacting DOI emergency operations personnel this afternoon to work out procedures for mutual aid to other Interior agencies in the storm's path. Regional staff are also directly contacting refuges and other DOI offices in the Southeast and maintaining communications links with them. Meanwhile, in the parks: o Congaree Swamp NM (SC) - The park is in the process of shutting down. The new visitor center under construction is about 70% completed. It's been boarded up and made as secure as possible. [Ken Garvin and Darryl Rhodes, SERO, 9/15; John Tucker, Superintendent, FOSU/CHPI, 9/14; Jim Zahradka, IC, CALO, 9/14; Roy Wood, IO, EVER, 9/15; Stephanie Bagozzi, IMT, BICY, 9/15; Bob Woody, IO, IMT, CAHA, 9/15; Barbara Goodman, TIMU/FOCA, 9/14-15]
The following updates have been received from parks being affected by Hurricane Floyd: o Congaree Swamp NM (SC) - Power was out yesterday evening, but was restored by 2 a.m. The park received rain but no flooding, significant but not extreme wind gusts. Employees have been instructed to take care of family and personal needs before reporting to work. [Ken Garvin and Daryl Rhodes, SERO, 9/15-16; Barbara Goodman, Superintendent, TIMU/FOCA, 9/15; Linda Brown, CR, MOCR, 9/15; Jim Zahradka, IC, CALO, 9/15; Gary Bremen, IO, BISC, 9/15; Mike Johnson, CR, FRSP, 9/15; Doyle Nelson, CR, DEWA, 9/15; Rick Nolan, CR, FOMC, 9/15; Dave Griese, CR, FIIS, 9/15; Mike Litterst, PAO, COLO, 9/15; Denise Pearce, CAHA, 9/15; LES, CAHA, 9/16; Nora Martinez, CR, CANA, 9/16; Hattie Squires, MOCR, 9/16; Martha Bogle, COSW, 9/16; Dave Parker, FOMA, 9/16; Wally Mattis, CM, FOFR, 9/16; Gordie Wilson, FOMA/CASA, 9/16; John Tucker, Superintendent, FOSU/CHPI, 9/16; John Burn, CR, ASIS, 9/16]
I.S., 46, of Gadsden, South Carolina, drowned in Cedar Creek while fishing on the evening of September 16th. I.S. and two adult companions were in a john boat with a two-person capacity. The boat capsized while I.S. was trying to untangle his fishing line from a tree branch. B.G., the only swimmer in the group, pushed the third occupant to safety, but I.D. had disappeared by the time he returned to rescue him. Garrick immediately called for help. State DNR divers searched for I.S. until 11 p.m., but without success. The search resumed the following morning, and his body was found four feet from shore in a 10 to 15-foot deep pool of "black water." Interviews with the survivors revealed that the men had been drinking all day prior to fishing. Beer was found in the party's cooler, recovered from the creek. Alcohol is believed to have been a contributing factor, but toxicology reports from the coroner are still pending. There were no life jackets in the boat. There were no indications of foul play. [Martha Bogle, COSW, 9/20]
With the help of over ten local agencies, National Park Service rangers successfully located and rescued three missing visitors at Congaree National Park just before sunrise on Tuesday, April 29th. JR.K., 43, and his two children, ages 10 and 6, had been missing since Saturday night after they got lost during a day hike. Around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday night, JR.K. was able to send a text message to a friend, advising that he was lost and needed help. The friend relayed this to the children's mother, who called 911. Soon after that call, rangers and local search and rescue personnel, including air support, began hasty searches that continued until dawn. On Sunday, as grid searches began, park management decided to bring in an incident management team to provide stability and coordination among agencies. By midday Monday, 9,000 acres of the park's 27,000 acres had been searched and the team began working with partners to plan searches for the remaining areas. Ranger Jared Gurtler made audio and visual contact with the missing family around 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning while on the night shift at the park. At 7:30 a.m., with assistance from South Carolina Department of Natural Resources officers and their ATVs, the family was extracted and transported by ambulance to a local area hospital in stable condition. Ranger Steve Kloster served as incident commander for this operation. [Brent Everitt, Deputy Information Officer]
Congaree NP — The park will close at 2 p.m. on Wednesday. The closure affects the entire park, including facilities, trails, campgrounds and canoe access. All programs are cancelled until further notice. Source: NPS Hurricane and Severe Weather Response webpage.
South Carolina truck driver M.G. was sentenced on October 2nd to 90 days in prison for illegally unloading poisonous landfill waste into a creek system near the park. He was also fined $25,000 and put on a year's probation. M.G., 45, faced up to three years in prison for repeatedly dumping chemicals, including mercury and lead, into the Wateree River drainage basin, which flows past the park. He did so in an effort to "save time." M.G. was employed by an environmental company specializing in hauling away hazardous waste disposal. His job was to transport the liquid runoff to a wastewater management facility. Source: Storm Gifford, New York Daily News.
From September 25-30, many parks around the southeastern United States enacted closures due to the forecasted path of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Ian. Biscayne, Fort Pulaski, Gulf Islands, and Timucuan have reopened for normal operations. Canaveral National Seashore, Carl Sandburg, Everglades and Dry Tortugas partially reopened some areas. Other parks remain closed and have not yet publicly disclosed the effects of the storm, as of October 2. Source: WALA, Everglades National Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, Congaree National Park, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, Fort Frederica National Monument, Cumberland Island National Seashore, Canaveral National Seashore, Fort Pulaski National Monument, Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, National Parks Traveler
Many NPS units along the southeastern seaboard closed or advised strong visitor caution ahead of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Idalia, which was expected to bring high winds and many inches of rain to the area. Additionally, Hurricane Franklin has caused elevated tides and "life threatening rip currents."
A number of visitors observed feral hogs showing less fear toward humans, including blocking trails in popular areas. As a result, on November 15 and 16, the park culled 18 hogs. Culling hogs is a regular part of wildlife management in the park. Source: The State
On August 5, the parks closed in preparation for Tropical Storm Debby. They will remain closed until damage assessments have been completed and the park is deemed safe for visitation. Source: Congaree National Park, Fort Pulaski National Monument, Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park
Many parks were affected by Hurricane Helene, up and down the Eastern seaboard. The following updates are as of Tuesday, October 1. For the latest update, please see each park's website. Congaree National Park: The park lost both power and water during the hurricane, and the whole park remains closed until services can be restored.
Many parks were affected by Hurricane Helene, up and down the Eastern seaboard the week of September 22. Several parks were still in recovery when Hurricane Milton landed the week of October 6. The following updates are as of Monday, October 14. For the latest updates, please see each park's website. Congaree National Park: Part of the Boardwalk is closed due to storm damage. Many other trails in the floodplain have trees down and require "advanced navigation" skills.
On October 3, a 28-year-old left their parent's house in Columbia, South Carolina, with no indication of anything amiss. Later that day, the parent received a message from one of the individual's friends saying that they received an SOS alert indicating the individual had gotten into a car crash. The parent attempted to reach the individual but was unsuccessful. The parent reported them missing on October 4. On October 5, the individual's car was located in Congaree at the Palmetto Trailhead. There were no signs of a car crash The key was inside the car. The individual did not have needed medication with them. The NPS, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and Richland County Sheriff's Department conducted a search, including helicopters, boats, all-terrain vehicles, drones, and dogs. As of October 13, the individual had not been found. Source: The Post and Courier, NBC News | |