Death Valley |  |
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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August 26, 1987 Location: Not specified A fire was ignited in a small trailer by a welding torch. Although it was suppressed within 15 minutes, a number of chemicals which were stored within were affected. A one-gallon container of a household Ortho insecticide was consumed; a one-gallon container of Kuron (Silvex), one hundred gallons of Turdon and two one-gallon containers of Rotenone were heat- affected. Twenty-nine persons in three downwind buildings - a grade school, a pre-school, and a residence - were evacuated as a precaution. There were no injuries. Toxic spill notifications have been made by the park, and they are awaiting instructions from authorities. For further information, contact Ranger Terry Harris at 619-786-2331.
Location: Unspecified An EPA team responded to the park and all samples of the environment which they tested were negative of Tuordane. The remaining containers which had. not ruptured but had been affected by the heat of the fire were turned over to DOW Chemical for destruction. The other insecticides are being held for future clean up by EPA. The site is currently clean. The park has requested a board of review to be held, concerning the fire. They have requested individuals from Western Regional Office to serve on the board. Due the the wildland fire situation many of those persons currently are still out of the office on fire crews. The total report is still not complete on the incident and a board of review may be schedule in the next week.
Location: Various A severe storm and accompanying heavy rains caused flooding which led to the closure of all park roads and isolated the Furnace Creek area overnight. Approximately 15,000 persons were affected, many of them participants in a Forty-Niner encampment in the park. All park roads were reopened on the morning of November 6th except for the road to Scotty's Castle. No information was available concerning the extent of flood damage in the park.
Location: Outside of park S.W., the wife of Death Valley administrative officer R.W., was killed while driving back from a shopping trip to Las Vegas on Saturday night. Her car was hit head-on by another vehicle which had drifted into her lane, apparently because the driver of that vehicle fell asleep at the wheel. No further information is presently available.
Location: Salt Flats On the morning of March 4th, a park visitor reported finding a grave within the park. The site, located near the salt flats on the valley floor, contained a shallow human burial which had been partially uncovered by coyotes. Subsequent investigation determined that the person had been killed, and Inyo County issued a first degree murder warrant on March 16th for the victim's son, who had fled to Oregon. The son has been arrested, a confession has been obtained, and extradition is being pursued. It's been determined that the murder was committed in Minnesota. The body was then transported to the park and buried there.
Location: Furnace Creek Ranch Park rangers and Inyo County Sheriff's Office deputies concluded a 10-week- long Inyo County undercover operation with the arrest of 13 employees of Fred Harvey Company, the park concessioner, on a variety of drug-related charges. Ten of the 13, all of whom were temporary employees of the concessioner, were charged with felony sale and distribution of methamphetamines, LSD, cocaine and marijuana. The arrests took place at Furnace Creek Ranch, which is on private land inside the park. Investigation and undercover operations by the sheriff's office are continuing.
Location: Wildrose Peak Six-year-old J.H. became lost around mid-day on April 30th during a father-son outing. He and his father were hiking Wildrose Peak when they became separated at the 8,000 foot level. A call for help was received at 1 pm, and the park immediately set up and took charge of an interagency incident command system to manage the search. The child was found just before 8 pm. Despite extreme weather conditions (winds of 60 mph, temperatures dropping below 30 degrees and snow flurries), he was found to be in excellent physical and mental condition when checked by a doctor on the scene.
Location: Valley Salt Pans A.G. began a solo hike from Bad Water to Telescope Peak on Friday. He was carrying three quarts of water, but drank two shortly after starting the hike and lost the third. Although A.G. then aborted his hike, he was already stressed physically. While out on patrol the following day, ranger Kent Meacham was surveying the salt pans with binoculars when he spotted the victim falling down. Meacham started an IV to get fluids into A.G., then called for a medevac flight. A.G. was transported to Las Vegas where he is being treated for dehydration and hypothermia. Doctors stated that the victim would probably have been dead within the hour if Meacham had not found him and promptly begun medical assistance.
Between 7 p.m. on December 27th and 7 a.m. on the 28th, three campground vault safes were broken into and a total of $1,500 was stolen. Rangers and deputies from the Inyo County Sheriff's Office are investigating.
The three safes which were broken into and removed were honor system vaults from Furnace Creek and Sunset Campgrounds. Two vaults have since been recovered. There are no leads or suspects. The vault at Furnace Creek has been relocated to a point close to the campground host's trailer; collections are being made both in the morning and at night, and campers are complying with requests to make their deposits between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. and to report any nighttime activity around the vaults to rangers. The park will employ surveillance and improve lock designs to prevent further losses.
On the evening of February 16th, park ranger Nancy Blomquist, 31, became seriously ill. A park paramedic who came to her aid found that she was experiencing severe internal bleeding and placed her on advanced life support due to her weakened and deteriorating condition. She was transported by vehicle to the Furnace Creek Airport and then airlifted to the University Medical Center in Las Vegas. At the time of the report (yesterday morning), she was reported to be in serious but stable condition. (Clay Connor, RAD, WRO).
On the afternoon of March 10th, an abandoned vehicle was discovered north of the Cow Creek residential area. A search was begun for the owner, R.H.; at its peak, the search involved eight Southern California SAR units and more than 40 searchers. No sign of R.H. was found, and the search was reduced to a limited effort by park rangers on March 15th. R.H.'s family concurred with the decision to scale back the search. (Dispatch, DEVA, via Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO).
At 8:30 p.m. on the 10th, the park's fire department responded to a structural fire at the Death Valley elementary school at Cow Creek, which is only a few hundred yards from the fire station. Due to the promptness of their response, the fire was contained to a utility room, and there was limited smoke and fire damage to the building. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway. (Dale Antonich, CR, DEVA, via CompuServe report from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO).
On March 17th, a motorcyclist was killed instantly when he hit a passenger sedan head-on near Mormon Point. The four occupants of the sedan were seriously injured in the collision. No further information is currently available on this incident. (Dale Antonich, CR, DEVA, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 2:30 EST, 3/19/90).
On the 22nd, J.C., 51, of Ridgecrest, California, was ejected from a van during a one-car accident at Wildrose Junction and died of multiple injuries. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the incident. (Dale Antonich, CR, DEVA, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 4:30 p.m. EDT, 4/24/90).
On May 27th, a ranger following some off-road vehicle tracks came upon a working methamphetamine lab in the Saratoga Springs area of the park, and called for back up. Rangers park and BLM, deputies from the Inyo and San Bernadino Sheriffs' Offices, and officers in a California Highway Patrol helicopter responded. One suspect fled the area at high speed and made his getaway, but four others were arrested and booked in San Bernadino on charges of off-road travel, possession of firearms, destruction of natural features, and felony production and operation of a drug lab. On the following day, an NPS/San Bernadino County investigative team returned to the lab, which was hidden in a box canyon. The lab contained underground facilities and is considered to be one of the three largest labs ever found in the county. The team seized a number of shotguns, semi-automatic rifles and handguns, and ether weapons; they also confiscated four, four-wheel drive vehicles, four portable generators, camping gear, $80,000 worth of methamphetamines, and over worth of $10,000 of manufacturing equipment. Warrants have been issued for the suspect at large for conspiracy and manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine. This operation appears to have been in its initial state of operation and had the potential for producing over $210,000 of methamphetamine immediately. Due to the remoteness of the area and the lack of patrols due to insufficient staffing (only one ranger patrols the 750,000 acres in which the lab was found), this operation was not detected until now. Toxic cleanup has been scheduled and the estimated cost will be in excess of $40,000. (Dale Antonich, CR, DEVA, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 4 p.m. EDT, 5/31).
Park rangers have found an additional 15 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in an ammunition can 2 00 yards from the first lab's location. The new find has a street value of $320,000, bringing the total value of drugs found to over $500,000. Hazardous materials crews have cleaned the area at a cost of over $32,000, and the area has been inspected and cleared by county health authorities. (Dale Antonich, CR, DEVA, via Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 6/1).
Three park rangers returned to the lab site in the vicinity of Saratoga Springs to check for tracks after receiving information that other vehicles might have been in the area. They found one vehicle leaving the site and subsequently made two arrests for possession of weapons, methamphetamines and methamphetamine manufacturing equipment. A pickup truck has also been impounded. (Ed Rothfuss, Superintendent, DEVA, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 6/18).
V.L.C., 23, of Long Beach, California, was riding with a companion on an ATV near Ibex Dunes on July 4th when the vehicle broke down. Her companion walked out for help. V.L.C. eventually walked away from the ATV. Temperatures in the location at the time were around 118 degrees. Initial reports suggested that the incident had occurred on BLM land, so BLM rangers and San Bernadino deputies conducted a search and found V.L.C.'s body on the 5th. The cause of death was ruled to be exposure. Both V.L.C. and her companion had been drinking heavily before the incident took place. (Telephone report from Carl Christensen, RAD/WRO, 7/10).
A lightning storm on the 17th which was accompanied by extremely high winds deposited over one inch of rain on the south central area of Death Valley. This area includes the headquarters and housing area for the monument. The storm began around midnight and continued throughout the night, causing all road into the area to be closed except Highway 190 to Las Vegas. All commercial electrical power and most telephones were shut down. The entire roof was blown off the carpenter shop and two smaller out buildings as well as several heme windows and motor vehicle windows. Park rangers conducted a technical rescue of two German nationals and one Swiss national who became marooned on an extreme exposure during the height of the storm. Most of the park's roads were to be reopened by mid-afternoon on the 17th, but it is uncertain when electrical power will resume. (Dale Antonich, CR, DEVA, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 7/17).
Two Air Force F-4 Phantoms collided in mid-air over the park on the morning of the 26th, then crashed in the park. Two airmen were confirmed dead, and two others sustained minor injuries. The aircraft, neither of which was armed, were operating out of George Air Force Ease. Park personnel secured the crash site for the Air Force. (Telephone report from Carl Christensen, RAD/WRO, 7/26).
A severe afternoon thunderstorm on August 14th damaged public roads in the park and may have contributed to the crash of a military aircraft. Heavy rains accompanied by high winds hit locations throughout the area, and the park staff, Caltrans road crews and Inyo County sheriffs were kept busy responding to motor vehicle accidents, assessing storm damage and barricading roads. At the height of the storm, a military aircraft crashed at the 7,000-foot elevation on Hunter Mountain near the park's western boundary. Both crewmen ejected safely, but the crash started a 120-acre wildland fire which required the efforts of crews from several agencies to suppress. Maintenance crews found from four to five feet of debris over the road to Scotty's Castle. The thunderstorm was the third roaddamaging storm to hit the park in the past four weeks, and forced the park to make the following closures: Closed until September 1st: Park Route #1 leading south from Badwater parking area through Jubilee Pass to California State Highway 178 and Shoshone, California. Badwater parking area can still be reached by driving Park Route #1 south from Furnace Creek via State Highway 190. Closed until September 15th: Wildrose Road leading from Wildrose Ranger Station southwest to Panamint Valley Road (California State Highway 178). The park may still be entered from the west via State Highway 190 through Towne Pass. Closed until September 30th: Titus Canyon, Westside Road, Desolation Canyon, Natural Bridge, Salt Creek and Sand Dunes parking area. Visitors are advised to call ahead to park headquarters (619-786-2331) before coming to the park, at least until the monsoon season ends. (Ed Rothfuss, Superintendent, DEVA, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 8/20).
The trial of the eight defendants who were arrested after the discovery of a working methamphetamine laboratory at the south end of the park on May 27, 1991 concluded in December. Following a two-week trial and a day and a half of deliberation, the jury found six of the men R.B., D.S., C.R., F.P., M.H. and A.C. guilty on all charges contained in the five-part indictment, including conspiracy to manufacture and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The United States is asking for minimum sentences of from 40 years to life without parole. Sentencing will occur sometime in February. The remaining two defendants, who served as key government witnesses, will be charged later in state court for lesser crimes stemming from this case. Assistant United States Attorney Melinda Haag of Los Angeles prosecuted the case. [Dale Antonich, CR, DEVA, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 1/23]
Park personnel traveling to a meeting on the morning of March 25th discovered a wrecked car which had gone off a curve at the bottom of a long grade in Daylight Pass and rolled over several times. The single occupant, C.N., 46, of Sacramento, California, had been partially ejected and killed. An investigation into the accident is being conducted by the California Highway Patrol and the county sheriff's office. [Dale Antonich, CR, DEVA, via telefax from Carl Christensen, RAD/WRO, 3/26]
A fire broke out in the old cookhouse employed as an administrative building at Scotty's Castle some time between 3:30 and 4:30 a.m. on the morning of April 13th. An NPS employee who lives nearby first saw the fire around 5:00 a.m. The initial exterior attack was made ten minutes later by an NPS fire truck and crew from Grapevine, which is about four miles from Scotty's Castle. Firefighters employed two inch-and-a-half lines from a hydrant and a two-and-a-half inch line from the truck to knock down the flames; additional assistance was received about an hour later from the NPS and Fred Harvey fire trucks from Furnace Creek. Despite their efforts, the structure and its contents were almost totally destroyed. The estimated loss is placed in excess of $200,000. A complete investigation into the cause of the fire was conducted by an arson investigator from the state fire marshall's office, who concluded that the fire was started by an overheated computer in the maintenance office which had been left on to receive SEAdog messages. Although 30 mph winds caused the fire to threaten Scotty's Castle, there was no damage to that building. There were no injuries to any personnel. The 2,000-square-foot structure, which was built in 1930 and was considered to be an historic building, was used as an office and storage area for the interpretive, maintenance and protection divisions. Although portions are still standing, the structure is considered unsafe and will be demolished. Director Ridenour was in the area at the time, and was flown over the fire. The park had been notified on the 12th that $50,000 had just been approved to upgrade the building's fire and security alarm system, which was old and outdated. [Dale Antonich, CR, DEVA, via CompuServe message from Chris Cameron, FMO, RAD/WRO, 4/15]
A major search has been begun for P.H., 41, who is overdue from a roundtrip hike from Badwater Springs to Telescope Peak. P.H.'s car was found along the road by ranger patrols on Sunday, July 21st. The search got underway when investigators learned on the 24th that P.H. was to have arrived in Oregon on July 23rd. Daytime temperatures have approached 120 degrees, with ground temperatures above 180 degrees. Because of the high heat, it has not been possible to utilize dog teams. [Dale Antonich, CR, DEVA, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 7/24]
On the morning of July 26th, searchers found the body of P.H., 41, a half mile from the Badwater parking area. P.H. had attempted a 20mile hike to Telescope Peak and back. When he failed to return, a major, fiveday search for him had been undertaken in 120 degree weather. The cause of death is not yet known. [Dale Antonich, CR, DEVA, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 7/26]
The park is sending four rangers to assist in crowd control at a special event to be held April 25th at Manzanar, the new NPS area recently created to commemorate the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. About 2,500 Japanese-Americans and other visitors are expected at the event. Former Director Bill Mott will be a special guest. Although the Service lacks jurisdiction there at this time, we are providing rangers to support local authorities. [Chris Ward, CR, DEWA, via SEAdog message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 4/16]
A Special Forces unit working with rangers discovered a bundle of marijuana near a clandestine airstrip just outside the park boundary on April 19th. The bundle, which weighed 1,404 grams and was valued at about $8,000, was not there when the team passed through the area 48 hours earlier. There were fresh tracks on the airstrip and evidence that the plane intended to return in the near future. [Chris Ward, CR, DEVA, via telefax from Carl Christensen, RAD/WRO, 4/24]
On April 17th, R.M., 38, was arrested by rangers for possession of 88 grams of marijuana packaged and ready for sale. R.M. was also charged with transportation of a controlled substance across state lines. The arrest occurred as a result of a traffic stop and search of the vehicle based on information supplied by a confidential informant. R.M., who is from Death Valley, is currently being held on state felony charges in the Inyo County jail. The investigation was initiated by the park and is continuing in cooperation with the local drug task force. [Chris Ward, CR, DEVA, via telefax from Carl Christensen, RAD/WRO, 4/24]
On the morning of May 13th, park and Furnace Creek volunteer fire brigades responded to a report of a storage shed fire in the Timbisha Indian village. The wood frame and galvanized metal shed was totally destroyed, but the fire did not extend to a nearby residence. It's believed that children playing with matches caused the fire. The NPS fire brigade has also responded to three vehicle fires in the last two weeks. [DEVA dispatch via cc:Mail message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 5/21]
At 7:50 a.m. on the morning of May 26th, W.E., an incidental pilot from Devils Postpile, was bringing Alden Nash of Sequoia-Kings Canyon to Death Valley to pick up a vehicle when he reportedly attempted a down-wind landing, overshot the end of the runway, and travelled another 180 feet before nosing into the dirt. The plane's right wing was dented, the propeller was damaged, and the landing gear may have been damaged. There were no injuries. OAS and the FAA have been notified; at present, OAS is not investigating the incident. [Mark Maciha/Merna Winters, DEVA, via telefax from Phil Ward, RAD/WRO, 5/27]
Around 7:30 p.m. on the evening of June 4th, L.H., 85, a visitor from Germany, wandered away from her tour group near the park airport. A search was begun immediately, and she was found at 8:00 a.m. the following morning at a point about a mile from where she'd last been seen. Herniersdoff was severely dehydrated but otherwise in good condition, and was medevaced by a California Highway Patrol helicopter. The temperature at the time she was reported missing was 102 degrees, with a daily high of 121 degrees. Searchers believe that she would not have survived another day in these conditions. [Chris Ward, CR, DEVA, via cc:Mail report from Steve Martin, WRO, 6/9]
A quake which registered approximately 6.0 on the Richter scale struck Death Valley at 6:30 a.m. on the morning of June 28th. It is not clear whether this quake was related to the one which occurred beneath Joshua Tree at about the same time. Witnesses reported seeing a long stream of dust along the fault line near the Furnace Creek residential area. The quake caused a twelve-foot surge in Devil's Hole, which dislodged pumping equipment at the surface and knocked it into the hole. No other major damage occurred in the park. [Ed Rothfuss, SUPT, DEVA, 6/29]
On June 20th, a search and arrest warrant was executed by USFWS special agents on a suspect known to have collected a particular species of butterfly endemic to the park for sale. R.S., 36, of Redwood City, California, was arrested for collecting several hundred of the Papilio indra panamintensis caterpillar from the Wild Rose Canyon in the Panamint Mountains. He then raised them at his home until they grew into the butterfly stage and sold them for $500 per pair. R.S. faces a possible five year prison term and a $20,000 fine for this commercial operation. As a result of this cooperative investigation, which involved both Grand Canyon and Death Valley, other suspects have been identified in Golden Gate, Point Reyes and Yosemite. [Chris Ward, CR, DEVA, 7/13]
G.W., 66, of Beatty, Nevada, died of head injuries on August 2nd when his dune buggy rolled over near the Beatty Cutoff road and he was ejected from the vehicle. G.W. and his wife were returning from a visit to the park when the accident occurred. Although park medics applied advanced life support measures, G.W. died at the scene from severe head injuries. His wife, P.W., suffered a possible skull fracture and fractures of the left femur and both wrists. She was evacuated by a Flight For Life aircraft. It's not known whether either of the W.s was wearing a seatbelt. [Mark Maciha, DEVA, 8/3]
A vehicle registered to R.S., 38, of Spokane, Washington, was found by rangers along Mud Canyon Road between Beatty and Scotty's Castle on Sunday, August 30th. The vehicle's doors were unlocked, and rangers found $2,100 in travelers' checks and cash in the glove compartment. R.S. has a history of mental instability and reportedly attempted suicide a number of years ago. He'd worked for the Postal Service in the east and reportedly left because he feared violence from his fellow employees. R.S. had gone to Spokane to find work, but had been unsuccessful. The Inyo County sheriff's office is taking the lead in the search. It's currently too hot for search dogs (it was 104 on the 31st - the "coolest" it has been in a while), so aircraft and ground trackers are being employed. [Chris Ward, CR, DEVA, 9/1]
The search for R.S. came to an end on September 2nd with the discovery of his body just off Mud Canyon Road. R.S. was within sight of the road, and appeared to have been dead at least several hours. The cause of death is presently unknown, but temperatures in the area had been over 107 degrees. Contacts with his family revealed additional recent evidence of mental instability. Local SAR teams had assisted in the search, which was coordinated by the Inyo County sheriff's office. [Phil Ward, RCR, RAD/WRO, 9/3]
On April 21st, rangers found the body of B.C., 56, of Columbia, California, in her car. She had apparently committed suicide with a revolver which was found in her vehicle. B.C. had been reported missing by The Tuolumne County sheriff's office; the report also indicated that she was on medication and had suicidal tendencies. The vehicle had been observed in the area for three days, but the body was out of sight of patrolling rangers, who believed that the vehicle had been left there by someone on a hike. The Inyo County sheriff's office is conducting the investigation of the incident. [CRO, DEVA, 4/23]
On May 25th, a Cessna 210 crossed the Mexican border and failed to land at Calexico, California, for a Customs inspection. A Customs radar aircraft picked up the plane on a low level course headed for Death Valley. The Inyo County sheriff's office was contacted; they in turn called rangers and asked them to intercept the aircraft once it landed just west of the park boundary to meet a load vehicle. Occupants spotted the Customs aircraft and attempted to flee, but responding sheriff's units stopped and arrested four persons and seized the aircraft and two ground vehicles. The plane was hauling 1,000 pounds of cocaine with an estimated value of $60 million. Two of the four suspects were Mexican nationals and two were from the Los Angeles area. [CRO, DEVA, 6/9]
A concession employee reported finding a body in the vicinity of Breakfast Canyon on the morning of August 16th. The employee had gone hiking in the area the night before and had seen a man who was either sleeping or dead. He went back in the morning to confirm his suspicion and found that the man was in fact dead. Investigation determined that the man was P.S., between 50 and 60 years old, from Glendale, California. P.S. was last seen on August 10th, when he disappeared after having had an argument with his wife. P.S. did not appear to have suffered from any significant trauma. The incident is being investigated by the Inyo County sheriff's department. [Mark Maciha, DEVA, 8/16]
At 7:30 a.m. on the morning of August 23rd, a park interpreter discovered the body of C.L., 28, in the middle of the roadway on the road to Scotty's Castle. C.L. had apparently been involved in a single car accident earlier in the morning and had been ejected from his vehicle. The car was found about 70 feet off the roadway. C.L. was visiting from England and was operating a rental vehicle. The exact cause of death was not known at the time of the report. [Mark Maciha, DEVA, 8/29]
On the evening of September 30th, rangers were dispatched to a mutual aid call at Furnace Creek Ranch, a resort on a private inholding, in which three people were injured in a knife fight. The first had a deep laceration to his right arm with arterial bleeding and had lost between a liter and a half and two liters of blood; the second had a puncture wound to the right upper back and a head laceration; the third had a laceration to his head. The first victim was immediately given advanced life support treatment and taken to Las Vegas by a Flight for Life helicopter; the remaining two were taken by ambulance to the hospital. As of October 1st, the first was still in intensive care and the other two were in jail for assault with a deadly weapon. Other arrests are possible. Inyo County is investigating. [CRO, DEVA, 10/4]
On December 14th, three people were indicted in federal court in northern California for poaching federally protected butterflies between 1983 and 1992 in Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Death Valley, Point Reyes and Golden Gate. More than 2,200 butterflies, including 210 protected under the Endangered Species Act, were taken for commercial gain over the past nine years. The case was developed after U.S. Fish and Wildlife agents and Grand Canyon rangers and investigators began an investigation last year into poaching of a rare species of butterfly from the park. If convicted, each defendant faces five years federal imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release. [Carl Christensen, RAD/WRO, 12/21]
On January 4th, a sewage treatment facility operated by Fred Harvey, the park concessioner, breached at Furnace Creek. About three acre-feet of effluent spilled out of the lagoon, flowed about a half mile through low vegetation, then spread out onto the salt pan at the bottom of the valley. The spill was stopped within two hours of discovery. A representative from the state water resources board immediately traveled to the site and is writing recommendations to the board which may stipulate both needed repairs and possible penalties. A similar spill occurred in early 1993. The spill was from the third cell of the percolation/evaporation lagoons. [RMO, DEVA, 1/12]
On the morning of January 31st, H.W., 48, and her husband, Gary, were each driving their Harley-Davidson motorcycles through Jubilee Pass on Highway 178 when Herlinda lost control of her bike in the narrow curves, hit an embankment, was thrown about 20 feet, and landed on her head. Although she was wearing a helmet, she suffered severe injuries. Rangers provided advanced life support measures until a helicopter could transport her to Las Vegas. H.W. subsequently died of her injuries. (Dispatch, DEVA, 2/4]
J.M., 53, an employee of Fred Harvey concessions at Death Valley, was killed in a single-car accident on Route 6 some time between 3:00 and 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 16th. An investigation into the accident is underway; no further details are available. [David Sandbakken, DEVA, 2/16]
On January 13th, rangers responded to a call of a man having a heart attack in the Furnace Creek campground. When they arrived, the found T.B., 71, unconscious, unresponsive and gasping for breath; within seconds, he stopped breathing and arrested. CPR and advanced cardiac life support procedures were begun, including defibrillation, endotracheal intubation, and administration of ACLS drugs and an IV. T.B. heartbeat was restored after ten minutes, but he was still unconscious and not breathing on his own. He was taken by NPS ambulance to the Furnace Creek airport to meet an aircraft from a Las Vegas air medical service. During the hour-long wait, T.B. again went into full arrest, and rangers again restored his pulse. He was flown to a hospital in Las Vegas and was discharged in good condition a week later. An interesting side note is that there were no paramedics on call at the time. All advanced cardiac life support measures were performed by parkmedics and parkmedic-cardiacs who had been through NPS-sponsored training. [Chris Ward, CR, DEVA, 2/28]
During the evening of April 1st, rangers received a report that E.G., an instructor for the Athenian School, had been injured in the roadless area of Cottonwood Canyon. They hiked in to E.G.'s location, arriving at 5 a.m. the following morning, and found that he had suffered a crushed ankle. A Flight for Life helicopter transported E.G. to a Las Vegas hospital for surgery on his ankle. [CRO, DEVA, 4/8]
On the afternoon of April 8th, two people were killed in a head-on collision on California Highway 190 about eight miles west of Furnace Creek. F.F., 53, and his wife R.F., 51, both of South Orange, New Jersey, were killed upon impact when their 1994 Ford Tempo struck a 1994 Cadillac being driven by M.S., 40, of Semmes, Alabama. M.S., who was the sole occupant of his vehicle, received only minor injuries. All persons involved wore seatbelts. M.S. probably survived because of the deployment of the airbag in his car and the disparity in the relative sizes of the two vehicles. [Ann Titus, PIO, DEVA, 4/11]
A visitor reported finding a car containing a body parked in a side canyon off the Mud Canyon Road on the afternoon of April 8th. Investigating rangers found a vacuum cleaner hose leading from the exhaust pipe into the car's interior. A homemade "tombstone" was found on the dashboard bearing the inscription "D.T., Oxnard, CA, 1950-1994." This tentative identification had not yet been confirmed at the time of the report. The victim had been there for some time. [Ann Titus, PIO, DEVA, 4/11]
Early on the morning of April 20th, rangers received a report of a body in the Texas Springs campground. They found the remains of 57-year-old B.C. in a sleeping bag at a camp site some distance from the group of mentally handicapped people with whom he was traveling. Inyo County investigators determined that B.C. had ingested four flowers from the datura plant, which is currently blooming in the park's higher elevations. The plant is toxic and can cause death if consumed in sufficient quantities. [CRO, DEVA, 4/25]
While conducting overflights of the park as part of Operation Alliance, rangers observed a vehicle parked in a remote area in such a manner that it led them to believe that the operator was attempting to hide it from view. Subsequent investigation on the ground led to contacts with R.B. and W.J., both of Bishop, California, who were engaged in the collection of Native American artifacts. Additional evidence which was found at the scene led to their arrest for ARPA violations. [Mike O'Neal, RLES, RAD/WRO, 4/28]
Rangers attempted to stop a Ford Mustang speeding on the Daylight Pass Road near the Nevada border on the evening of June 24th, but the driver - subsequently identified as J.H., 35, of Trona, California - refused to stop and continued to speed westbound through the park. A license check indicated that the registration was for another vehicle. California Highway Patrol and Inyo and San Bernadino county officers joined the pursuit, which continued for 90 miles and ended up in Trona. Speeds during the pursuit reached 70 mph. When J.H. was taken into custody, he stated that he didn't stop for officers because he did not want his car impounded on the roadside and couldn't pay the towing bill. J.H. also said that he'd watched the pursuit of O.J. Simpson prior to the latter's arrest and that he knew the officers wouldn't run him off the road. J.H. was arrested on driving under the influence and several other federal and state charges related to this and previous driving incidents. [CRO, DEVA, 6/28]
On August 6th, rangers received word that a body had been found at the 10,000-foot elevation on the Telescope Peak trail. The victim, subsequently identified as B.P., 65, of Sherman Oaks, California, was listed as a missing person by Glendale police. He'd been dead about 12 hours. The Inyo County coroner is conducting an autopsy to determine cause of death. [CRO, DEVA, 8/8]
On December 14th, R.J.S., of Redwood City and M.L.G. of Santa Rosa pleaded guilty in federal district court to charges of violating the Endangered Species Act and other international wildlife conventions. The two were arrested last year for poaching butterflies between 1983 and 1992 in Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Death Valley, Golden Gate, Point Reyes and a number of wildlife refuges. More than 2,200 butterflies, including 210 protected under the Endangered Species Act, were taken for commercial gain over the period. The case was developed after Fish and Wildlife agents and Grand Canyon rangers and investigators began an investigation two years ago into poaching of a rare species of butterfly from the park. Collectors have paid hundreds of dollars for some of the rarer butterfly species the two men collected, which included the San Bruno elfin, mission blue and Lange's metalmark. This is reportedly the first federal case ever made against butterfly poachers. R.J.S. and M.L.G. could receive fines of up to $250,000 and prison terms of up to five years. [San Francisco Chronicle, 12/16]
The Inyo narcotics enforcement team advised rangers on May 2nd that they'd received a tip that a drug shipment would be en route to Bishop, California, from Las Vegas, and would likely pass through the park. The suspect vehicle was spotted by a patrol ranger on the following morning; it was heading northbound at about 80 mph, but accelerated when the ranger turned and began following it. County and state units joined in and lead the pursuit at speeds in excess of 100 mph. The vehicle ran off the road about six miles outside of Beatty and drove cross-country for about 400 feet before coming to a stop. The drive, J.B., was wanted on a no-bail felony warrant for parole violations. A quantity of methamphetamine was seized from the vehicle. [Mark Maciha, Acting CR, DEVA, 5/4]
On April 23rd, rangers were called to a motor vehicle accident with injuries near the park's east boundary. K.G. of Japan had been ejected from the vehicle and was dead upon arrival. K.O., also of Japan, was treated at the scene for a closed head injury; rangers provided life support until a helicopter could arrive to transport her to Las Vegas. The vehicle's estimated speed when it left the highway was between 70 and 80 mph. [Mark Maciha, Acting CR, DEVA, 5/4]
On April 29th and 30th, participants in the Death Valley 400 Sport Motorcycle ride passed through the park despite lacking a permit for the event. Park staff had informed the promoter, Jerry Counts of Canoga Park, California, of permit requirements, but Counts ignored requests from the park for the application fee, a performance bond, and an accurate map of the event route. Counts contended that the park had neither the authority nor the need to issue a permit for a "self-guided" ride for 150 motorcyclists. Rangers developed a monitoring plan to protect sensitive resources and to provide for visitor safety along the route. One motorcyclist crashed, and it took rangers 45 minutes to locate the accident due to the lack of an event map. The rider was taken to a hospital in Lone Pine and treated for a fractured clavicle and multiple rib fractures. Legal action against Counts is pending. [Mark Maciha, DR, South District, DEVA, 4/3]
While conducting overflights of the park as part of Operation Alliance on April 27, 1994, rangers observed a vehicle parked in a remote area of Mesquite Flat in such a manner that it led them to believe that the operator was attempting to hide it from view. Subsequent investigation on the ground led to contacts with R.B. and W.J., both of Bishop, California, who were in the process of removing a winnowing tray and bowl from a sandy knoll. The two men were charged by the U.S. attorney with misdemeanor ARPA violations. On June 28th, they pleaded guilty to the charges, and were each sentenced to two years' probation, payment of a $2,745 criminal fine, restitution of $500 to the park, prohibition from the park during the probation period, and a small court assessment. [Eric Inman, DEVA]
On July 27th, rangers received a report of a mobile home in the Stovepipe Wells concession housing that was fully engulfed in flame. Park and volunteer fire crews at Stovepipe Wells contained the fire to the trailer, which was unoccupied at the time. The fire originated in one of the bedrooms. There had been past reports of electrical problems in the structure. [Mark Maciha, Acting CR, DEVA]
A fire was reported in a residential trailer in the Furnace Creek Ranch employee housing area at 7:30 a.m. on August 4th. Park and volunteer firefighters were dispatched to the scene and were able to confine the fire to a rear bedroom. The trailer was unoccupied at the time. Since this was the second trailer fire in the park within the last two weeks, a state arson investigator was asked to look into the cause of the fire. He determined that it was started by a failure and short in an electrical outlet. Arson is still suspected in the fire that occurred on July 27th, however, and an investigation by the county sheriff's office is underway. [Mark Maciha, DR, South District, DEVA]
Late on the evening of August 7th, 45-year-old F.T. lost control of his tractor trailer on a curve west of Panamint Springs Resort on CA 190, went off the road, and plunged 200 feet down a slope. A passenger in the cab crawled out and got a ride to Panamint Springs to report the incident. A local fire department responded and called for assistance. Six rangers responded with technical rescue gear and extrication tools. It took about three hours to extricate F.T. from the truck. Rangers started IV fluids and transported F.T. to a waiting helicopter, which took him to a hospital in Las Vegas. He is reported to be in a coma with a cervical spine fracture. [Mark Maciha, DR, South District, DEVA]
N.A., 54, was found on his back about 50 yards from the Badwater Road near Furnace Creek on August 8th. N.A. was incoherent, but was moving his arms and legs. Rangers and a local deputy brought him to the road and began an IV. N.A. became combative and remained so throughout his transport to Death Valley Junction to meet a medevac helicopter. N.A. is now on a ventilator, and is reported to have a diminished level of consciousness. His vehicle was later found nearby; it contained evidence indicating that this may have been a suicide attempt. Despite the high heat in Death Valley at this time of the year (it reached 122 degrees on the day N.A. was found), there are very few heat stroke cases in the park. [Mark Maciha, DR, South District, DEVA]
On August 1st, R.S. of Redwood City, California, and T.K., of Tucson, Arizona, pled guilty to felony violations of the Endangered Species Act before a federal district court judge. R.S. was sentenced to five months in a work-furlough facility, five months in a halfway house, and two years' probation. T.K., considered less culpable, was given three years' probation. Both were also fined $3,000 and their collections were confiscated. A third man, M.G. of Santa Rosa, California, pled guilty to similar charges at an earlier date and was sentenced to three years' probation. The charges against the three men stemmed from nine years of poaching rare butterflies from federal lands, including Golden Gate, Grand Canyon, Point Reyes, Death Valley, Yosemite, and other areas. The conspiracy was uncovered when a Stanford University biologist contacted the Fish and Wildlife Service and advised agents that an employee had been poaching rare butterflies from the Grand Canyon. A search of R.S.'s house revealed more butterflies, as well as correspondence linking the three men and other collectors around the country. FWS special agent John Mendoza was the case agent, and was assisted by numerous NPS criminal investigators and rangers. The investigation spanned a four-year period. While T.K. conceded to the judge that there was no excuse for such illegal activity, he said that the Endangered Species Act was sometimes ambiguous. The judge agreed and directed T.K. to help dispel the confusion by teaching other collectors about the law. [Rod Suarez, CI, GOGA]
On November 15th, a rental car went off the Badwater Road, rolled several times, and ejected the two occupants - both Italian nationals. The car then caught fire and burned. One of the visitors died instantly; the other was found alive by a passerby, but died five minutes later. Park and state highway patrol units arrived about 45 minutes after the accident occurred. The identification of the two occupants has not been confirmed, as neither carried any identification and the fire consumed the contents of the vehicle. [Mark Maciha, DR, South District, DEVA]
On February 15th, park visitors reported discovering what appeared to be human remains east of Daylight Pass. Rangers assisted county deputies with recovery of the remains and a .22 caliber pistol. A positive identification has not yet been made, but it appears probably that the victim was a 53-year-old man last seen by his family in Portland, Oregon, in 1989. When the man left his family, he told them that he would not be back. No missing person report was ever filed, and he hasn't been heard from since that time. The man may have had a terminal illness. The Clark County crime lab in Las Vegas is handling the remains. [Chris Ward, CR, DEVA]
The park received a report of a single car, rollover accident on Mud Canyon Road on the evening of March 5th. B.C., 40, the driver and lone occupant, was killed in the accident. B.C. was the son of the park's campground host, who had just come on duty that day. Speed is believed to have been a contributing factor. [Ed Forner, DEVA]
W.B., 55, of Tucson, died of injuries sustained in a single-car rollover near Mud Canyon early on the morning of Friday, March 15th. Bentley was ejected from the vehicle. [Chris Ward, CR, DEVA]
G.V., 32, and her boyfriend, J.W., went on what was to be a day hike in the Desolation Canyon area of the park on March 25th. J.W. employed a 30-foot section of climbing rope to raise and lower G.V. in steep, hazardous, technical climbing areas. The pair climbed up about a thousand feet and covered several miles. They were unable to find a route back to their car, though, and spent the night out, clad only in shorts and t-shirts. They tried again the next day. G.V. made it as far as a steep canyon, then refused to go further. J.W. found his way out and reported the incident to rangers. A three-person park SAR team attempted to reach her at 9 p.m. that evening, but had to turn back due to very high winds, hazardous terrain, and total darkness. The crew of a rescue helicopter from China Lake Naval Weapon Station located G.V. at 7 a.m. on the 26th. She was dehydrated and hypothermic; once warmed and rehydrated, however, she declined to go to a hospital and was released. [Eric Inman, IC, DEVA]
On March 28th, F.M. and K.S., both 22-year-old Air Force Academy students, set out on a day hike in the Natural Bridges area. They employed free-climbing techniques to circumvent several dry falls, but an anchor pulled out at one of them and K.S. fell about 15 feet, dislocating his right shoulder and thumb. F.M. free descended to a second 20-foot dry fall, leaving K.S. at the top to return to the trailhead to summon help by cellular phone. Ten park employees assisted in the rescue. K.S. was belayed down the fall, then walked out - with assistance down three rock scrambles - to a waiting ambulance. He was taken to a hospital in Las Vegas. [Theresa Stoia, Acting DR, South District, DEVA]
J.C., 56, was killed in a single vehicle rollover accident on SR 190 in the park on May 8th. J.C., a French national, was traveling with her husband and grown son on a sightseeing trip of the United States. The rental vehicle drifted onto the shoulder of the highway; when the driver attempted to bring it back onto the pavement, he overcorrected and the car rolled over. J.C., who was in the back seat and was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected through the car's rear window. [Eric Inman, CI, DEVA]
Rangers received a report of an assault with a deadly weapon in a park housing area occupied primarily by Timbisha tribal members on the afternoon of July 27th. An argument had broken out between two individuals which resulted in the victim being struck in the face with a rifle and shot twice. The alleged assailant, R.K., chased the victim back to his residence, but had departed from the area by the time rangers arrived on scene. R.K. has a previous criminal history for assaulting law enforcement officers, and had recently threatened park law enforcement personnel. Information indicated that R.K. had returned to his residence after the assault and was armed. Park personnel established a perimeter and evacuated surrounding homes while waiting for Inyo County deputies to arrive. A tactical unit was requested, but the county advised that they wouldn't be available for six hours. When deputies arrived, the incident was turned over to them due to the nature of the park's jurisdiction. Due to limited resources, they opted to wait R.K. out. R.K. was still at large at the time of the report last Thursday afternoon. [CRO, DEVA]
Rangers responded to a tour bus crash on Highway 190 west of Townes Pass on the afternoon of October 3rd. The initial report indicated that at least four passengers had been seriously hurt. A multi-victim incident response was begun, with the closest units 25 minutes away. Upon arrival, rangers found a 30-passenger tour bus off the road against the side of a mountain. The driver had lost control while descending a nine percent grade. Twenty- two people were injured, two seriously. The cause of the crash is under investigation. The bus has been impounded by the California Highway Patrol. [CRO, DEVA]
On October 21st, an abandoned vehicle was discovered in Anvil Springs Canyon, a remote location in the park. The vehicle had been reported stolen from a rental company in Los Angeles when it was not returned as scheduled on July 26th. At the same time, the four German national who'd rented the vehicle - E.R., 33, C.M., 28, G.W., 10 and M.M., 4 - had been reported as missing. Since their itinerary was unknown, the park had not been notified of their disappearance. A ground search is underway with mounted horse units and rescue teams and SAR groups from several state and federal agencies. Updates will follow as the search continues. [Ann Holeso, PIO, DEVA]
Due to the lack of substantial clues, the search for the four missing German nationals which was begun in the park last week was called off on October 26th. The park utilized helicopters, horse and foot patrols in the search, and was assisted in its efforts by BLM, the Forest Service and state and local organizations. At this time, it appears that there's been no foul play. Still missing are E.R., 33, C.M, 28, G.W., 10 and M.M., 4. An investigation into there whereabouts is underway. [Ann Holeso, PIO, DEVA]
On the afternoon of March 24th, a 30-year-old man who suffers from schizophrenia walked away from his camp at the Eureka Dunes. A search was begun and is being managed by the Inyo County Sheriff's Department. The park has supported the search effort with the park airplane, three horses and four rangers. At the time of the report, no clues had been found or leads developed. [Eric Inman, Acting CR, DEVA, 3/26]
The search for J.L., 30, who walked away from his camp at Eureka Dunes on March 23rd, was suspended at 5 p.m. on March 26th. No trace of J.L. had been found. J.L. had been traveling with his mother when he left her for a short walk. The search was managed by members of the county sheriff's SAR squad with support from the park and the state. [Eric Inman, Acting CR, DEVA, 3/27]
On the afternoon of Friday, April 11th, rangers were informed by local residents that they'd found some abandoned personal belongings on a peak in the Daylight Pass area on the west side of the park. Among the items found were an unused airline ticket, several empty blister packs of sleeping pills, partially burned college identification cards, and a watch. A fanny pack and a leather knapsack were also found in the area. Investigators determined that K.P., 24, of Skokie, Illinois, had failed to return from a trip to Las Vegas and had been missing since January 27th. Family members said that he'd been depressed due to a recent job loss. A search was begun on Corkscrew Peak on April 14th, but no sign of K.P. was found. Searchers discovered his body on a nearby unnamed peak the following day. A register entry indicated that K.P. had hiked to the peak on January 27th, the same day he was to fly home. He had taken a taxi from Las Vegas to Death Valley and had made no arrangements to return. Due to the difficulty of the terrain and the fact that the body was in a wilderness area, it took ten park employees over six hours to litter the body out. [Ann Holeso, PIO, DEVA, 4/21]
R.L. was arrested in Sunset campground for multiple weapons violations on the evening of April 20th. R.L. had been seen during the day in the vicinity of the visitor center and within a private resort. When approached in the campground by a deputy and a highway patrol officer, he immediately tried to gain access to the cab of his pickup truck despite the officers' orders not to do so. He was arrested at gunpoint and taken into custody. A search of the truck led to the discovery and seizure of a loaded .45 caliber handgun, a loaded .45/.410 derringer wrapped in a towel on the front seat, a shortened 10 gauge double barrel shotgun, a bayonet and a throwing axe. Notes found in the vehicle referred to "taking them all out." R.L. was booked into county jail on state charges, but released the following day. A park investigation is underway. [ACR, DEVA, 4/22]
A semi with a dump trailer carrying nine cubic yards of concrete aggregate missed a curve in the road and overturned 10 miles west of the park's boundary around 8 a.m. on April 24th. Rangers responded along with local and state officers and EMS and fire personnel. The driver was ejected from the cab and died at the scene. The cause of the accident is under investigation by state police. [ACR, DEVA, 4/25]
On June 20th, a California Air National Guard F-16 crashed into a remote section of the park. The pilot was able to eject before crashing and sustained only minor injuries. The aircraft was found in the park's wilderness. The wreckage will be removed by helicopter. On Sunday, June 22nd, a twin-engine Cessna experienced trouble with both engines over the Saline Valley. The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing on Saline Salt Flat. He then hiked ten miles out of the area. Temperatures exceeded 105 degrees that day. [Ann Holeso, PIO, DEVA]
On the afternoon of July 16th, a 1979 Cessna 182 which had been rented by E.K., a 46-year-old Swiss national, crashed as E.K. attempted to land it up hill on a dirt strip at the Panamint Springs Resort. E.K. was apparently having problems landing; when he attempted to pull up and come around again, the plane stalled and crashed on park property next to the resort. E.K. and his two sons - M., 17, and S., two - were killed. The plane burst into flames on impact, thus making any attempts at a rescue impossible. Shortly after the crash, E.K.'s wife and daughter arrived by car at the resort to meet them. The county sheriff and NTSB are investigating. [Chris Ward, CR, DEVA, 7/25]
On the afternoon of August 26th, ranger Sarah Bondareff came upon an unoccupied vehicle parked along Highway 190 just inside the eastern entrance to the park. The air temperature at the time was approximately 115 degrees. A registration and warrant check revealed that the owner, D.H.B., 58, was under investigation for sexual misconduct with his granddaughter and had been listed as a missing person. He was also reported to be potentially armed. Bondareff secured the vehicle and located possible foot tracks associated with it nearby. A hasty search by an NPS aircraft was fruitless. The Inyo County sheriff's office assumed responsibility for the incident late that night and began a ground search. D.H.B.'s body was found in a ravine about a mile from his car the following evening. He had died from a single gunshot wound to his chest. [Scot McElveen, ACR, DEVA, 9/3]
On August 28th, the park received a report that someone had been killed in a mining accident at the Bille mine, located on the east side of the park. Rangers Bondareff and Kodell responded and found that 35-year-old C.H. had been run over by a large mining vehicle known as a mucker, which is similar to a front-end loader. C.H. was evidently driving a dump truck and waiting for the mucker to return. He was in front of the truck and could not be seen by the driver when he returned with a load of borax. Alcohol consumption by C.H. is believed to have been a contributing factor. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the park and county sheriff's office. [Chris Ward, CR, DEVA, 9/5]
Off-duty California Highway Patrol officer J.S., 46, and his wife, Carolyn, were riding their motorcycle on Highway 190 inside the park on the afternoon of October 12th when winds estimated at 60 to 65 mph caught the small trailer behind the motorcycle and pushed it off the road, causing both S.'s to be thrown into the rocky desert area. J.S. was killed instantly, even though he was wearing a helmet; C.s. sustained a fractured ankle and lacerations to her face. She was released from a Las Vegas hospital the next day. [Chris Ward, CR, DEVA, 10/14]
On October 27th, park archeologist Caven Clark came upon a single vehicle accident on Highway 190 two miles north of Furnace Creek. Responding rangers Brenner, Bondareff and Kodele found that B.S., 53, a Canadian national, had been ejected from the vehicle when it rolled over and had sustained fatal cranial injuries. B.S.'s adult daughter survived and was transported to a hospital in Las Vegas where she was treated and released. An autopsy revealed that B.S.'s blood alcohol content at the time of the accident was .205. [Scot McElveen, ACR, DEVA, 10/28]
On October 4th, a 14-year-old visitor from Switzerland went into cardiac arrest while wading in the swimming pool at Stovepipe Wells. CPR was initiated by other visitors. Responding park medic John Anderson and EMTs Sarah Bondareff, Jodi Rods, and Ron Rods continued CPR and were able to establish spontaneous pulse and respirations after approximately 10 minutes. At this time, the patient was found to be in ventricular tachycardia. She was given the appropriate medications and stabilized, then transported by helicopter to Las Vegas. Although the girl has an extensive history of cardiac problems, she fully recovered from this episode. Low blood potassium may have played a role in the episode's onset. [Scot McElveen, ACR, DEVA, 11/5]
S.B. of New York City began a 14-mile round trip day hike to Telescope Peak - the highest peak in the park at 11,049 feet - at 9:30 a.m. on the morning of January 4th. The park was notified when he failed to return to the trailhead for a scheduled pickup at 4:30 p.m. Ranger John Anderson began a hasty search for S.B. at 3:40 a.m. on January 5th. Representatives from the California Highway Patrol, Inyo County Sheriff's Office and California Army National Guard soon joined the search. S.B. was located in Jail Canyon below the mountain's snow line just after 10 p.m. that evening by a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) device. Ranger Dave Brenner was first to make voice contact with S.B., who was flown out by helicopter. At his debriefing, S.B. said that he'd attempted to take a shortcut back to the trailhead when he realized he couldn't make the full circuit and get back to the trailhead on time. He was in good medical condition despite being dressed in light clothing and carrying limited food and water. S.B. added that he thought the helicopter ride out was "neat." Ranger Ed Derobertis was the incident commander. [Scot McElveen, ACR, DEVA, 1/6]
G.M.C. of Weldon, California, was ejected from a Jeep Cherokee and killed in the early morning hours of January 1st when the driver, R.C., failed to negotiate a sharp turn. The Jeep went off the road and rolled at least five times. An ambulance crew responded and transported G.M.C. to a medevac helicopter, but she died from her injuries during the flight. Rangers David Brenneer and Beth Meyers collected and marked evidence at the scene for a later California Highway Patrol investigation. Speed and impairment from alcoholic beverages are thought to have been contributing factors. [Scot McElveen, ACR, DEVA, 1/6]
On December 24th, rangers Mark Thompson and Beth Meyers arrested D.B., 47, for theft of government property and trespassing on a government installation. D.B. had employed the park's four-wheel-drive roads to assess Fort Irwin bombing ranges to retrieve scrap metal. The park has worked with the military on the chronic problem of "scrappers" like D.B., as they leave litter and occasionally transport unexploded ordnance through the park. They can also cause cancellation of expensive practice bombing runs by the military. D.B. was turned over to the Department of Defense for prosecution. Thompson made a second case against scrappers Teven Taelour, 25, and Tina Adams, 27, on Christmas day. [Scot McElveen, ACR, DEVA, 1/9]
On January 12th, a backpacker found a pack in the Mesquite Flat area which contained a birth certificate, a letter, and credit card receipts from January, 1997. He removed the information from the pack and contacted the park. On January 14th, ranger Ron Rods located the pack and found the partial skeletal remains of a single person nearby. The county coroner has tentatively identified the remains using the identification in the pack. The probable victim was very much a loner according to his daughter. She told rangers that it wasn't unusual to not hear from him for years at a time. The case has been turned over to the Inyo County Sheriff's Office for investigation. [Scot McElveen, ACR, DEVA, 1/23]
Reports have been received from two parks that have suffered serious impacts from the storms of the last two months: Death Valley NP (CA) - The storms that struck Death Valley in February dropped a year-to-date total of 2.40 inches on the park - considerably more than the average annual rainfall of 1.85 inches. On February 24th, portions of a three-quarter mile section of park Route 8 were undercut and washed away in Emigrant Canyon. The route has been closed to vehicle traffic, and regional assistance has been requested. It's estimated that it may take up to six months to repair and reopen the road to the public. Access to Skidoo and Aguereberry Point will be possible by coming south through Wildrose, but through traffic will not be permitted. On the positive side, the above-average rainfall has produced the most impressive display of wildflowers the park has had since 1973. Reports from other parks that have also been significantly affected by these storms would be appreciated. [Scot McElveen, Acting CR, DEVA, 2/26; Gary Candelaria, Superintendent, PINN, 2/27]
The park developed and implemented a program to combat and track fee fraud violations in 1997. Over the course of the year, rangers seized a total of 54 Golden Eagle, five Golden Age and two Golden Access passports which had been fraudulently obtained or used and presented at visitor contact stations. A standard questionnaire and signature form were developed and utilized in each case. In most cases, the person presenting the passport was not cited, but the passport was seized and the visitor was required to either pay the park entrance fee or obtain an appropriate passport. Of the 61 passports seized, 35 were presented by visitors from Germany and 14 by visitors from other European countries. Ten were held by U.S. citizens and the remaining two by Canadians. [Eric Inman, CI/LES, DEVA, 3/23]
A Dodge Caravan with six occupants went off Big Pine Road and rolled over around noon on May 24th. D.G., 25, an Indian national working in Woodlands Hills, California, was ejected from the right front passenger seat and was killed. D.G. was the only one of the six occupants who was not wearing a seatbelt; the other five suffered only minor injuries. Speed is believed to have been an important contributory cause. Ranger Ed Derobertis and California Highway Patrol officers investigated the accident. [Scot McElveen, ACR, DEVA, 5/28]
C.G., 49, of Alameda, California, was riding his Honda motorcycle on Highway 190 west of Towne Pass just before 2 p.m. on May 24th when he failed to negotiate a curve and ran off the road. C.G. was thrown off his motorcycle and killed. Rangers Beth Meyers and David Brenner investigated along with California Highway Patrol officers. [Scot McElveen, ACR, DEVA, 5/28]
The park's criminal investigator assisted BLM staff in searching a discarded methamphetamine drug lab for evidence on September 11th. The complete lab was found bagged up in seven, 55-gallon plastic trash bags underneath an informational kiosk along Highway 127 near the park's southwestern boundary. This is the fourth dump site found near the park during the past two years. One of the main ingredients for the methamphetamine recipe in this lab was iodine crystals. The criminal investigator obtained important evidence that has proven useful to local agencies in other on-going cases in the area. [Eric Inman, LES/CI, DEVA, 10/19]
D.A., 40, and B.G., 43, both of Ann Arbor, Michigan, began a cross-country hike from Dante's View to Telescope Peak at 8 a.m. on October 12th. This cross-country hike would cover a distance of approximately 25 miles if completed; it would begin at an elevation of 5,704 feet, descend down below sea level near Badwater, then ascend to an elevation of 11,049 feet. On the second day into their hike, the two became disoriented while attempting to hike down Dante's View and became stranded in one of the drainages. They advised rangers of their situation via cellular phone at 8:30 a.m. on the 13th. Due to their location, the park asked for assistance from China Lake Naval Air Station. A helicopter was dispatched, and the two men were located and rescued at approximately 2:30 p.m. that day. They were in good condition, but had run out of water. Ranger Ed Derobertis was IC. [Ed Derobertis, PR, and Scot McElveen, Acting CR, DEVA, 10/19]
Rangers discovered a significant methamphetamine drug lab dump site inside the park in Amargosa Valley on October 22nd. Numerous items had been buried at the site, including three 55-gallon drums containing liquid and sludge waste, several five-gallon pails containing some type of solvent, stained clothing, and miscellaneous trash. Cleanup costs are estimated at between $5,000 and $10,000. Evidence gathered at the site indicates that the lab "cook" occurred from six to nine months ago. A joint investigation is underway with the Inyo County Sheriff's Department. [Eric Inman, CI, DEVA, 11/27]
On December 1st, the park received a notice to be on the lookout for L.E. of San Bernadino, who had told his landlord's husband that he intended to kill himself at Mud Canyon inside the park. Attempts to find him proved fruitless. On the morning of December 5th, however, park maintenance worker Kit Oesterling spotted a car matching L.E.'s. Rangers Ron Rods and Bill Fitzpatrick investigated and found L.E.'s body near the park information wayside at Hell's Gate, about five miles east of Mud Canyon. It appears that he died from a single gunshot wound to the head from a .45 caliber handgun. The county sheriff's office and county coroner have assumed responsibility for the case. [Scot McElveen, Acting CR, DEVA, 12/29]
A Beechcraft Musketeer piloted by H.U., 67, of Lancaster, California, crashed while taking off from the Furnace Creek airstrip just after 4 p.m. on December 30th. The plane crashed 500 feet off the runway. H.U. and his 29-year-old daughter sustained only minor injuries. They received on-scene care from park staff, then were transported by helicopter to Las Vegas for further treatment. The aircraft was totally destroyed. The FAA and NTSB are investigating, but it's already been determined that H.U. had failed to release the yoke lock before taking off. [Ed Derobertis, Acting ACR, DEVA, 1/4]
On January 1st, a local newspaper ran an article describing the discovery of a trunk associated with a group of Forty-Niners which had been found in a remote area of the park by J.F., a resident of Pearblossom, California. According to the article, J.F. found the trunk last November while scouting routes for a planned backpacking trip which would retrace routes which might have been taken through the area by Forty-Niners on their way to the California gold fields. J.F. first found a knife and ox shoe, which led him to a more thorough search of the area. He found the trunk wedged into a rock shelter, held in place with rocks and a piece of wood. During this and subsequent trips, J.F. and associates reportedly opened, photographed and inventoried the contents of the trunk, then put it back in its original location. Park chief of resource management Linda Greene contacted J.F. by phone on January 4th. J.F. told her that he'd in fact removed the trunk from the park and taken it to his home. He said he'd done this because he was afraid that pot hunter might find it and take it for economic gain, and because he was concerned about the Park Service's ability to preserve the artifacts. Greene convinced J.F. that it was in his best interest and the best interest of the artifacts for him to turn the trunk and all its contents over to park staff. J.F. and his brother brought the trunk to the park the next day and gave them to Blair Davenport, curator at Furnace Creek. The trunk has been inventoried and placed in storage. Its contents included lace textiles, ceramic and brass containers, a handmade basket, a sighting glass, a pair of children's shoes, a doll, jewelry, books, correspondence, pictures, a canteen, a flintlock pistol with a holster, powder horns, a property manifest, and coins from the late 1700s through 1849. Park staff are currently in the process of making a determination on the authenticity of the trunk and its contents and assessing the accuracy of the location where it was reportedly found. If the trunk and contents are authentic, they evidently belonged to William Robinson of Illinois, a Jayhawker who traveled through Death Valley. Robinson was with a group of Forty-Niners who were seeking a short cut from the Spanish Trail. They began their ill-fated journey on November 11, 1849 at Mount Misery, Utah, separating into groups and eventually arriving in Death Valley in December, 1849. They then continued west in separate groups and arrived in various parts of the Panamint Mountains by January, 1850. According to diaries, folklore, and other accounts, thirst, starvation, and the death of their livestock forced many to leave behind portions of their personal belongings in order to survive the remainder of the trip. The trunk with its contents appear to be associated with Robinson. The handwritten manifest with instructions is dated January 2, 1850. Historical records indicate that Robinson survived his trek out of Death Valley, but that he apparently died from drinking too much cold water when near exhaustion upon reaching Barrel Springs (near present-day Palmdale, California) on January 28, 1850. Removal of the trunk and its contents meet all legal thresholds and definitions found within the Archeological Resources Protection Act of 1979. A final decision on any potential charges against J.F. remains on hold pending the park's authenticity investigation of both the articles and the reported location of the find. [Blair Davenport, Curator, and Scot McElveen, Acting CR, DEVA, 1/12]
Ranger Dave Brenner responded to a report of shots being fired in the Wildrose campground at 1:30 a.m. on November 18th. A camper told Brenner that two men had detonated some sort of an explosive device near his camp site. Brenner contacted E.M., 25, and S.P., 25, both of Ranchos Palos Verdes, California, and seized several pipe bomb pressure containers, oxidizer, flammable metals, a quantity of premixed explosive compound, and credit card receipts for the explosive materials. Both were required to appear in court, where the magistrate sentenced each of them to three years' probation and fines of $500. [Dave Brenner, PR, and Scot McElveen, Acting CR, DEVA, 1/14]
On January 3rd, park staff were notified that a trunk had been located and recovered from within the park, and that it might be associated with a group of Forty-Niners who had traveled through the region in 1849-50 in an attempt to reach the gold fields in California. Upon recovery of the trunk from the man who found it, park staff asked the Western Archeological and Conservation Center to help determine the authenticity of the trunk and its contents. Conservator Gretchen Voeks, curators from the Smithsonian Institution and other subject-matter specialists evaluated the artifacts and concluded that numerous items in the trunk and materials found on these items date to periods later than 1850, the year cited in a letter found in the trunk. Adhesive samples from three items were tested and found to contain polymers that were first available around 1930. Two photos in the trunk were tintypes, a photographic process that was not developed and patented until 1856. And a manufacturer's mark on one of the two ceramic bowls could not have occurred before 1914. Other inconsistencies in the condition and time frames of the artifacts were also noted. The investigation continues. Since the trunk was reportedly taken from the park, ARPA charges are possible. [Scot McElveen, Acting CR, DEVA, 2/4]
On the afternoon of February 26th, L.B., 59, of Lawndale, California, was landing his rented Cessna 172 Skyhawk at the Furnace Creek airport when he overshot his approach and crashed off the runway, flipping the airplane. L.B. and his passenger, Peter Machin, 53, were able to get out of the plane after it flipped and were not injured. L.B. said that the plane skidded off the runway after he applied the breaks; the plane flipped over when the landing gear hit the dirt at the end of the runway. The accident is being investigated by the NTSB and the FAA. [Scot McElveen, Acting CR, DEVA, 3/9]
On the evening of May 5th, a patrol ranger spotted a runaway truck and trailer (gross weight, 55,000 pounds) heading down highway 190 into the park. The truck had lost its brakes shortly after crossing a pass at 4,900 feet; as it went by the ranger, who was parked at Emigrant Station, its estimated speed was in excess of 80 mph and it was burning underneath and trailing smoke. Since Stovepipe Wells was nine miles ahead (all downhill) and the area contains campgrounds, a store, gas stations, a housing area, and a restaurant and motel, the ranger made a radio broadcast in the blind hoping to warn anyone close to a radio. He attempted to stay with the truck, but was left behind when the truck's speed passed 90 mph. The truck barely missed a loaded school bus on its downhill run. As the truck approached sea level and lost grade, the driver was able to regain power to his brakes and transmission, allowing him to bring his now flaming rig to a stop in the middle of the road a mile west of Stovepipe Wells. The two right rear tires and axle grease were on fire; although flames were lapping onto the trailer, which was loaded with railroad ties, they hadn't yet reached the truck's fuel tanks. The ranger was joined by another patrol ranger and a third ranger driving one of the park's wildland fire engines. The ranger with the engine put on his structural fire gear, charged his engine and line, and determined that he'd try one quick hit on the fire, then retreat if that didn't work. The other two rangers did not have turnout gear available, so were not able to help; the nearest structural fire engine was 40 miles away at Cow Creek and unable to respond when called due to staffing problems. The ranger successfully knocked the fire down. At the ranger's direction, the driver disconnected the trailer and pulled away - with the tires still on fire - so that the truck's fuel would not be added to the fire. The ranger ran out of water, drove the engine back to Stovepipe, loaded another 200 gallons of water, and returned to the scene to keep the fire from reigniting. Rangers then assisted California Highway Patrol officers in the investigation. No one was hurt or injured; an estimated $150,000 in property was saved. [CRO, DEVA, 5/6]
A visitor reported seeing an aircraft crash about a mile and a half northeast of Stovepipe Wells on the afternoon of May 11th. Rangers confirmed the accident, and a multi-divisional rescue operation was put into effect. The injured pilot was trapped in the plane, which had flipped over. He was extricated and advanced life support measures were begun. A medevac helicopter subsequently flew him to an area hospital for treatment. [Bill Blake, CR, DEVA, 5/12]
A tractor-trailer rig traveling east bound on State Route 190 lost its brakes coming down a steep grade into the park at noon on May 18th. One of the two trailers being towed, which contained hazardous waste, disconnected from the rig and continued down the hill at a high rate of speed. Two German bicycle tourists were taking a break at the Emigrant rest station when they looked up and saw the trailer heading directly toward them. The trailer storage container separated from the chassis; the chassis raced by them to their left and the storage bin came to rest on their right. The wreckage narrowly missed the historic rock restroom facility. Meanwhile, the driver was able to coast into Stovepipe Wells, where he reported the accident. The California Highway Patrol, CalTrans and the NPS worked together to secure the scene, decontaminate people exposed to the waste, and oversee the cleanup operation. Nobody was injured in the accident. [John Anderson, PR, DEVA, 5/18]
A visitor from Turkey reported that two men in dune buggies attempted to take his camera from him somewhere between Scotty's Castle and the town of Big Pine on the afternoon of June 1st. The report was made to county and state officers. The visitor also reported that the two men had aimed an M-16 rifle and a .45 caliber handgun at him as he fled. Rangers, California Highway Patrol officers, and Inyo County deputies responded by air and land. Rangers found vehicle tracks and footprints in the vicinity of Crankshaft Junction which may corroborate the report They followed the vehicle tracks to the point where they left the park, heading toward Fish Lake Valley. The county is leading the investigation. [Scot McElveen, ACR, DEVA, 6/2]
A suspected arson fire destroyed the main ranch house at the historic Meyer Ranch, a 40-acre inholding within the park, sometime in early June. On June 13th, visitors to the ranch reported to park rangers that they had found the main structure burned down. Investigators found signs of recent footprints and tire tracks. Rangers and local law enforcement officials are continuing the investigation. The fire from the house burned up a spring drainage and extended approximately a quarter acre onto park lands. The stone cabin was built in the 1930's as part of a "recreational ranching" endeavor by the Meyers family, who inherited the property from the Lotus Mine claim. The area gained some notoriety in the late 1960's, as the adjacent Barker Ranch was the site where Charles Manson family members lived and were subsequently arrested. [Tim Stone, MA, DEVA, 6/22]
On the morning of August 2nd, California Highway Patrol officers advised that they'd discovered a suicide victim in the park near California Highway 190. A rental vehicle was found parked on the road shoulder at a scenic location overlooking Death Valley. The victim inside was identified as S.G., 24, of Austin, Texas. He had died from a self-inflicted 9mm gunshot wound to his head; a recently purchased 9mm Beretta was located nearby. The county sheriff's office is investigating. [Ed Derobertis, PR, DEVA, 8/3]
On the night of August 13th, dispatch received a 911 call reporting and assault with a deadly weapon that had occurred in Indian Village. The victim told investigating rangers that her brother had struck her on the head with a rock, and that she was carrying her 20-month-old child when the assault took place. The man, who was reported to be intoxicated, was known to rangers, as he'd been involved in another domestic violence case only two weeks previously. He also had a felony warrant out on him. The supervisor on scene accordingly requested backup from the resident California Highway Patrol officer. When that officer and an Inyo County deputy stationed 60 miles away arrived on scene, a search for the assailant was begun. Ranger John Anderson found and arrested him without incident. [CRO, DEVA, 8/15]
A California Highway Patrol helicopter was assisting the park's search and rescue team in a search for two lost/overdue hikers on the morning of August 13th. Around 10 a.m., the pilot reported via park radio that the aircraft was making an emergency landing 40 miles south of Furnace Creek, but the transmission broke off in mid-call. Repeated efforts to raise the helicopter proved fruitless. An air and ground search for the helicopter was begun. Ranger Hank Kodel found the helicopter and its three occupants a half-hour later. All were okay. The pilot reported that an engine malfunction light had come on, forcing him to land. Once on the ground, they were unable to hit the park repeater with the radio they had, hence the loss of contact. The engine was repaired and the helicopter flew out without further ado. [CRO, DEVA, 8/16]
On the evening of August 17th, rangers and emergency personnel were dispatched to a single car rollover accident west of Stove Pipe Wells with seven visitors reported to have been ejected from the vehicle. Additional reports indicated all seven visitors had major injuries. Park personnel responded with two ambulances, two structural fire engines, and the park's mass casualty trailer. Also responding was the resident California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer, three units from Lone Pine, California, an ambulance and a crash truck from Beaty, Nevada, and three medevac helicopters from Las Vegas. Rangers arriving on scene found that two of the visitors had died and that the remaining five were seriously injured. Additional rangers and a park medic soon arrived. The injured were treated and prepared for air evacuation. One went into cardiac arrest and required CPR; he subsequently died, as did a fourth person. The seven victims were college students from China. They had been in a small van that went out of control coming down a 14-mile-long grade and rolled several times before coming to rest upside down. CHP has dispatched an accident reconstruction team to the site. There have been two other major accidents in the same general area during the past three months. [CRO, DEVA, 8/18]
Off-duty ranger Bill Archer was driving east from Stovepipe Wells on California Highway 190 on the evening of August 18th when he came upon a two- vehicle accident. Two vans in a six-van caravan had collided; one of the them was on fire and blocking the highway. Archer, an EMT, first checked the burning vehicle to assure there was nobody inside, then provided medical treatment to the injured. The temperature at the time approached 120 degrees in the shade, of which there was none. Two park fire engines, the park ambulance, and patrol rangers responded. The EMS situation was somewhat complex and confusing, as none of the injured spoke English. It first appeared that only three members of the group had been injured. Two were prepared for air evacuation to Las Vegas, the third for ambulance transport. After all EMS personnel had been committed and were on their way to hospitals, another nine visitors complained of neck and back pain and requested aid from a doctor. Since they were all mobile and since no additional EMS staff or ambulances were available, they were given a map with the location of the nearest hospital and advised that they could either drive there themselves or wait two hours and pay for transportation by a commercial ambulance. They elected to drive. The burned-out vehicle was loaded on a flatbed and removed. [CRO, DEVA, 8/19]
On the afternoon of August 30th, China Lake Naval Air Station notified the park that a Marine Harrier jet had gone down in Saline Valley. The pilot ejected, but did not survive. The park employed GPS to determine that the crash site was well within the park's wilderness. The Navy asked for assistance in leading their crash site security team into the remote area. Ranger Bill Archard met and assisted the security details. No further information is currently available. [CRO, DEVA, 8/30-31]
Parks throughout the system are making preparations for millennium-related events which will take place on or around New Years Eve. The Morning Report will provide continuing updates on those preparations and on the activities themselves as they occur. Today's initial entry comes from Jerry McCarthy in Pacific West Region: o Mojave NP/Death Valley NP/Joshua Tree NP/Lake Mead NRA (CA/NV) - Staff from the four parks will meet in December to prepare a desert contingency plan. All are expecting heavy visitation, particularly Lake Mead, which will receive spillover from Las Vegas. Plans presently call for having all law enforcement staff on duty for the event. Parks making similar preparations are encouraged to submit short summaries to the Morning Report. [Editor]
On November 28th, rangers responded to a single-vehicle rollover accident in the Wildrose area. Injured were two children, both of their parents, and an adult friend of the family. The father had a concussion and laceration to the forehead; the mother multiple pelvic fractures, a fractured lumbar vertebra and sacrum; the five-year-old boy a pneumothorax and pulmonary contusion; the six-year-old girl a skull fracture with subdural hematoma, facial fractures and a fractured clavicle; and the friend a rib fracture and pneumothorax. Two Flight for Life helicopters were used to transport the five victims to a trauma center in Las Vegas. All are in stable condition. [John Anderson, EMS Coordinator, DEVA, 12/1]
On the afternoon of December 11th, rangers employed binoculars and a spotting scope to observe the activities of two men in a known park archeological area. The two men, ages 52 and 72, had numerous artifacts in their possession when they returned to their vehicle. An on-site investigation was conducted the following day by the park archeologist. It included GPS documentation and photographs of the disturbed area. Charges are pending. [Nancy Wizner, ACR, DEVA, 12/12]
The park had three significant incidents over President's Day weekend. On Saturday, the structural fire team responded to a kitchen grease fire in the concession at Scotty's Castle. The fire was suppressed and the damaged grill was removed. A two-car head-on collision on Sunday left five injured. A Flight for Life helicopter flew four people to an area hospital; the fifth was transported by ambulance. Rangers began searching for a lost father and son on Sunday. The two were not well-prepared for camping in the snow. The search effort continued until early Monday, during which another foot of snow fell on the area. The father and son were located with the assistance of a helicopter. Both were dehydrated, but otherwise in good condition. [Nancy Wizner, ACR, DEVA, 2/23]
An NPS special events team (SET) led by Lake Mead chief ranger Dale Antonich confronted and safely arrested three heavily-armed men (names currently being withheld) just before midnight on March 17th. This action culminated a 16-hour manhunt that started in Nevada and ended in the park after a high-speed chase. During this period, the three men shot at law enforcement officers and rangers from six different agencies and shot down a California Highway Patrol (CHP) helicopter. The incident began when a Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) officer stopped the trio on U.S. 95 south of Beatty. During the stop, the driver shot at the officer several times, then fled north on the highway. A Nye County deputy tried to stop them in Beatty; they shot at him, then continued west into the park, where they shot five times at a responding CHP officer. Rangers became involved as the suspects fled south toward the Furnace Creek development, where there were an estimated 3,000 visitors. The park aircraft also responded. The vehicle turned off the main highway onto a park tour road. Park, CHP, NHP and Nye County officers and rangers set up roadblocks at both ends of the road, while the park aircraft searched for the men and/or their vehicle. The car was found stuck in a nearby salt pan and the three occupants were seen walking west across Death Valley. They were carrying rifles slung over their shoulders and a large pack. A check of the vehicle led to the discovery of several handguns and rifles, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, anti-government and anti-law enforcement literature, bomb-making manuals, and military operations manuals. One of the men was found to have a criminal history of violence and sex crimes. Since the men were walking west into a wilderness area and away from all roads and visitors, the strategy of confinement and observation was used while additional law enforcement resources were brought in. Some officers remained near the abandoned car and watched the trio with spotting scopes; the park plane continued circling overhead. An Army Black Hawk helicopter which was in the park on an anti-drug mission was employed to drop a group of five protection rangers and three officers, headed by park special agent Eric Inman, in front of fleeing felons. An incident command post was established at the park airport. A CHP helicopter soon arrived and joined the park plane in aerial surveillance. The three men, who by now realized that there were officers and rangers in front of and behind them and aircraft overhead, stopped and dug a fortified bunker and began shooting at the two aircraft. The CHP helicopter was hit by two rounds and lost its main oil line, forcing it to land. The two crewmen were now within three-quarters of a mile of the bunker and under the suspects' guns. A Black Hawk helicopter with eight Inyo County SWAT team members on board extracted the two CHP crewmen, who were shaken but unharmed. The strategy of confinement and observation was continued. A helicopter gun ship from the San Bernadino Sheriff's Office arrived and joined the park plane in watching the area. The three suspects continued to shoot at any and all aircraft that came within view, and occasionally fired indiscriminately in all directions. A plan was developed for the coming night, with the goal of keeping the suspects within confinement and out of the populated Furnace Creek area. The plan called for the insertion of the Inyo County SWAT team to the east of the bunker, and the reduction of the team to the west of the bunker to five Death Valley rangers - all properly trained and equipped for night operations. Antonich's team was then placed in a position where they could support the Inyo County team and protect the CHP helicopter. A Kern County helicopter and a Customs jet - each with infrared observation equipment - were utilized, and other CHP units blocked all park roads. Additional CHP and NPS units were standing by, ready to move into Furnace Creek if confinement was lost. The three suspects began moving east toward Furnace Creek at 11 p.m. They were confronted by Antonich's team and surrendered after a very short and tense standoff. They were found to be armed with five handguns and two rifles, all loaded. A joint investigation is underway. The CHP helicopter has been removed by a heavy-lift helicopter. A total of 113 law enforcement officers and rangers from ten local, state and federal agencies were involved in the incident. [CRO, DEVA, 3/19]
The three people arrested in the armed confrontation at the park on March 17th have been identified as L.B., 44, of Downey, Idaho, Cheryl Maarteuse, 50, also of Downey, Idaho, and J.B., 20, of Emeryville, California. A total of 13 weapons have been seized so far, and it's believed that there are two more weapons hidden near the "bunker" they dug during the confrontation. At the time of the original submission to the Morning Report, it was not known that Dale Antonich's SET team received fire after it was dropped off by helicopter. A number of rounds struck the ground in front of team members. The U.S. Attorney's Office has asked the park for a report documenting this assault and the shots fired at the park aircraft. The investigation is being conducted by ranger Jon Peterson. An all-agency debriefing will be conducted on March 27th. Representing the NPS will be SET leader Dale Antonich, Death Valley assistant chief ranger Nancy Wizner, and Peterson. [CRO, DEVA, 3/21]
On the afternoon of December 11, 1999, rangers employed binoculars and a spotting scope to observe the activities of two men in a known park archeological area. The two men, D.B. and W.J. (convicted in 1995 for theft of Indian baskets from the park), had numerous artifacts and collecting tools in their possession when they returned to their vehicle. The evidence was seized, an on-site investigation was conducted the following day by the park archeologist, and charges were subsequently filed in federal court. On March 21st, D.B., a resident of Big Pine and a lieutenant with the Inyo County Sheriff's Department, was convicted on a misdemeanor ARPA count for theft of archeological resources from the park. D.B. pled guilty under a negotiated plea agreement drafted by special agent Eric Inman, who represented the government at federal district court. D.B., a member of the Piaute tribe, had earlier admitted to collecting the artifacts, claiming that the objects belonged to him and to other Native Americans. Park officials contacted the local Timbisha-Shoshone tribal leader, who said that the tribe does not condone the collecting of any historic artifacts belonging to their ancestors. D.B. said that only he collected artifacts, and that W.J. simply guided him to the site. The judge accepted the plea agreement and sentenced D.B. to a fine of $250; restitution in the amount of $1,130 for restoration and repair costs; three years of unsupervised probation, during which he may not be found in the company of anyone engaged in "digging, collecting, removing or defacing any archeological resource;" and an essay of no fewer than 300 words on the effects of unauthorized collecting of Native American artifacts on others and to the natural environment. The essay will be subject to NPS editorial review and will become the property of the NPS for use and publication at the agency's discretion. [Eric Inman, SA, DEVA, 3/31]
Members of the Death Valley NP-Inyo Sheriff's Office SAR team found a body in lower Wildrose Canyon on the afternoon of April 2nd. The victim is believed to be F.S. of Los Angeles; suicide has been deemed probable. F.S. was last seen by his wife on March 23rd. His vehicle was seen in the park five days later, but did not seem suspicious. It was found in the same location two days later, and an investigation was begun. Rangers found that LAPD had a missing persons report on F.S., who was reportedly despondent and carrying a handgun. The search for F.S. was begun on March 31st. [CRO, DEVA, 4/2]
On the evening of April 19th, the park received a mutual aid request from the Inyo County Sheriff's Office for assistance in a search for two missing 14-year-old boys. Rangers Dave Brenner and Jeremy Monroe were dispatched. The missing boys were from a small town adjacent to the southeast boundary of the park and had last been seen at their campsite. They had been experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs and wandered off into the desert while under their influence. Brenner and Monroe found one of the boys at 3:15 a.m. on April 20th. Although in good physical condition, he was hallucinating and talking to himself. At the time of the report (April 21st), the second boy had not been found. [CRO, DEVA, 4/21]
On the evening of April 19th, rangers Dave Brenner and Jeremy Monroe joined a search for two boys who were missing from a small town adjacent to the park. The boys had experimented with hallucinogenic drugs and wandered off into the desert. Brenner and Monroe found one of the boys in the early hours of the following morning, but the other boy was not with him. Search efforts continued, and he was eventually found - 20 miles from the point where he'd last been seen... [Bill Blake, CR, DEVA, 5/6]
On June 2nd, an air search began for an overdue hiker in Golden Canyon who'd been missing for four hours. Ranger/pilot Ed Forner sighted the victim in an adjacent canyon; rangers Kyle Nelson and John Anderson soon reached the scene and found the body of the 61-year-old German visitor. The coroner has determined that he died of congestive heart failure caused by heat stroke. He had carried only 24 ounces of water with him. The high temperature for the day was 112 degrees, but the thermometer on the victim's back pack read 122 degrees in the canyon where he was found. [Nancy Wizner, ACR, DEVA, 6/3]
Ranger Bill Fitzpatrick checked a vehicle that appeared to have been abandoned near Mahogany Flat campground on Friday, August 18th, and found that it was an overdue rental car. Rangers and Inyo County deputies investigated and a search was begun for Georgia resident C.M., 26. Navy, Army and California Highway Patrol helicopters were employed and Inyo County SAR team members assisted in the intensive search, which was conducted on Saturday and Sunday. On Monday, rangers scaled back the operation to a ground search in high probability areas. No sign of C.M. has been found. The park will continue to search areas for clues. The incident has been turned over to the Inyo County Sheriff's Office as a missing person investigation. Ranger Dan Dellinges was IC. [Nancy Wizner, ACR, DEVA, 8/22]
Ranger Bill Fitzpatrick checked a vehicle that appeared to have been abandoned near Mahogany Flat campground on Friday, August 18th, and found that it was an overdue rental car. Rangers and Inyo County deputies investigated and a search was begun for Georgia resident C.M., 26, in the canyons leading off 11,000-foot Telescope Mountain and 10,000-foot Rogers Peak. The search was scaled back on the 21st due to a lack of clues. On August 31st, rangers Bill Archard and Aaron Shandor discovered what appeared to be a campsite in Jail Canyon, a very remote section of the park. A search of the area with a helicopter, hasty teams and a cadaver search dog team was arranged by IC Dan Dellinges. Although the dog picked up the scent of a body in the canyon, searchers were not able to find it due to very rough terrain, swirling winds and thick vegetation. Additional clues - a sleeping bag and hiking gear - were found in the area. Weather complicated search efforts. Some search team members near the 10,600-foot level of the mountain were snowed in, while the temperature at the incident command post reached 110 degrees. On September 16th, rangers and a volunteer SAR dog team found C.M.'s body at the 7,500-foot level of Jail Canyon. Evidence at the scene indicated that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. [CRO, DEVA, 9/17]
On March 17th, three people - L.B., 44, of Downey, Idaho, C.M., 50, also of Downey, Idaho, and J.B., 20, of Emeryville, California - were arrested following an extended armed confrontation with rangers. Rangers found and confiscated a small arsenal of weapons from the "bunker" the trio had dug during the confrontation (see attached photo). The three were charged under state law with attempted murder and discharging a firearm at an aircraft. C.M. has pled guilty to the charges. J.B. will stand trial in January in Independence, California. L.B. has been committed to Pattan State Mental Hospital for three years, but will be evaluated in three to six months to determine if he can stand trial. Federal charges will be filed against all three once the state judicial process is completed. Earlier this year, employees involved in this incident received exemplary act awards from the Service. Those honored made up the team whose collective efforts led to the successful and safe apprehension of the three heavily-armed fugitives. Investigators have determined that 12 rangers were shot at with high-powered rifles during the 16-hour confrontation. The citation for the award reads in part as follows: "This award is in recognition of the efficient, rational, and highly professional manner in which National Park Service employees performed above and beyond the normal call of duty when three armed suspects threatened park employees, park residents and visitors. . .Through the teamwork of all employees, working as a unit, the emergency was brought to an end within 16 hours with no loss of life, no serious injuries, no significant damage to park resources, and no damage to National Park Service and Furnace Creek Ranch owned facilities and property. National Park Service teamwork and interagency cooperation were the foundation for the successful conclusion of this incident." Honored were: Dale Antonich, Paul Crawford, Glen Douglas, Loren Fazio, Evan Jones, Kevin Hendricks, Scott Hinson, Keith Lober, Willie Lopez, Tim Simonds, Jeff Sullivan, Thane Weigand, John Anderson, William Archard, Bill Blake, Sarah Bondareff, David Brenner, Jim Collister, Daniel Dellinges, Edward Derobertis, William Fitzpatrick, Ed Forner, Eric Inman, Hank Kodele, Jeremy Monroe, Kyle Nelson, Jon Peterson, Jodi Rods, Ron Rods, Tim Stone, John Waterman and Nancy Wizner. [CRO, DEVA, 9/30]
On October 9th, ranger Mike Boxx received a report of illegal "scrapers" in the remote Owl's Head area of the park. Scrapers are people who illegally enter military live fire ranges to steel metal, unexploded ordnance and wire. They base their operations on park or BLM land and often destroy historical and archeological sites and commit other resource violations in the course of their activities. Many scrapers have criminal records and are armed, thereby posing a considerable risk to both visitors and employees. Boxx, ranger Nancy Wizner, and a BLM ranger contacted the county sheriff's office and the Army and coordinated a joint response. NPS and BLM rangers approached the scraper's camp from the ground while an Army helicopter flew air cover. Two scrapers were arrested without incident due to the strong show of force. [CRO, DEVA, 10/9]
Rangers responded to a two-vehicle, head-on collision on November 9th. Six people were critically injured in the accident - two were trapped in their vehicle. The nearest non-NPS medical and fire units were 90 miles away. The four victims who were not trapped were treated and prepared for evacuation by rangers. The remaining two victims were extracted with the help of a "Jaws of Life" and flown to Las Vegas, 150 miles from the accident site. The other four were transported half-way to Las Vegas by park ambulances, then passed off to other ambulances. The park's Engine I was able to respond within two minutes rather than the usual 20 to 40 minutes because of an experimental arrangement in which a subject-to-furlough rangers is stationed at the firehouse to maintain equipment, conduct fire safety inspections, and respond quickly to fires during his regular hours. [CR, DEVA, 11/8]
A researcher reported finding human bones in a remote, mountainous area of the park in December. An investigative team comprised of rangers, Inyo County officers and the county coroner traveled to the area. They found a skull, bones, clothing parts and a shoe, but were driven off the mountain by bad weather. The bones were found to be those of an adult male who was about six feet tall; they had been at the location for five to twenty years. Park SAR coordinator Dan Dellinges developed a search plan employing a metal detector, sifting screens, and evidence collecting material. A team led by ranger Bill Fitzpatrick discovered more bones and evidence in the general area of the first discovery. It's now been learned that some of the bones found in the second effort are those of a woman. A third trip to the area is planned to continue the investigation. [CRO, DEVA, 2/10]
On the afternoon of March 23rd, rangers were notified of a single-car, rollover accident on the south end of Bad Water Road. First reports indicated that several people had been seriously injured. Rangers responded in patrol vehicles and the Furnace Creek ambulance (response time of one hour); joining them were California Highway Patrol and Inyo County officers and a Life Flight helicopter from Las Vegas. Due to the remoteness of the area, it took 90 minutes for EMS personnel to arrive on scene. They found that an SUV with five visitors from Japan had rolled over multiple times. The two occupants wearing seatbelts suffered only minor injuries, but the other three were ejected from the SUV and pronounced dead at the scene. [CRO, DEVA, 3/25]
The body of C.M. was discovered in the sand dunes at Stovepipe Wells on the afternoon of June 3rd. The county coroner estimated that he'd been dead about six hours at the time of discovery. The park SAR team recovered the body. The cause of death is not yet known, but environmental conditions are suspected. [CRO, DEVA, 6/3]
A stranded motorist on the Warm Springs Canyon Road contacted the park by cell phone on the evening of June 1st and reported that her 83-year-old husband had gone from help around 12:30 p.m. and had failed to return. The day's high temperature reached 121 degrees. Rangers found the body of Z.B. just over a mile from the disabled car. His wife was transported to Furnace Creek and reunited with family members. [CRO, DEVA, 6/2]
On April 14th, visitors contacted interpretive rangers at the park's visitor center and told them that they'd heard gunfire the previous day in Butte Valley, which is in the remote southern end of the park. Ranger Aaron Shandor and a county sheriff responded and were joined by ranger Sally Sprouse. It took two hours for them to reach the area, where they contacted three people at the geologist cabin and determined that they were part of a larger group of 20 people from the Bay area who were engaged in various illegal activities in the park - setting off explosives, shooting off fireworks, engaging in target practice and skeet shooting, firing paintballs at each other, and smoking marijuana. Among the items confiscated were 22 firearms (two of which are illegal in California), about 75 pounds of fireworks and agricultural explosives, a flare launcher, and materials for making explosive devices, including two grenade detonators. The explosives were being set off on park land. Rangers are working with ATF, the Inyo County Sheriff's Office and military bomb experts in the continuing investigation. [CRO, DEVA, 4/25] v
Ranger Sally Sprouse and park EMT Jim Roche responded to a report of a rollover accident with a fatality at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 8th. Ranger Ed Derobertis and ambulance driver Jon Christensen also responded with the park's rescue unit. The car had gone off the road at a high rate of speed, rolled two to three times, and ended up on its roof almost 600 feet from the highway. The driver was hanging from his seatbelt and was found to have succumbed to massive injuries to his head and legs. The passenger was conscious, but complaining of chest and abdominal pain and was trapped in the vehicle. Since there's little traffic in the area in the early morning hours, it's not known how much time elapsed before the accident was reported. Rescuers moved the driver out of the way and reached the passenger by entering the vehicle through a window and sliding him out the door. He was flown to a hospital in Las Vegas. Alcohol and speed contributed to the accident. Both the driver and passenger were concession employees. Debris was scattered over the desert, including the car's battery (45 feet away) and beer cans (over 100 yards away). Personnel from three park divisions and California Highway Patrol officers worked together on the response. [CRO, DEVA, 6/8]
The park had its third heat-related fatality and second within the month on Wednesday, August 28th. B.K., 32, of Budd Lake, New Jersey, began a hike to Stovepipe Wells sand dunes with his wife around 10 a.m. that morning. The air temperature in the shade was 113 degrees; ground temperatures exceeded 150 degrees. B.K.'s wife, feeling hot and tired, decided to return to their vehicle after about an hour. At 1:50 p.m. she reported him as overdue. Three hasty search teams went to high observation points around the dunes while park pilot Ed Forner and maintenance worker Ron Giblin searched from the air. Ranger Aaron Shandor saw a person meeting B.K.'s description walking about a mile from the Stovepipe Ranger Station. Within moments, he'd disappeared again. Shandor and ranger Kyle Nelson found his tracks in the sand and followed them for about 100 yards, where they found B.K. lying unconscious on the ground. Basic life support was begun. The two rangers were soon joined by resource management employees Tim Croissant, Jim Roche and Ryan Taylor. Roche ran the half mile back to the ranger station and got a vehicle, then drove to meet the others, who were carrying B.K. out on their shoulders. B.K. was taken to a waiting ambulance, driven by visitor use assistant Bruce Casper. Roche and Nelson continued rescue breathing while B.K. was driven to Furnace Creek. He was transferred to a waiting helicopter, then flown to a hospital in Las Vegas, where he died the next day due to heat exposure. Shandor was IC for the incident. [Submitted by Kyle Nelson, Park Ranger]
On February 18, ranger Radford Dew received a report from hikers who
claimed to have found numerous human bones and clothing in the Panamint
Dune area of the park. The dunes are located in a remote part of Death
Valley and receive little visitation throughout the year. The hikers
initially thought that they'd found coyote bones, but soon found human
dental work. They were able to provide rangers with GPS coordinates for
the site. The Inyo County Sheriff's Office was contacted and provided an
investigator, a deputy and a coroner to document and recover the
remains. Dew led the team to the location, which was exactly at the
point that the hikers had identified. Numerous bones and a pair of sweat
pants and a sweatshirt were recovered. The age, sex and time of death
have not yet been determined. The county is leading the investigation.
The Inyo County Sheriff's Department contacted the park on the
morning of June 6th and reported a burning vehicle at the intersection
of Highway 190 and the Dante's View road. When ranger Ed Forner arrived,
he found an overturned pickup truck fully engulfed in flames with the
driver still inside. The victim was identified as L.M. of
Las Vegas. The California Highway Patrol and Inyo County Sheriff's
Department are conducting the investigation.
R.H., 80, from Rancho Palo Verde, California, was reported
overdue from hiking on the Stovepipe Wells dunes on Monday, July 7th.
Ranger/pilot Ed Forner located R.H. from the air in the dune field,
and directed a search and rescue team to his location. The rescue team
started CPR and transported R.H. from the dunes to the Stovepipe Wells
airstrip, where Mercy Air paramedics took over treatment. R.H.'s
niece, who reported him missing, was treated and released for
heat-related illness. The search and rescue team was interdivisional and
included park staff from maintenance, interpretation. resource
management and protection. The search started at 1:15 p.m., during the
hottest time of the day - the air temperature was 115 degrees at
Stovepipe Wells, with the reflective heat from the dunes over 120
degrees. Ranger Ed Derobertis was the incident commander for this
incident.
An accident occurred on Highway 190 near Stovepipe Wells on August
14th in which a person was partially ejected and trapped underneath his
overturned vehicle. Rangers and visitors used vehicle jacks and tires to
stabilize the vehicle while bystander Dr. R.R. of Slovenia
and NPS EMT Ron Giblin provided patient care. Ranger Aaron Shandor and
an unnamed visitor used their hands and shovels to dig under the vehicle
and reach the victim. After sufficient space was made under the vehicle,
personnel from resource management, maintenance, and interpretation
continued extrication. The victim suffered from chest injuries, many
deep lacerations, internal injuries, and first and second degree contact
burns from the desert floor (in excess of 130 degrees). Air ambulance
paramedics credited NPS personnel with saving the man's life. Shandor
was the IC for this incident. This was the second vehicle accident
within the last eight days that caused life-threatening injuries to
occupants not wearing seatbelts.
On the evening of Sunday, September 28th, the park's structural fire
brigade and an ambulance were dispatched to a structural fire in the
commissary building at Furnace Creek Ranch to assist the Furnace Creek
Ranch fire brigade. Park responders represented every division in the
park. It appears that the air conditioner had overheated and started a
fire in the outbuilding. The fire was extinguished; no injuries or
significant damage occurred. Firefighters provided salvage to the
commissary area, which had sustained water damage. One firefighter from
the Furnace Creek Volunteer Fire Department was checked for smoke
inhalation.
On December 15, 2001, D.P. and F.E. were observed collecting artifacts within Death Valley National Park. The two were contacted and subsequently interviewed by rangers. The information obtained led to the search of five locations in Nevada in early January, 2002. Over 6,000 artifacts were recovered along with maps, photographs and other evidence. Based on the seized evidence and interviews, it became apparent that a group of thieves had systematically looted archeological sites on BLM, FWS, USAF and NPS lands for at least the past ten years. An interagency task force was formed consisting of NPS, FWS, BLM, and USAF archeologists and law enforcement personnel. During 2002, over 50 archeological sites were located, examined and assessed for damage. In September, 2002, three more searches were conducted and another 4,600 artifacts were recovered, including Native American remains. The searches also led to the identification of more looted sites. In December, 2002, F.E., D.W. and B.W. were indicted by a federal grand jury in Las Vegas on a total of 11 felony counts. F.E. and D.W. appeared in court in January, 2003; B.W. fled to avoid prosecution. He was subsequently located in Oklahoma and arrested. Four searches were then conducted in Oklahoma by task force members, and more evidence and artifacts were seized. In the fall of 2003, F.E. was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $86,196 in restitution. B.W. ultimately pled guilty to $518,309 in damages — the largest amount ever in a criminal ARPA case. He was sentenced to 37 months in prison and ordered to pay $102,364 in restitution. D.W., who had a minor role in the looting, plead guilty to one felony ARPA count and was sentenced to six months of home confinement, five years probation and ordered to pay $19,087 in restitution. The target of the September, 2002, searches, Kevin Peterson, pled guilty to one felony count and was sentenced to five months in prison, five months of home confinement and five years probation and ordered to pay $80,084 in restitution. D.P. cooperated extensively with investigators; he was sentenced to six months of home confinement and five years probation and ordered to pay $56,635 in restitution. Other suspects are under investigation. For additional details, see newspaper articles at these web sites: http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Dec/12172003/utah/120645.asp
The park received a report of a rollover accident on the road to Scotty's Castle just after 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 10th. Rangers responded and provided medical assistance to the two people who were in the car. The passenger — M.M., 26, of Los Angeles — was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown 75 feet from the vehicle. CPR was administered, but she died of her injuries. Just a few minutes prior to this fatal accident, the park had been notified of a motorcycle accident in which the operator had been trapped under an automobile that ran over him. The motorcyclist, who sustained severe trauma, was extricated from under the vehicle by park staff. Earlier on this busy spring break/Easter weekend, rangers dealt with another rollover accident. Distances between accident sites ranged from 15 to 40 miles, thereby stretching already thin resources. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the accidents. [Submitted by Ed Derobertis, Acting Chief Ranger]
Rangers, firefighters and EMS personnel were dispatched to a motor
vehicle accident near Stovepipe Wells airport in the pre-dawn hours of
April 15th. They found that the car had rolled over and that both the
driver and passenger had been ejected. Neither was breathing. One was
revived through rescue breathing and was flown to Las Vegas. CPR was
begun on the other, but was unsuccessful.
BLM ranger Dave Brenner found an early model Chevy pickup flatbed in
the Johnson Canyon area of the park on July 22nd that he had reason to
believe was being used by a man nicknamed the "Panamint Bandito," a
suspect in several felonies, including marijuana cultivation. The man
had unloaded a quad from the truck and driven off. A rifle and case, a
metal detector, a stolen wallet and five marijuana plants were found at
the site and were seized. Brenner and NPS ranger Ed Derobertis tracked
the quad to the Shoshone area, but did not find him. Ranger Kelly Cole
joined in the search on the 24th along with another BLM ranger, Pat
Shields. The search began south of the Furnace Creek Wash and was
conducted with the aid of a CHP aircraft, but the man was again not
found. On the 25th, Shields saw a man fitting the suspect's description
on Highway 127. He was at a call box and carrying a gas can. Shields
checked the area and found tracks matching the quad's. BLM and NPS
rangers resumed the search, again with the assistance of a CHP aircraft.
Brenner soon spotted the man under a camouflage tarp inside a wash near
the call box. The rangers moved toward his location, identified
themselves as officers, and told him to drop the .22 caliber rifle he
had in his possession. The man instead shot himself. Under the tarp,
rangers found a quad, a sleeping bag and articles of clothing; around
the camp were cans of food, garbage bags and gas cans; on the back of
the ATV were bags of potting soil. Confirmation of his identity is
pending.
Flash floods struck the park on Sunday night, causing power and
communications outages. Roads leading to Furnace Creek have been washed
out, and several vehicles that were parked at the inn were washed down a
hill. The park is closed to all visitors. A full report will be provided
as soon as it is available.
The park, which was closed on Monday following major flooding from all-night rains that killed at least two people, will remain closed until further notice. Here are some particulars:
Work crews and equipment from Lake Mead NRA and Mojave NP are
assisting the park's staff. Also assisting are the California Highway
Patrol, California Department of Transportation, Southern California
Edison, the Inyo County Sheriff's Office, and Xanterra Parks and
Resorts, Inc. (operator of Furnace creek and Stovepipe Wells visitor
services). Superintendent J.T. Reynolds had this to say about the
closure: "The safety of visitors and employees is our primary concern.
We regret having to take this closure action but it is necessary while
critical infrastructure is repaired." For a story on this incident,
please see yesterday's USA Today by clicking on "More
Information" below.
The park, which was closed on Monday following major flooding from all-night rains, remains closed. Yesterday's developments: The two people killed in the flood have been identified as Bernherd Reith, 48, and his mother, Tabea Reith, 71, both of Downey, California. They died when water, mud and debris struck their vehicle as they were traveling on Highway 190. The Inyo County coroner is asking the public for assistance in locating next of kin. Any reader who can help should call deputy coroner Robert Franke at 760-876-4665.
NPS crews are continuing to assess damage in other areas of the park.
Yesterday's efforts focused on roads in three areas — the Emigrant
to Wildrose section of Emigrant Canyon Road, the Grapevine to Scotty's
Castle, and Scotty's Castle to Scotty's Junction.
Death Valley National Park reopened a limited number of roads and services in the northern area of the park on Wednesday morning. The roads and services opening Wednesday represent the first public access to the park since the August 15th closure. The following roads opened:
In addition, the following facilities resumed operation:
Entrance fees are not being charged for access to the park
during this period of limited access, but camping fees and Scotty's
Castle guided tour fees are being collected. All other park roads and
visitor services remain closed due to ongoing cleanup and repair
operations. A total of 91 NPS employees from Death Valley and other
nearby parks are involved in ongoing recovery operations, including
staff from Great Basin National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Lake
Mead National Recreation Area, Mojave National Preserve, Zion National
Park, and the Santa Fe Support Office of the Intermountain Region. For
further information and updates on flood recovery activities, please
visit the Death Valley National Park website at www.nps.gov/deva
Park staff responded to two structural fires on December 21st. The first was in a 2005 motor home in the Furnace Creek Campground. The parents were outside the vehicle when they noticed smoke coming out from the roof. They pulled their disabled son out of the vehicle, but he nonetheless suffered from smoke inhalation and burns and was taken to the burn center at the University Medical Center. The fire appears to have started in wiring behind the refrigerator. A small section of the roof was damaged, and the vehicle also suffered from water damage. While refueling and restocking the park engine after the fire, rangers heard radio traffic from Xanterra, a park inholder, regarding an employee trailer fire at Furnace Creek Ranch. The Xanterra volunteer fire department was on scene when the park engine arrived and the trailer was fully engulfed in flames. The trailer was surrounded by other employee trailers, trees and parked vehicles and was directly below power transmission lines. The trailer's occupant reported that she'd been cooking on a propane stove when it blew up. She was evaluated and treated by park EMTs. Burn patterns in the trailer showed that the origin was most likely in the area of the stove. Investigations into both fires continue. [Nancy Wizner, Chief Ranger] Wednesday, January 4, 2006 Over the past few days, the park has been severely battered by a series of major Pacific storms, and adjacent communities have sustained major flooding due to the high levels of rainfall and extreme high tides. These communities have also suffered from power outages and the closure of road corridors to major highways due to numerous mudslides and closed roads. Much of the park has been affected by flooding, high tides, power outages, and toppled trees. Several roads and low lying areas within the park are temporarily closed due to flooding, clogged culverts, and mudslides. Several park residences along Lagunitas Creek were seriously flooded; water was waist deep in these facilities. Major sections of the park remain closed. Limantour Road and the Limantour Beach area will remain closed while work crews clear culverts and assess damage to the roads. Park emergency crews are working hard to clean debris, clear roadways, assess damage, assisting Marin County emergency teams, and getting the park into operational condition. The worst of the series of storms seems to have passed, but high tides and showers are still forecast for the next few days. [John Golda)
On the evening of Friday, February 10th, rangers and a visitor use assistant responded to a report of an accident with injuries at the Panamint Springs Resort, a private inholding within the park. A 28-year-old man from Pahrump, Nevada, had been riding in the bed of a pickup truck when he fell out and sustained a massive head injury. The accident scene was found to be on Lake Hill Road in Panamint Valley within the park's boundary. The truck had been traveling south when the driver swerved left to avoid a washout. The truck then swerved to the right across the roadway and struck a second washout, at which time the man was ejected from the pickup's bed. His injuries proved to be fatal. Investigation revealed that a resort maintenance employee had been driving the pickup. He was taken to the Inyo County jail. Evidence suggests that the deceased passenger was intoxicated when he fell from the truck. His body was released to the county coroner. Both of the deceased's parents worked at the resort and were on scene when rescue units arrived. The mother had been a passenger in the front of the pickup when the accident occurred. The California Highway Patrol is the lead agency in the investigation. [Nancy Wizner, Chief Ranger]
Park dispatch received a call from the Inyo County Sheriff's Office last weekend regarding the discovery of a suicide note in a motel room in Ridgecrest, California. The 56-year-old man who composed it said that he was heading to Titus Canyon to commit suicide. Rangers found his vehicle in the Titus Canyon parking lot near Scotty's Castle Road. As they were investigating, one of the rangers saw the man with a weapon in his back pocket not far from about 20 visitors in the parking lot. Rangers provided cover for the visitors as they were evacuated, then closed the area. Inyo County and CHP officers also responded and helped secure the area. The man with the gun disappeared from sight around 6:30 p.m. Two rangers stayed in the area overnight and were joined by other rangers and CHP and Inyo County officers at dawn. A CHP helicopter arrived on scene, and an observer spotted the man's body in the rocks where he'd last been seen. Rangers conducted a technical carryout, with the CHP helicopter employed to ferry in rescue equipment. The Inyo County SO is the lead agency in the investigation. [Nancy Wizner, Chief Ranger]
A private plane crashed about a half mile southeast of the Furnace Creek airstrip on Timbisha Shoshone tribal land around 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 30th. The 56-year-old pilot, a resident of Independence, Oregon, died at the scene; his wife was injured and airlifted to a hospital in Las Vegas. The accident occurred after the pilot had taken off from the airport - the fifth in a group to depart from the airstrip. The park's structural fire truck was used to ensure that there would be no fire in the overturned plane while the pilot was being extricated. The NPS, the Inyo County Sheriff's Office and coroner, and the California Highway Patrol all responded. The FAA and NTSB have been notified. The temperature during this incident was about 106 degrees. Inyo County is the lead agency in the investigation. [Nancy Wizner, Chief Ranger]
The park received a report of a collapsed hiker on Golden Canyon trail at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, May 15th. A 63-year-old woman from Germany succumbed to heat exposure about a mile below Zabriskie Point. CPR was administered until the park's medical director declared her deceased. The Inyo County coroner will determine the exact cause of death. The air temperature at the time was 105 degrees; the ground temperature was about 130 degrees. [Nancy Wizner, Chief Ranger]
On the morning of October 10th, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer who resides in the park reported an overturned semi-trailer on Highway 190 west of Stovepipe Wells. The semi-trailer dump bed overturned near the Emigrant rest rooms; the truck and another attached trailer were about 1,000 feet uphill at the entrance to the Emigrant campground. The truck, which was in several pieces, appeared to have been subjected to tremendous force. The driver's body was found near the corner of the highway and the entrance to the campground. Diesel fuel spilled from the rig into the campground. CalTrans hazmat units responded to assess the severity of the spill, and park resource management staff are working with them to determine what cleanup measures need to be taken. The vehicle and driver were both working on a CalTrans paving project that's currently underway within the park. CHP is the lead agency in the investigation. [Nancy Wizner, Chief Ranger]
On November 1st, the Saline Valley campground host advised the park that campers had found an unexploded bomb while hiking about three miles south of the Springs area. The bomb appeared to be unexploded military ordnance, with some type of aircraft wing pod lying nearby. Ranger/pilot Ed Forner found the items and is working with park resource management staff and the Department of Defense to recover them. This incident occurred while park superintendent JT Reynolds was hosting a desert managers group meeting and discussing ordnance and plane debris recovery with military commanding officers. [Submitted by Nancy Wizner, Chief Ranger]
On the afternoon of Wednesday, April 4th, five rangers responded to reports of two teenaged girls stranded on the steep cliffs surrounding Golden Canyon, a popular hiking destination in the park. One girl reportedly had a broken ankle while the other was reportedly suffering from heat-related illness (the temperature was 95 degrees at the time). As rangers headed to the cliffs, the uninjured girl successfully extricated herself and returned to her family waiting near the trailhead. The injured girl was rescued from a 500-foot precipice by the five-person technical rescue team and flown to the trailhead by a California Highway Patrol helicopter that had been assisting in ferrying rescue gear and supplies from the staging area to the rescuers. The rescue team was also evacuated by the helicopter during the last moments of sunlight, avoiding an overnight stay on the mountain by about five minutes. [Nancy Wizner, Chief Ranger]
D.B., 54, of Cypress, California, was killed in a motorcycle accident on the afternoon of April 14th. D.B. and his wife, P.B., 60, were traveling with a group of motorcyclists when the accident occurred. Their motorcycle left the road, hit a rock, and rolled at least one time, ejecting both B.s. Visitors performed CPR on D.B. for a half hour, but he was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene. Rangers assessed P.B. and provided medical care. She was then flown to a hospital in Las Vegas, where she remains in critical condition. [Nancy Wizner, Chief Ranger]
Xanterra concession employees notified park dispatch of an electrical fire in a motel room at Stovepipe Wells around 7:45 a.m. on the morning of Friday, June 15th. Park personnel responded with two engines and found that an overhead electrical fan in a bathroom had overheated and caused a small fire in the fan/light fixture. Xanterra employees said that they'd used a fire extinguisher to knock down the blaze. The firefighters donned full personal protective equipment, began ventilation of the building, then entered the room. They found that the fire had extended into the attic, causing charring to a two by eight ceiling truss and attic insulation. They checked to see if the fire had spread anywhere else, then conducted salvage and overhaul operations. There were no injuries. The building was released back to Xanterra around 9:20 a.m. Firefighters determined that the quick use of the fire extinguisher likely prevented further spread of the fire. [Nancy Wizner, Chief Ranger]
On Tuesday, June 12th, park staff learned that two missing people might be in the park. Ar."L."S., 45, and As.S., 34, both from the Los Angeles area, had failed to return to work at a Los Angeles restaurant as scheduled. A multi-agency search was begun at 7:30 a.m. Participating along with park staff were personnel from the Inyo County Sheriff's Office, California Highway Patrol and San Bernadino County Sheriff's Office. A CHP helicopter and the park airplane provided air search capability. Temperatures in the valley were over 105 degrees during the day. Ar.S. and As.S. were found in a remote backcountry cabin around 3:30 p.m. Ar.S.'s vehicle had broken down and the pair had hiked to the cabin to await rescuers. Ranger Annie Leone served as the incident commander. [Nancy Wizner, Chief Ranger]
Rangers were notified of a vehicle fire near milepost 72 on Highway 190 around 4 p.m. on the afternoon of Sunday, July 1st. The responding ranger came upon a large RV fully engulfed in flames. The fire had also spread to vegetation along the roadside. NPS Engine 2 responded, as did two BLM engines with a crew of nine wildland firefighters and a CDF quick attack crew and water tender with another nine firefighters. The response time for these agencies was at least an hour, though, due to the remoteness of the location. The owners of the RV, an elderly couple, were uninjured, but the woman required medical attention due to heat exhaustion. The fire was completely extinguished by 7 p.m. The BLM hand crew continued with mop-up operations until the threat of a wildland fire was decreased. The fire burned about a quarter acre on each side of the road. The RV was completely destroyed. Ranger Anne Leone served as the incident commander. [Nancy Wizner, Chief Ranger] Wednesday, January 2, 2008 On Monday, December 17th, park staff were informed of an incident in which a bobcat had attacked a park visitor at Furnace Creek Inn. Rangers found that a 64-year-old woman had suffered scratches and bites on her hands, face and scalp. For several days thereafter, there were numerous bobcat sightings around the inn and resort. Rangers saw several bobcats that showed signs of habituation to humans, but were unable to determine which one was responsible for the attack. On Friday, December 21st, rangers responded to another report of a bobcat attack at the inn. An adult male employee of the resort had reportedly been smoking outside the building when the bobcat attacked him, inflicting bites and lacerations to his head and neck. Since the attack occurred on private property, California Fish and Game and the Inyo County Sheriff's Office were notified. Fish and Game officers asked the park to euthanize the bobcat to ensure public safety. Necropsy results, received last week, revealed that the animal was not suffering from rabies. Rangers and Fish and Game officers found that several resort employees had been feeding wildlife, greatly contributing to the bobcats' habituation and aggressive behavior. [Aaron Shandor, Acting Chief Ranger]
On December 28th, military pilots flying over the western section of the park reported sighting a vehicle over the side of a canyon near the Father Crowley overlook. Rangers checking the vehicle found human remains nearby, evidently those of a man reported missing about four months ago. A suicide note was found nearby. The rangers assisted the Inyo County Sheriff's Department with removal of the remains the next day. The coroner's office is conducting a dental records check to determine the man's identity. No positive identification has yet been made. [Ed Derobertis, Assistant Chief Ranger]
Rangers responded to a report of a rollover accident in the northern section of the park on Saturday, December 29th. The driver was extricated and airlifted to a hospital, but the passenger - B.Z., 34, of Richmond, British Columbia - did not survive the crash. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the accident. [Ed Derobertis, Assistant Chief Ranger]
Ranger Ryan Gallagher and park VIP Jim Klassen heard a smoke detector alarm going off in the Cow Creek Ranger Station on the morning of March 3rd. They also saw smoke coming from the engine bay and a heavier cloud of smoke emitting from the slightly ajar lavatory door, and smelled the strong odor of burning plastic. Klassen evacuated the ranger station and fee collection offices while Gallagher put the fire out with an extinguisher. Other rangers arrived on scene and pulled the park's fire engine and ambulance out of the bay. The fire originated in an overhead exhaust fan in the center of the lavatory ceiling. Investigation showed more damage in the fan ballasts within the ceiling. All damage was contained within the small add-on lavatory. The early detection and quick response by Gallagher and Klassen prevented substantial damage to this structure, which currently houses the park's primary structural fire engine, ambulance, SAR and wildland fire caches, and the primary offices for the park's law enforcement and fee collection operations. The station is a pre-fabricated metal structure built in the late 1980's, intended to be a short term solution to the storage of the park's engine, ambulance and other emergency equipment. [Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger]
An MD-500D helicopter operated as a civil aircraft crashed into the side of Rogers Peak in the Panamint Mountains on the morning of Saturday, March 7th. There were injuries but no fatalities. The three occupants of the aircraft were airlifted by a helicopter from China Lake Naval Air Station to the Ridgecrest Regional Hospital, where they were treated and released. The helicopter was transporting personnel and equipment to repair the NPS repeater on Rogers Peak. There were no NPS personnel on the flight. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Since this was an end product contract for maintenance of the repeater, the NTSB will post any further information on the mishap to their web site as it is released. Death Valley rangers coordinated the rescue and recovery efforts with China Lake NAS. Ranger Matt Martin served as incident commander. [Brad Pennington, Chief Ranger; Clay Hillin, Aviation Manager, Pacific West Region]
On the afternoon of Thursday, March 12th, Death Valley rangers received a "be on the lookout" (BOLO) message for an armed, suicidal man, dressed in a white bathrobe and driving a white Mercedes Benz, who had reportedly assaulted a family member with a knife in Los Angeles. The BOLO also noted that the man was believed to have at least one firearm in his possession, adding that he'd threatened to engage police in a pursuit and shootout. The man was spotted by an Inyo County deputy on Artists Drive Road, a one-way scenic loop road at the north end of Badwater Road within the park. While the deputy followed him, other officers and rangers closed off the road's entrance and exit and evacuated visitors from the area, which was experiencing heavy visitation at the time. The man drove into the Artist's Palette parking area, a dead-end parking area surrounded by steep embankments, and stopped there. The deputy was joined at the lot by rangers and two California Highway Patrol officers. The terrain permitted tactical advantages in that it enabled rangers and officers to locate secure, elevated positions with a clear view of the man and his car. There were no other vehicles in the lot at the time. The deputy was able to begin a dialogue with the man from a position of cover at the entrance to the lot. The man appeared to be very agitated, repeatedly alternating between backing up the car and stopping, then pulling forward and stopping. At several points during the standoff, the man said that his "life was over" and repeatedly asked the officers to "just shoot him." At 7:30 p.m., about two-and-a-half hours into the standoff, the man finally surrendered and was taken into custody. He was booked into the Inyo County jail, but also faces additional charges in Clark County for the earlier assault. No weapons were found during the initial search of the Mercedes. Although the man was not injured, there was a good deal of blood in the car's interior. It was impounded by Inyo County officers. Eight NPS rangers were involved in the incident. [Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger]
Rangers Steven Powell and Rachel Brady were on patrol in Darwin Canyon around 3:30 p.m. on the afternoon of April 13th when they heard a woman shouting for help. They quickly located the 58-year-old woman above Lower Darwin Falls and found that she was suffering an angulated compound fracture to her right ankle and a probable tibia fracture to her left leg. She also had no circulation sensation or motor function (CSM) in her right foot. At the falls, Darwin Canyon is 600 feet deep and 75 feet wide and has no radio communications. Brady made a mile-and-a-half hike to get to a point where he could make radio contact while Powell cared for the woman. Ranger Mike Nattrass assumed incident command and arranged for a California Highway Patrol helicopter with a hoist to fly to the site. Meanwhile, Powell was able to reestablish CSM's in the woman's right foot. A CHP helicopter with a crew of three arrived around 6:30 p.m., navigated into the 75-foot-wide section of the canyon, and lowered a flight paramedic to assist rangers in preparing the woman for the hoist. She was lifted out just before nightfall and flown to Southern Inyo Hospital for further treatment and evaluation. Park staff have commended the actions of the CHP crew, who displayed extraordinary flying skills in less than favorable conditions. [Aaron Shandor, Backcountry District Ranger]
The Barker Ranch, famous as the location where Charlie Manson was arrested, burned earlier this week. The park learned about the fire through a chat room report on a local web page and sent a ranger to investigate. The time and cause of the fire is not yet known, but the park has determined that visitors were there on Sunday, May 3rd, that it was in good condition at that time (the park had a restoration crew on site about a month ago), and that other visitors found it burned out on Tuesday, May 5th. An investigation is being launched. A follow-up report will be posted when it becomes available. [Terry Baldino]
On the morning of Tuesday, May 19th, the park received a report of an overdue hiker in the Mesquite Sand Dunes near Stove Pipe Wells Village. The hiker was identified as J.H., 69, of Dayton, Ohio, who'd been traveling with his old college roommate, recreating a trip that the two had taken over 40 years ago. According to his traveling companion, J.H. had left their motel room at Stove Pipe Wells at 6:30 a.m., saying that he was going to the dunes to take some photographs. Rangers found his rental vehicle at the sand dunes and began a hasty search. Air temperatures reached 112 degrees Fahrenheit, with substantially higher ground temperatures within the dunes. A California Highway Patrol H80 helicopter assisted in the search. Because of the extreme conditions, searchers had to be rotated out of assignments for rest and rehabilitation at hour-and-a-half to two hour intervals. The winds picked up in the afternoon, creating some blowing sand and visibility problems. Search efforts for the first operational period ended shortly before nightfall with no sign of J.H. detected. Search efforts resumed at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, with additional resources brought in, including an air scent/cadaver dog from Inyo County Search and Rescue. The CHP H80 was back on scene by 9 a.m. and located J.H.'s body within minutes. The Inyo County coroner came to the scene and pronounced him dead. After the coroner conducted his initial investigation, J.H.'s body was flown out to the incident command post at the Stove Pipe Wells Ranger Station and was later transported to a funeral home in Lone Pine, California. An autopsy will be conducted, but all indications are that exposure, possibly combined with other significant medical issues, lead to his death, probably on the previous day. J.H. was a well-known restaurant owner in his hometown of Dayton, and news media interest from the Dayton area was high. J.H.'s wife and daughter had flown to Las Vegas overnight and arrived at the ICP at around 1 p.m. Ranger Ryan Gallagher served as IC for the incident. For a Dayton News article on Jay J.H., click on the link below. [Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger] HYPERLINK "http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/haverstick-loved-dayton-was-proud-of-dayton-127829.html"
On Saturday, May 23rd, BLM ranger Dave Brenner found an unattended car on Giant Mine Road just outside the park's boundary near the Ibex Dunes area in the southeast corner of the park. A check with dispatch showed that the car belonged to a missing person who was deemed at risk and reportedly armed with a handgun. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed that the man, 52-year-old D.P. of Lancaster, California, had been missing since April 30th. Brenner subsequently found D.P.'s remains on a rock pile. There was a loaded Sig Sauer P229 40 caliber handgun near the body and only one set of tracks leading to that location, which matched the footwear found on the body. The Inyo County coroner later determined that D.P. had died of a single gunshot wound to the chest. GPS coordinates later showed that the body was approximately 150 feet inside the park boundary. D.P. was reportedly despondent over a recent separation and pending divorce. Next of kin notifications were made by the Inyo County Coroner's Office. The Inyo County Sheriff's Department is leading the investigation. [Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger]
On the afternoon of May 29th, rangers received a report of a 2008 Toyota sedan that had been parked and unattended for several days at Wildrose Wash near the entrance to Tuber Canyon, a remote area on the west side of the park. Ranger Ryan Gallagher responded and conducted a hasty search of high probability areas near the car, but without success. Further investigation showed that the Toyota was a long-term rental that had been rented to a 65-year-old man from Santa Ana, California. The car was not overdue and there were no missing persons reports in NCIC or CLETS issued on the missing man. Ranger-pilot Steve Mazur flew the area in the park's Cessna 182, with district ranger Ed Derobertis acting as an observer. They searched until dark without locating the missing man. The search resumed the next morning. Personnel began working the search area at first light, and a California Highway Patrol helicopter and crew were scheduled to join them shortly thereafter if needed. One of the search teams soon found a body in Tuber Canyon about a quarter mile from the spot where the Toyota was parked. The Inyo County Sheriffs Office was notified and assumed control of the case. Investigators believe that the man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the neck, but the case remains open pending investigation by the Inyo County Coroner's Office. [Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger]
The park received notification that several people were down with heat-related issues at the Mesquite Dunes area near Stove Pipe Wells on the afternoon of Sunday, July 26th. Rangers were on scene within minutes and found six people at their vehicle who were all displaying symptoms indicating varying degrees of heat exposure. All were South Korean nationals. They told the rangers that another member of their party had collapsed in the dunes and had been dragged into what scant shade was available. Rangers John Fish, Jennifer Yeager, and maintenance worker Kit Oesterling, with assistance from one of the members of the party, located the woman under a creosote bush and determined that she had expired. She was identified as 52-year-old S.K. S.K. and other members of her group were from a Buddhist monastery; they were traveling together, but not as part of a commercial tour group. The ambient air temperature at the time was 123 degrees Fahrenheit, with ground temperatures approaching 140 degrees. The Inyo County Sheriffs Office and the Inyo County coroner were advised of the situation and responded. Group members were triaged and treated at the scene by rangers. Two of them showed symptoms of heat exposure, but refused further medical treatment. Communications proved to be a challenge because only a few members of the group were able to speak English and cultural protocols required them to communicate through a group elder who did not speak English. Next of kin and South Korean consulate notifications were made by the Inyo County Sheriffs Office with assistance from district ranger John Fish. Most of the rangers assigned to this mission had to be diverted to a vehicle fire at Towne Pass 13 miles west of the incident scene, leaving Fish and ranger Amber Nattrass to finish patient treatment, investigation and assist with the recovery of S.K.'s body. The Inyo County Sheriff's Office is the lead agency in this investigation. [Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger]
Rangers received several phone calls from concerned family members on the evening of August 5th regarding the failure of a woman and her son to return from a camping trip in the park. A.S., 28, a traveling nurse, was scheduled to report back to her current assignment at a Las Vegas hospital that evening, but hadn't yet appeared. The family reported that she'd planned to come to the park with her 11-year-old son to camp and visit Scotty's Castle, and that she'd sent a text message on August 1st saying that she was in the desert and changing a flat tire. Ranger Matt Martin checked the high elevation campgrounds in the Panamint Mountains (Wildrose, Mahogany Flats, and Thorndike) and district ranger Aaron Shandor checked the Furnace Creek campground and the surrounding developed area - neither with any success. Rangers then began planning for a full-scale search beginning at first light on Thursday August 6th, including the use of a VX-31 SAR helicopter from China Lake Naval Air Station. The VX-31, with rangers providing ground support, began searching the south end of the park at 6 a.m., as did other rangers and members of the Civil Air Patrol. At 10 a.m., ranger Amber Nattrass came upon a wheel rim with a flat tire and a water bottle on a dirt road leading into the Owlshead Mountains at the southwest corner of the park. Only one set of tire tracks were seen. Nattrass followed this set of tire tracks and discovered that the vehicle had left the established roadway and been driven into designated wilderness. Nattrass continued to follow the tracks and found A.S.'s vehicle just after 11 a.m. She found the woman conscious but suffering from exposure and severe dehydration; her son had not survived. Nattrass, a park medic, began treating A.S. after requesting a medevac. VX-31 with paramedics on board responded, and they began assisting Nattrass with medical care. A medevac helicopter from Mercy Air in Pahrump, Nevada, arrived and transported A.S. to Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas. Nattrass was later joined by rangers Scott Bagocious and Mike Nattrass, and an Inyo County sheriff's deputy. San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department investigators arrived later in the afternoon. San Bernadino County is leading the investigation. Lake Mead is providing CISM support. [Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger] HYPERLINK "http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h8B3QtNKD974PokDDXFIEUlpGIcwD99UBDVG0"
On Saturday, August 22nd, rangers were dispatched to a rollover accident with multiple injuries on California Highway 190 just outside the park's east boundary. Five rangers and a park VIP responded with two park ambulances and the park's crash truck. Upon arrival, they found a total of seven victims, all of them passengers in a van that had drifted off the road and rolled multiple times. All were young French nationals who were part of an organized tour group traveling with two other similar 15-passenger vans from Las Vegas. Several of them had been ejected from the van. One, a 17-year-old girl, was dead on arrival. Two who were critically injured were medevaced to Las Vegas hospitals. One of them, a 16-year-old girl who had also been ejected, was declared dead at UMC Trauma Center. The third, believed to be a 15-year-old boy, is reported to be in critical condition with multi-system trauma. The remaining four victims were transported by ground ambulances from the park, Amargosa Valley Fire and Rescue and Tecopa Fire and Rescue to hospitals in Las Vegas and Pahrump, Nevada. The driver, 32-year-old N.S., told investigators that she had fallen asleep, which resulted in the van veering off the road and rolling multiple times. Excessive speed also appears to have been a factor. The California Highway Patrol is investigating. CHP anticipates bringing in an accident reconstruction team. N.S. will probably be charged with vehicular manslaughter. For online news account of the incident go to the following link: HYPERLINK "http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090824/ap_on_re_eu/eu_france_us_bus_crash" [Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger]
On Thursday, November 12th, rangers were contacted by two Riverside County men who advised that they had found skeletal human remains while hiking in a remote southwestern section of the park near Needle Peak. Preliminary evidence indicates that the remains may be tied to a case involving four German visitors who disappeared in the park in July of 1996. The case is being jointly investigated by the Inyo County Sheriff's Department, the Bakersfield Office of the FBI and the National Park Service. Evidence found near the scattered skeletal remains included personal identification of one of the missing German visitors. Investigators are currently on scene looking for additional evidence. Back in 1996, the case sparked a massive multiagency search that failed to turn up any trace of the German visitors. As the investigation is ongoing, more information will be provided when it becomes available. [Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger]
On the evening of January 6th, rangers received a report of two missing hikers reported to be hiking a route through Sheep Canyon that had recently been featured in Backpacker magazine. Subsequent interviews with family and friends of the missing hikers revealed that there were actually four members of the party, all two days overdue. Three search teams deployed on the morning of January 7th and found numerous sets of footprints matching those associated with the vehicle parked at the mouth of the canyon. Around noon, an observer on an airplane from Lake Mead spotted a large white "X", a signal fire, and a person waving at the plane on a ridge south of nearby Willow Canyon. One of the search teams located the other three individuals trapped in Willow Canyon shortly thereafter. A Navy Seahawk helicopter from China Lake Naval Weapons Center successfully hoisted all four of the hikers out of the canyon and delivered them to Ridgecrest Regional Medical Center. Initial reports were that one member of the party injured an ankle, and that the others were suffering from minor exposure and dehydration. Ranger Micah Alley served as IC during this incident. [Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger]
An 82-year-old Arizona man died in an unwitnessed single-vehicle rollover accident on the Scotty's Castle Road on July 28th. An ambulance (Medic 2) from Scotty's Castle, staffed by NPS interpretive and maintenance personnel, arrived on scene within a few minutes of receiving the report and found the man, who'd suffered severe traumatic injuries, still inside his Chevrolet Malibu station wagon. He had no pulse and was not breathing. An AED was employed, but displayed a "no shock" message. Meanwhile, other rangers headed to the scene, including Engine 1 from the Cow Creek Ranger Station. They twice tried an AED, but got the same message. Per protocol, life-saving measures were stopped after the third message indicating no shockable rhythm. California Highway Patrol officers assumed the lead in the investigation; the Inyo County Sheriff's Office dispatched the county coroner. The man was wearing a seatbelt but had been partially ejected on impact. Although the airbags deployed, the roof of the vehicle collapsed in the rollover. Initial investigation indicates that the man may have suffered some kind of medical episode before the car left the road. There was no evidence of excessive speed, reckless driving or alcohol use. Ranger Ryan Gallagher was the IC. [Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger]
The park received an "attempt to locate" message for a suicidal man just before 5 p.m. on the afternoon of Saturday, August 7th. The 72-year-old Carson City man had sent a letter to his estranged wife saying that he was heading to the park to kill himself. As rangers were conducting a hasty search of the Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells areas of the park, a county deputy found the man's van in the Badwater parking lot at the south end of the park. A suicide note was found inside. The deputy and rangers searched the surrounding area, but found no sign of him, so additional help was summoned. One of the responding ambulances and two of the responding rangers were diverted to a separate medical emergency at the Furnace Creek Inn, where a visitor was treated for seizures and medevaced out to a hospital in Las Vegas. The search continued until sundown, then resumed the next day. The high temperature during the first day of searching was 112 degrees. On Sunday, additional ground crews and CHP and China Lake Naval Air Station helicopters joined in the effort, which focused on the area from Badwater Basin to the alluvial fans at the base of the Panamint Range, plus some of the side canyons in the Black Mountains immediately east of Badwater. No sign of the man was found. Ground crews were pulled out of the field at 1 p.m. due to exhaustion and heat concerns; the air search continued until storms grounded aircraft at 3:30 p.m. Yesterday, three ground teams and a SAR dog team from Nye County resumed the search. An investigation is underway, which is also looking into the possibility that the man is not in the park. [Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger]
Park personnel responded to a report of a structural fire in the Stovepipe Wells Village around 2 a.m. on Thursday, August 26th. They found that the rear part of a kitchen area and an employee dining area were fully engulfed in flame. The building is a government-owned, concession-operated restaurant. A van adjacent to the building had already burned completely. Concessioner and Beatty volunteer firefighters helped knock down the blaze. There were two minor injuries to non-government firefighters. Initial investigation indicates that fire may have started in the van, which contained chemicals used in fire suppression that can become flammable under pressure. The building suffered extensive structural damage but is being considered a save. It was being inspected at the time of the report to determine the extent of the damage. [Aaron Shandor, Acting Chief Ranger]
Rangers were dispatched to the Furnace Creek Ranch Resort just after 3 a.m. on September 9th to investigate a report of shots fired. The ranch is a large resort complex managed by Xanterra Corporation and is a private inholding within the park. Rangers regularly respond to the full range of emergencies there based on an agreement with Xanterra Resorts and the Inyo County Sheriff's Office. Four rangers and a resident California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer responded and met a Xanterra security guard at the scene. The guard said that he'd just entered the Furnace Creek firehouse to get a drink and use the restroom when he noticed a light on in the security and fire manager's office and saw a man emerged wearing a Nomex fire shroud covering his face. When confronted, the man told him that he was there to "steal some crap and sell it for his family." The man then produced and brandished a handgun. The guard said that he told the man to take what he wanted and that he would not try to stop him (the guard was not armed, per company policy), then started to back out of the building. The burglar left the building, using a side door without taking anything. The guard waited a few seconds, then left the building using the same door, reaching for the portable radio on his belt as he did so. As he approached the front of the building, he saw the burglar, who turned and fired three shots at him. The guard retreated back into the firehouse and called the front desk to request help. Two of the shots entered the firehouse and an adjacent building. One of the rounds went through and flattened a tire on the Xanterra security vehicle that the guard had been driving. The responding rangers secured the crime scene and awaited the arrival of Inyo County officers, who have primary jurisdiction on incidents of this type. The first deputy arrived on scene 45 minutes later. By 6 a.m., additional deputies, a county detective and a crime scene technician had arrived along with a second CHP officer. At daybreak, a CHP airplane arrived and began flying transects over the Furnace Creek developed area and surrounding mesquite bosques. Chief Ranger Brent Pennington also arrived on scene. After Pennington made the required notifications, Lake Mead Special Agent Mike Blandford was assigned to assist. Back at the ranch, it was discovered that bolt cutters had been used to cut the lock on a compound securing golf carts next to the pro shop and that six old car batteries had been placed there while six new interstate batteries were removed and possibly stolen. It's not known at present whether this incident is related to the one at the firehouse. Rangers and officers established a large perimeter, which included most of the Furnace Creek developed area. Before dawn, rangers cleared and evacuated about 30 campers from the Furnace Creek Campground. The Furnace Creek visitor center and headquarters complex was also cleared and evacuated. Non-involved NPS employees worked from the Cow Creek offices for virtually the entire day. A checkpoint was established at the entrance to Furnace Creek Ranch. No vehicles were allowed to enter and all departing vehicles were checked and searched. At 9 a.m., Xanterra management decided to open all their facilities for normal business. Based on recommendations from her senior protection division staff, the superintendent decided to keep the visitor center and headquarters complex closed while there was any chance that an armed individual remained in the area. Responding officers investigated several reported sightings of a man matching the suspect's description, but the reports were either unfounded or the potential suspect had left the area prior to the officers' arrival. By mid-afternoon, the perimeter was withdrawn and only the immediate crime scene remained secured. All but two officers had cleared the scene by 4 p.m. Blandford arrived on scene at about this time and was briefed on the incident. He stayed overnight at the Furnace Creek Ranch in case anything else transpired. All other rangers were demobilized by 5 p.m. The case remains under investigation by the county sheriff's office, but at this time there have been no arrests and no suspects have been identified. [Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger]
On the afternoon of Tuesday, September 28th, rangers responded to a report of a bus accident with injuries at Milepost 9 on the Badwater Road (California Highway 178) within Death Valley National Park. The rangers who were first on scene assessed the situation and requested additional resources. Investigators believe that the bus driver experienced a stroke or some other sort of medical episode, which caused the vehicle to drift back and forth across both road shoulders, incurring damage to the lower front end and undercarriage, before it came to a stop. The tour bus was transporting a group of elderly French nationals. The language barrier presented a problem throughout the incident, since most of the passengers spoke very little English. The driver, the tour guide and two other passengers were medevaced to University Medical Center in Las Vegas using helicopters from Mercy Air and the California Highway Patrol. Four other passengers were taken to Las Vegas hospitals by ground ambulances from Nye County, Nevada. The uninjured passengers were picked up by a separate tour bus from another company and were transported to Furnace Creek Ranch Resort, where they were provided a meal at tour company expense and sheltered in the Furnace Creek Visitor Center auditorium until another bus from the same tour company picked up the group at about 11 p.m. Park employee Marilyn Pitassi, who is fluent in German and French, was able to serve as an interpreter for this group and was instrumental in keeping the group calm and informed. CHP is leading the investigation into the accident and supervised the towing and removal of the bus. Employees from all divisions of the park assisted with this incident in various capacities, including nine recently trained first responders from interpretation, maintenance and resource management. This cooperation and the efforts from all the out of park resources was crucial to the success of the mission. Ranger Matt Martin was IC. [Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger]
While the response to the above-noted bus accident was in progress, rangers were notified of a SAR in progress involving two young men who were attempting to hike from Badwater to Mount Whitney. The two men got as far as Hanaupah Canyon in the Panamint Range, and then decided to discontinue the hike. They'd gotten back to Shorty's Well at the base of the eastern edge of the Panamints when one of the men began exhibiting signs of distress and couldn't go any further. His companion hiked across the salt flat to their vehicle at the Badwater parking lot and drove to the bus accident scene and reported the incident to the rangers there. China Lake Naval Air Station's SAR helicopter was dispatched. The crew found the man and transported him to the Furnace Creek Airport, where he was evaluated by a team of ranger-EMTs and was released. He appeared to be exhausted and suffering from minor dehydration, but was otherwise uninjured. Ranger Matt Martin was IC. [Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger]
A visitor contacted ranger Andy Griggs on the afternoon of Monday, January 3rd, and reported that he'd heard a gunshot and seen a possible suicide in the Mesquite Dunes complex near Stove Pipe Wells. Griggs radioed for assistance and was soon joined by three other rangers and a CHP officer. They found the victim on the tallest sand dune in the complex, approximately two miles from the Mesquite Dunes parking lot. He appeared to have suffered a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. A .45 caliber handgun was found next to him. The man was still breathing but was unresponsive when rangers first arrived on scene; they began treating his injuries and placed him on high flow oxygen by non-re-breather mask. He went into respiratory arrest, then, a few minutes later, cardiac arrest. The rangers conducted CPR for about 15 minutes before lifesaving measures were terminated based on existing protocols. The Inyo County Sheriff's Office was notified and took the lead in the subsequent investigation. A suicide note was found in the victim's pocket. He was identified as a 23-year-old man from Buena Park, California. [Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger]
Ranger Mike Nattrass was contacted on March 10, 2007, regarding an overdue hiker in the Saline Valley area. He soon located and contacted the hiker, a 65-year-old man from Carpinteria, California. During the ensuing conversation, the hiker admitted that he had just surface collected 272 artifacts from an archaeological site within the park. Archeological field work was done by Joshua Tree NP archaeologist Jan Keswick shortly thereafter and an ARPA damage assessment report was subsequently completed. Additional investigative work was done by rangers John Fish, Jason Flood, Don Whyte and a special agent. On March 9th of this year, the man pled guilty to one misdemeanor ARPA count. He was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation, payment of $600 in restitution to the park, and payment of a $25 penalty assessment. [Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger]
In December 2001, a ranger saw two people collecting historic and prehistoric artifacts in the park. Further investigation by BLM, FWS and NPS officers resulted in the service of numerous search warrants, the recovery of over 11,000 artifacts and the convictions of seven individuals and a corporation for violations of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA). During the searches and subsequent proffer sessions with one of the defendants, information was obtained concerning the sale of looted archaeological resources to commercial entities in southern California. Based upon this evidence, a covert investigation was begun in 2004 on a southern California gallery by NPS and FWS agents. Numerous commercial transactions of archaeological resources illegally removed from federal lands were conducted with the gallery. During the investigation, the gallery owner, despite knowing the artifacts had been illegally removed from federal and Indian lands, created false documents stating the artifacts had been collected on private land before the passage of ARPA to "launder" the relics. The gallery owner subsequently pled guilty to felony ARPA charges (16 USC 470ee (b) & (d)) and agreed to provide substantial assistance concerning other suspects. Throughout the period from 2007 to 2009, the gallery owner worked on behalf of the government, conducting covert contacts with other dealers. The cooperator completed numerous commercial transactions involving looted and smuggled material that has thus far resulted in the charging of two individuals and one company with felony violations of ARPA. Additional felony ARPA charges are pending against other suspects. The gallery owner was sentenced in September 2009. The defendant was fined $20,000, and, due to the substantial assistance rendered, placed on two years' supervised probation rather than being sentenced to prison. [Todd Swain, Special Agent]
On March 13th, rangers received a report of a missing and overdue camper at Mesquite Springs Campground in the northern part of the park. The missing man, 68-year-old G.K. of San Francisco, was part of a commercial bicycle tour group that was passing through the park. G.K. was last seen around the group campfire on Monday evening and was reported missing the following morning. His bike, camping gear, cell phone and personal effects were still in camp. Rangers began a hasty search when they arrived on scene, but were unable to find G.K. Assistance was requested from the Inyo County Sheriff's Office and its SAR team that afternoon. A Sea Hawk helicopter from China Lake Naval Air Station was also requested and arrived on scene in early afternoon. The pilot flew expanding circles around the point last seen, but was unable to spot G.K. and left at nightfall. Nellis Air Force Base then provided a HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FLIR" FLIR-equipped C-130 and two Black Hawk helicopters with night vision capabilities, which flew the expanded search area from 7 until 10 p.m., also without success. Over the next three days, search efforts intensified, with more dog teams and more personnel from Inyo and San Bernardino County SAR teams participating. An investigative unit was established on Thursday consisting of an ISB special agent and a sergeant from Inyo County to investigate the possibility that G.K. was not in the search area or had become a crime victim. Aircraft continued to fly the area most of the day and into the night, including an F-18 fighter equipped with FLIR, the C-130, and the two Black Hawks. Ground searchers focused on slot canyons, box canyons, mesquite thickets and ravines that were not visible from the air. On Friday, the military aircraft were not available. The California Highway Patrol provided an H-80 helicopter that remained with the search until mid-afternoon, when winds increased to the point that further flights in the search area would be hazardous. Family members, including G.K.'s spouse, arrived in the park on Thursday. By Friday, there were approximately 60 ground searchers on scene, including dog teams and an overhead ICS team provided by San Bernardino County SO. At the end of the day on Friday, search efforts were temporarily suspended due to approaching hazardous weather that included heavy rains, wind and decreased temperatures. Since most of the search area is in braided wash terrain and drains most of the adjoining Cottonwood Mountains. there was substantial potential for flash flooding. The hazardous weather continued throughout the weekend and into Monday, March 19th. On Tuesday, March 20th, a much down-sized search effort was resumed at with about 20 ground searchers and a CARDA dog team in the field following up on the few clues that had been located to this point. Participating ground searchers were from Inyo, Kern, San Bernardino, Tulare and Mono Counties as well as the China Lake Mountain Rescue Team. On Tuesday afternoon, ground searchers found a body, believed to be G.K.'s, in a small ravine about a mile northeast of the campground and a quarter mile from the paved Scotty's Castle Road. The Inyo County coroner was called to the scene. Key personnel on this incident for the NPS were rangers Micah Alley (IC for the incident, then deputy IC when Inyo County assumed command), Matt Martin (air operations supervisor), Lynne Stokes (family liaison), and ISB special agent Brian Lake (investigation). [Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger]
On the evening of Saturday, April 14th, dispatch advised rangers that a woman had broken her ankle in an unnamed canyon near Artist's Palette along the Badwater Road. Rangers immediately launched a hasty response and found the woman several hundred yards up from the parking lot at Artist's Palette. She had climbed up a side canyon, scaling several dry waterfalls, and was returning when she jumped from a ledge, injuring her ankle. She was conscious and oriented but unable to move due to severe pain. Local search and rescue helicopters were contacted due to the treacherous terrain, waning light, and dropping temperatures. No air assets were able to respond, however, due to high winds and deteriorating weather, so a rescue team consisting of six rangers, two volunteers and other park staff was assembled despite lower than normal staffing levels. Just before 10 p.m., the rescue team began a technical evacuation, lowering the woman and litter over two dry falls and carrying her out to the road. The team reached the road at 11:30 p.m. and she was transferred to an NPS ambulance and taken to Las Vegas via a rendezvous with a Las Vegas-based ambulance company in Lathrop Wells. The incident concluded on Sunday at 3 a.m. Ranger Amber Nattrass was the IC. [Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger]
Just before midnight on Sunday, April 15th, park dispatch advised rangers of a motorcycle accident with a probable fatality in the remote southern end of the park. Rangers found the motorcycle's operation about eight feet away from a badly damaged motorcycle. Evidence at the scene indicated that he failed to navigate a wide, sweeping curve in the road, hit the shoulder berm, and flipped several times before coming to rest approximately 30 feet from the road. He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly thereafter. The victim has been identified as 71-year-old H.K., a Swiss national. He was on a motorcycle tour with a group of friends at the time of the accident. [Brent Pennington, Chief Ranger]
On the afternoon of August 7th, rangers investigated a report of an unresponsive man on the Badwater Road at the southern end of the park. Ranger Tim Duncan, on detail from Mojave National Preserve, arrived at a location approximately six miles south of the Badwater parking lot to find several motor vehicle testers performing CPR on a man later identified as endurance athlete M.P. Ranger Matt Martin and park volunteer Mike Wehmeyer arrived shortly thereafter and assumed patient care. A Mercy Air helicopter was dispatched to evacuate M.P., who was transported by ambulance to the Badwater parking lot to await the helicopter's arrival. He was pronounced dead by the Mercy Air crew. M.P. was attempting to run across Badwater Basin from Shorty's Well on the west to the Badwater parking lot on the east, a distance of approximately 6.25 miles. No marked route exists between the two locations, and the ground surface of Badwater basin is typically knee-deep mud even in the middle of the summer. M.P. began his run with four 16-ounce bottles of ice water. The high temperature recorded on the day was 123 degrees Fahrenheit. [Lynne Stokes, District Ranger]
On the afternoon of July 10th, rangers responded to a report of a vehicle fire at the Dante's View parking lot. Ranger Dave Brenner, who was first to arrive at the scene, found a fully involved two-door convertible. Brenner determined that the car's two occupants were uninjured and not in the vehicle. He then evacuated the other vehicles in the parking lot and secured the steep, narrow, winding road that approached the lot in anticipation of the arrival of the park fire engine. Death Valley Rescue Engine 1 arrived on scene staffed by park volunteer Mike Wehmeyer and park maintenance employee Pete Avena. Rangers Jacob Tung and Matt Martin arrived on scene several minutes later and joined the fire suppression efforts. The fire was quickly suppressed, but, unfortunately, no salvageable property was recovered from the car. The couple from Belgium, who were on their honeymoon, lost everything, including their identification, protection division administrative assistant Marilyn Pitassi provided translation services for the couple to ensure that the rental car, food and lodging were taken care of, including setting up appointments with the Belgian consulate for the next day in Los Angeles. Furnace Creek Ranch, located on private property inside the park, graciously assisted the couple with accommodations for the evening. [Lynne Stokes, District Ranger]
On the evening of Saturday, November 17th, the campground hosts at Stovepipe Wells saw flames coming from the right rear tires of a 40-foot motor home parked near the gas station. They called 911 and also notified the driver, who was unaware of the flames. Stovepipe Wells rangers responded with Engine 3 within six minutes of the report and found the rear half of the RV fully involved. They protected exposures until additional firefighters arrived. Cow Creek rangers arrived in Engine 1 and a light rescue truck 30 minutes later. The Beatty Volunteer Fire Department also responded to assist. During the overhaul of the fire, two medical aid calls came into park dispatch as a result of the fire. One was a concession employee who fell while running to watch the fire; the second was one of the occupants of the motor home, who had a significant medical history and had lost all his medications in the fire. Both were treated by firefighter/EMTs; both declined transport to a medical facility. Investigation revealed that the driver wanted to get to the campground before dark and did not use the engine brake, only the foot brake, while descending nearly 5,000 feet from Townes Pass. Employees and VIPS from the visitor and resource protection and maintenance divisions managed the incident. [Micah Alley, Cow Creek District Ranger]
H.D.T., newborn daughter of park residents P.T. and C.T., arrived at their home just before 8 a.m. on the morning of February 10th. Ranger/medic Amber Nattrass and ranger/EMT Mike Nattrass assisted in the delivery along with a flight crew from Mercy Medical Air Flight Service. H.D.T. weighed in at seven pounds and measured 19 inches long. This was the first birth recorded in the park in many years. Mom and daughter were flown to Mountain View Hospital in Las Vegas as a precaution and are now at home and doing fine. [Karen McKinlay-Jones, Chief Ranger]
Rangers dealt with a series of significant incidents over the course of the week of May 19th. A dumpster fire on Monday was followed on Tuesday with a response to a fatal traffic accident in Emigrant Canyon which required victim extrication and is now being investigated by the California Highway Patrol as a possible suicide. Within an hour of clearing from that accident, a wildland fire was reported in the north end of the park at Scotty's Castle. Over the next few days, while all park staff were addressing the 15-acre Scotty's Fire, which threatened numerous cultural resources, rangers also responded to five more traffic accidents, one of which was a DUI and several of which required medical transport. Ranger staff also responded to four additional medical incidents, most of which required transport and one of which is currently being investigated as a possible suicide attempt. [Karen McKinlay-Jones, Chief Ranger]
On Sunday, April 27th, rangers received a report of a single vehicle rollover accident on Scotty's Castle Road just south of the unstaffed Grapevine Ranger Station. A ranger in Furnace Creek, located an hour south of the accident scene, responded to the call and began requesting assistance from off-duty rangers and personnel from outside the park for a mutual aid response. Two rangers returning from an assault in the Saline Valley, two hours west, began responding as well. The Furnace Creek ranger was able to contact interpreters working in Scotty's Castle who responded in an NPS ambulance staffed at the First Responder level. When the interpreters arrived on scene, they saw victims being triaged by other visitors outside of the ranger station and later learned that the latter were active and reserve military personnel who were on vacation in the park. The five victims had severe burns to their faces, arms, legs and feet, with possible broken bones and one head injury. As rangers arrived on scene, they began coordinating with Mercy Air Ambulance for helicopter evacuations. Additional help in the form of local volunteer fire and ambulance companies from Nevada, California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers, and sheriff's deputies from Nevada and California soon arrived on scene. Responders were able to triage and evacuate four of the injured by helicopter. The fifth was determined to be stable and was taken by ground ambulance to University Medical Center in Las Vegas. A total of ten agencies from two states responded to the mass casualty incident. CHP is taking the lead in investigating the traffic collision. [J.D. Updegraff, District Ranger]
The body of British actor D.L., best known for his role as werewolf Fenrir Greyback in three of the 'Harry Potter' films, was discovered by hikers in the badlands near Zabriskie Point on July 6th. Temperatures at the time of his death were as much as 118° to 123°F. This is the second heat-related death in the park this summer. Hiking is not recommended in the low elevations of Death Valley in the summer. The Inyo County Sheriff's Office is handling the investigation. [Death Valley Facebook page]
The National Park Service is investigating reports of vandalism - acrylic painting on rocks - in at least ten national parks in Arizona, California, Colorado, Oregon, and Utah. Details are not yet available because the case is under investigation, but the vandalism is believed to have occurred in the following parks (asterisks indicate that confirmation is pending at a particular area) - Grand Canyon*, Yosemite, Death Valley, Sequoia-Kings Canyon*, Joshua Tree*, Rocky Mountain*, Crater Lake, Bryce Canyon*, Zion and Canyonlands. Said a Washington Office spokesperson: "There are forums for artistic expression in national parks because national parks inspire artistic creativity. These images are outside that forum and outside the law." The link below is to a representative media report on the investigation. HYPERLINK "http://gazette.com/vandalism-investigated-at-10-national-parks-including-rocky-mountain-national-park/article/1540003"
A 21-year-old New York State woman, C.N., has been identified as the primary suspect in recent vandalism cases that affect eight national parks in the western United States. National Park Service investigators have confirmed that images were painted on rocks and boulders in Yosemite National Park, Death Valley National Park, and Joshua Tree National Park, all in California; Rocky Mountain National Park and Colorado National Monument, both in Colorado; Crater Lake National Park, in Oregon; Zion National Park and Canyonlands National Park, both in Utah. Investigators continue to collect evidence of the crimes and conduct interviews and are consulting with the U.S. Attorney's Office about potential charges. The image in Rocky Mountain National Park was reported to the park and removed in late September before similar images were found in the other national parks. Ice and snow now cover the image at Crater Lake National Park, and it may not be accessible for assessment and clean up until next summer. An image in Yosemite National Park was removed by an unknown person or persons. If people visiting these parks come upon these images, they should contact the nearest park ranger with information about the image location. Visitors should not attempt to remove the images. The National Park Service was contacted on October 20th about this vandalism case. The investigation began immediately. [Jeffrey Olson]
On January 26th, law enforcement rangers received a report from the Inyo County Sheriff's Office regarding a possible suicidal person in in Death Valley. The sheriff's office had few details other than that he was posting ominous messages to Facebook about his intention to end his life in the park, adding that he was just searching for the right location. Through investigation, rangers determined that he owned and might be in possession of three handguns, a 12 gauge shotgun, knives, and medieval weaponry. It was also learned that he might be intending to harm law enforcement officers. Rangers monitored the man's Facebook page and began searching areas with enough connectivity to post messages and pictures to the internet. Drawing from the terrain features in the background of his photographs, rangers put together a likely search area. They also contacted the man's cell phone provider and requested that they attempt to geo-locate the phone through "pinging", which was unsuccessful. On January 27th, the man posted a photograph of himself pointing to his chosen area. Rangers quickly identified the area where the photograph was taken and responded. A short time later the cell phone provider located the man's cell phone in the same area identified in the photograph. The rangers found him and made a high-risk traffic stop. An Inyo County Sheriff's Office deputy arrived on scene after the stop was made and placed the man in custody on a California Welfare and Institutions Code 5150 for a mental health assessment. [J.D. Updegraff, Supervisory Park Ranger]
On February 10th, a Death Valley employee reported that a vehicle parked along the Beatty Cutoff Road had not moved for several days. A protection ranger responded to the area and ran the vehicle's registration through dispatch. Based on the information gathered, the ranger was able to locate the registered owner's mother and conduct a phone interview. During the course of the interview, the ranger found that the registered owner was a diagnosed schizophrenic and that he might not be still taking his medication. The ranger notified Inyo County Sheriff's Office, which took the lead in the investigation. On February 11th, a California Highway Patrol helicopter joined the search and flew areas peripheral to the parked vehicle. Rangers assisted by conducting a ground search and directing the aircraft's flight patterns. As nighttime fell over the valley, the sheriff's office decided to scale back its efforts due to the size of the search area. Over ensuing days, rangers continued to search the area by ground, attempting to locate any sign of someone walking into the desert. On February 16th, a ranger found a faint footprint in an adjacent drainage and called for additional ground searchers. After tracking the footprints for more than a mile, rangers found the man's body in remote drainage. They also found a handgun with the slide locked to the rear and spent cartridges next to the body. The Inyo County Sheriff's Office and county coroner were notified and arrived on scene shortly thereafter. Rangers conducted a carryout and the body was transferred to the coroner for further investigation. [J.D. Updegraff, District Ranger]
On the evening of Monday, March 23rd, rangers received a report that a visitor was stranded on a ledge in Golden Canyon, a popular hiking area in Death Valley. Rangers hiked the trail system by headlamp but were unable to locate the visitor. On Tuesday, park personnel were able to make voice contact with the nab, who was trapped at the top of a series of dry waterfalls, some of which were greater than 100 feet high. Rangers directed a U.S. Navy search and rescue helicopter to his location, where he was hoisted into the aircraft without incident. He was flown to the Furnace Creek Airfield, where he was medically evaluated and debriefed. He said that he left the main trail system and began following a series of social trails until he became "cliffed out". Once he realized that he was trapped he sheltered in place overnight and awaited rescue. Search and rescue efforts were supported by members of protection, fee collection, interpretation, resource management, maintenance, and management branches, as well as military personnel from the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake. [J.D. Updegraff, District Ranger]
On Saturday, May 9th, rangers received a report that a white pickup truck had been parked for several days at Saline Valley Dunes, a remote area only accessible to 4x4 vehicles. Rangers searched the area on Sunday but were unable to locate anyone associated with the truck. Through investigation, they determined that it had been rented by a single person and had not been returned by the rental contract's termination date. On Monday, the Beverly Hills Police Department checked at the man's home and confirmed that he was overdue and a search was begun. Rangers were joined by Inyo County SAR, China Lake Mountain Rescue, and California Highway Patrol's helicopter H80. On Tuesday morning, H80 was re-tasked to another SAR which was occurring simultaneously at Mesquite Sand Dunes. Once H80 cleared Mesquite Sand Dunes, the crew returned to assist in the Saline Valley search efforts. San Bernadino, Tehachapi, California Rescue Dog Association, and Kern Valley SAR groups also joined the search. Around 10 a.m., H80 located the missing man, who was roughly five miles from his vehicle and to the east of the dune complex. The man reportedly set out alone for a day hike on the morning of Tuesday, May 5th, and became disoriented. Unable to find his way back to his vehicle, he followed a group of burros to a watering hole where he subsisted until rescue arrived. The man was transported to Northern Inyo Hospital where he is being treated for second degree sunburn and a HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhabdomyolysis" rhabdomyolysis. [J.D. Updegraff, District Ranger]
On Friday, May 29th, drivers in HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gumball_3000" Gumball 3000, an international supercar rally, completed the last leg of their 3,000 mile journey through Death Valley National Park, ending in Las Vegas. Rangers patrolled the Highway 190 corridor in both marked and unmarked vehicles and were assisted by a California Highway Patrol airplane. During the event, rangers issued over a dozen citations for violations such as speed and unsafe operation and observed vehicles traveling as fast as 140 mph. [J.D. Updegraff, District Ranger]
On the afternoon of Monday, August 3rd, rangers received a report that a mother and son were experiencing severe heat exhaustion on the Golden Canyon Trail, a popular hiking route in Death Valley. The father, now at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, left his family on the trail and sought help when his wife and son were too exhausted to continue. Rangers responded to the visitor center and learned that the eight-year-old child and 49-year-old mother had just a half liter of water between them when the father left them an hour previously. The father also said that his wife and son had been vomiting and had been on the trail since 9 a.m. The air temperature at the time was 120 F. Rangers immediately responded and began hiking the trail, carrying copious amounts of water and medical supplies. After roughly thirty minutes of searching, the rangers located the mother and son, who were lying face down in the shade of a cliff face. Both were responsive but were completely out of water. Rangers administered care to both mother and son, who were stable and denied throwing up. Once they had been cooled, the rangers assisted them in walking out of the canyon. When they arrived at the ambulance, staged at the entrance to the canyon, the mother declined any further medical care for her and her son. [J.D. Updegraff, District Ranger]
Rangers recently discovered that fossil footprints had been removed from the park. Trackways of mammals and birds were formed about three to five million years ago when the animals left footprints in a muddy area. Scientists visiting the area discovered that the fossils were missing during a recent visit and reported the theft to rangers. Backpackers in the area were photographed and may have witnessed the crime or have information about those responsible. Investigators are offering up to $1,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of those responsible. Source: News 3, Las Vegas.
A woman walking barefoot in Death Valley suffered third-degree burns to her feet earlier this month. The woman lost her sandals in the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and walked about a half-mile barefoot on the sand. An ambulance took her to a hospital for treatment. Rangers say that the temperature of the sand was not recorded, but ground temperatures in Death Valley are frequently higher than official temperatures, which are recorded about four feet off the ground in the shade. Ground temperatures above 200 degrees have been recorded in the park. Death Valley hit 126 degrees on Tuesday, June 20th, and a high of 125 degrees was forecast for Thursday. The Wrangler Restaurant at Furnace Creek in Death Valley was forced to close on Tuesday when its air-conditioning system broke down. Rangers are warning visitors not to stray from air-conditioned vehicles for more than 15 minutes, avoid activity in the middle of the day, wear a hat and sunscreen, and drink plenty of water. They also advise visitors to spend more time at higher, cooler, parts of the park. Source: The Sacramento Bee via EMS1.com webpage.
A powerful storm system brought heavy rains and wind to the park on September 11th.. Extremely high winds in the Cow Creek administrative area blew the roof off of a historic office building dating back to the Civilian Conservation Corps era of the 1930s. Windows were blown out of four vehicles belonging to staff living at Cow Creek. Roofs of five other buildings at Stovepipe Wells were also damaged. Although the wind speed was estimated to have reached 100 mph, it didn't last long. After the winds died down, rangers discovered the missing roof and covered up computers and office equipment to protect them from the rain. "The atmosphere during this storm was very dry below the storm cell," said National Weather Service Meteorologist Alex Boothe. "Microbursts occur when rain falls into very dry air causing evaporational cooling. The cooled air sinks rapidly and spreads in all directions as it hits the ground." As the winds blew and heavy rains fell, rangers were called to the Inn at Death Valley to respond to a tree fire — a palm tree had been struck by lightning and was smoldering in the crown. Rangers were able to quickly extinguish the fire burning in the garden area west of the Inn. Several roads and a campground were closed due to the storm — North Highway/Scotty's Castle Road, Titus Canyon Road, and Mesquite Campground. All other roads and facilities are open. Source: News Release, Death Valley National Park.
A fatal tractor-trailer accident occurred on California 190 west of Towne Pass in the park on the morning of Monday, October 23rd. D.W., a 51-year-old Pahrump, Nevada, resident, was driving a 1986 Peterbilt tractor hauling equipment on a flatbed trailer. The big rig truck was traveling at a high rate of speed when it veered off the road on the north side and rolled several times. D.W. was ejected from the vehicle and sustained fatal injuries. California Highway Patrol officers, Death Valley National Park rangers, and the Inyo County coroner responded. The accident is under investigation by CHP. Both of the truck's fuel tanks ruptured, spilling approximately 150 to 200 gallons of diesel fuel. California Department of Transportation personnel conducted the clean up. This was the third vehicle-related fatality in Death Valley National Park this year. Source: News release with photo, Death Valley NP.
Park employees had to roll out about 600 feet of hose to erase the latest graffiti at Death Valley. Sometime in late October, unknown vandals scratched letters and symbols as large as 20 feet high and 40 feet across into the mud bottom of Ubehebe Crater at the northern end of the park. After hearing complaints from visitors about the graffiti, the park dispatched a water tanker and a team of seven park employees to the crater on November 7th. The cleanup crew ran a hose from the tanker to the bottom of the active volcano and soaked the scars in the dried mud, allowing the surface to return to its natural color and appearance. "The marks would likely have been erased by the next significant rainfall, but that can be a long wait in Death Valley," the park said in a statement. Park workers could also have raked away the graffiti, but that could have opened the ground to invasion by nonnative weeds, officials said. Death Valley has seen a rash of theft and vandalism in recent years, including visitors illegally driving on Racetrack Playa and the salt pan at Badwater Basin, "decorating" rocks as part of unauthorized art projects in the park, and stealing Indian artifacts and fossilized footprints left by prehistoric animals. Ubehebe Crater is considered sacred to the Timbisha Shoshone tribe and important to scientists studying everything from volcanism to soil and rock samples collected by rovers on Mars. Source: News story, Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Two men have pled guilty to federal charges stemming from a 2016 break-in at Devils Hole, a protected spring pool in the park that is home to a critically endangered fish. E.R. of North Las Vegas and S.S. of Pahrump pleaded guilty to destruction of government property for their actions at Devils Hole on April 30, 2016. The men fired a gun and damaged government equipment, including locks, the security system, scientific monitoring equipment and several signs at the water-filled cavern about 90 miles west of Las Vegas. As part of their plea, they agreed to pay $5,622.83 in restitution and face a maximum penalty of up to one year in prison and a fine of $100,000. E.R. and S.S. are to be sentenced next month. A third man, T.S. of Indian Springs, faces charges of destruction of government property, violating the Endangered Species Act, and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. After the men broke into the fenced cavern, T.S. waded into the water and onto a shallow rocky shelf where the endangered Devils Hole pupfish feeds, mates and lays its eggs. The Devils Hole pupfish has been under federal protection since 1967. Only about 100 are left in the wild, and the only place they live is in Devils Hole. Investigators said the men were caught with the help of tips from the public. Sources: Death Valley NP news release, Las Vegas Review-Journal.
On the afternoon of Monday, March 12th, a truck driver heading east on California Highway 190 lost control of his vehicle near Emigrant Campground. The truck careened into the desert, landed on its side, and caught on fire. Rangers responded with an ambulance and kept visitors away from the burning truck filled with chemicals. Around two hours later, mutual aid from Nye County, Nevada, came in the form of hazmat and medical personnel, as well as a fire engine. Units from the California Highway Patrol, Inyo County, and Cal Trans also responded. Highway 190 was closed for over seven hours while the accident scene was being investigated. A National Park Service ambulance transferred the injured driver to the hospital. The truck contained a slurry mix of cyanide and diluted and neutralized chromatic acid. The company for whom the driver is employed is working with park resource staff to clean up the spill. Source: Death Valley NP news release.
Over 4,000 illegal marijuana plants were found during a raid in Death Valley National Park on July 3rd. Hikers came upon three men installing an irrigation hose near a spring in Hanaupah Canyon. The hikers thought that the men worked for NPS, so they asked them what they were doing. One of the men answered, "Growing marijuana. You won't tell the cops, will you?" Rangers from NPS and the Bureau of Land Management raided the site and found four garden plots, but no workers. "Even though California and Nevada have passed laws legalizing marijuana sale, it remains illegal at the federal level," said Superintendent Mike Reynolds. "Our biggest concerns in Death Valley are that grow sites decimate vegetation around springs, poison wildlife, and are dangerous for the public." Workers on the illegal grow site cleared away vegetation to make room for crops, and diverted water from nearby springs for the garden plots. Each marijuana plant can use up to six gallons of water per day. Rangers were especially worried about finding carbofuran, which is a pesticide that's highly toxic to humans and wildlife. Source: KTNV News.
A man accused of harming endangered pupfish in Death Valley National Park pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday, July 18th. T.S., 28, pleaded guilty to one count of violation of the Endangered Species Act, one count of destruction of United States property, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Sentencing is scheduled for October 25th. The maximum penalty for the ESA violation, a criminal misdemeanor, is up to one year in prison and up to a $50,000 fine. The maximum penalty for destroying United States property and being a felon in possession of a firearm, both felonies, is up to ten years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine per count. Devils Hole, a detached unit of Death Valley National Park, is located in Amargosa Valley, Nevada, within a 40-acre parcel of National Park Service land surrounded by the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. Devils Hole is the only location in the world where Devils Hole pupfish exist in the wild. They are the descendants of fish that inhabited an ancient lake that once covered Death Valley. According to court documents, T.S. admitted that on April 30, 2016, he and two co-defendants rammed the fence surrounding Devils Hole with their ATV, severely damaging the gate. T.S. then fired a Mossberg 500 shotgun at the padlock on the gate, attempting to gain access. After their attempts were unsuccessful, the men scaled the fence. Once in the enclosed area, they destroyed a sensor center for cameras and equipment for the area, and destroyed a video surveillance camera belonging to the National Park Service. T.S. then went into the water and smashed pupfish eggs and larvae during the peak spawning season for pupfish. Two other men, E.R., 37, and S.S., 31, who were with T.S. at Devils Hole during the time of the crimes, previously pleaded guilty to destruction of government property and violation of the Endangered Species Act. They were each sentenced to one year probation. The investigation was conducted by the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Nye County Sheriff's Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Lopez. Source: KTNV News.
P.R., 57, died while hiking in the park on Monday, July 16th. Rangers learned that the man was overdue from a hike in the park when his fiancé called and said that he'd failed to return as planned. She gave rangers a list of hikes that P.R. was considering and they subsequently found his car at the Panamint Dunes trailhead. On Tuesday morning, a California Highway Patrol helicopter began searching and spotted his body a little less than a mile east of his car. It was taken to the Inyo County Coroner's Office in Lone Pine, where an autopsy revealed the cause of death to be a skull fracture caused by a fall, compounded by exposure to the elements. Temperatures exceeded 115 degrees on the day he was reported missing. Hikers are discouraged from going into low elevations at Death Valley during the summer due to the excessive heat. Source: KSNV News.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter: Death Valley NP — T.S., 28, the man who last year fired a shotgun at the Devils Hole gate padlock, destroyed a surveillance camera and equipment, and harmed endangered pupfish, will be serving time behind bars. On October 25th, a federal judge sentenced T.S. to 12 months and a day in prison and three years of supervised release, Source: Death Valley NP.
The National Parks — Articles on the effects of the shutdown on several specific National Park Service areas — and the ad hoc and often inconsistent ways in which they're being managed during the shutdown: Death Valley NP — On January 16th, the park announced that some recently closed areas would once again be accessible to visitors in "coming days." Some visitor services, including campgrounds and the Stovepipe Wells Contact Station, will also reopen using revenue generated by recreation fees. The park also posted a time-lapse video on Facebook that shows the hours it took park staff to prepare a restroom for reopening. Check it out. Source: Death Valley National Park.
M.Y., 41, was rappelling down a 380-foot cliff on the evening of March 22nd when he fell to his death. M.Y. and a companion were canyoneering in the park when the accident occurred. They had hiked about 4,000 feet up a ridge before starting their descent into Bottomless Pit Canyon, the informal name of a canyon south of Titus Canyon in the Grapevine Mountains. This canyoneering route, which requires 19 rappels down cliffs or dry waterfalls, was first descended in 2012 and is a route that's not commonly taken. The two canyoneers planned to break the 380-foot rappel into stages by setting up an anchor on a ledge partway down. M.Y.'s companion had already rappelled to the ground when M.Y. fell to his death. His companion activated an emergency locator beacon and was extracted later that night by a Navy VX-31 helicopter from China Lake. M.Y.'s body was recovered the next day by an Inyo County Sheriff's Office deputy and the crew of a California Highway Patrol H-80 helicopter. Source: Abby Wines, Death Valley NP.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter: Death Valley NP — You'll no doubt recall the incident a little while back in which three men broke into the enclosure protecting the unique and endangered Devil's Hole pupfish and caused serious damage to the site. You probably also recall that they were discovered, arrested, tried and sentenced for their actions. Now you can read the "backstory" in High Country News. An article posted on the magazine's webpage on April 15th, entitled "How a tiny endangered species put a man in prison," provides details on what happened. Source: Paige Blankenbuehler, High Country News.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter. Death Valley NP — The park is still working to recover from the storm that dropped about three inches of rain in five hours in October, 2017, causing serious damage to Scotty's Castle and environs (the tab for storm recovery costs parkwide has so far come to $52 million). Most of the damage occurred in the hacienda-guest house, which was flooded with two feet of mud, and the historic garage that is now used as a visitors center, parts of which were flooded with four feet of mud and debris. The storm also destroyed five miles of the road to Scotty's Castle, caused water damage to buildings around the Castle, and wiped out water, electricity and heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in the main building. The park hopes to reopen at least portions of the site by the end of next year. Source: Associated Press via Greenwich Time.
N.M., 85, described as "a California historian-at-large and one of the last of a dwindling supply of San Francisco eccentrics," was found dead in an isolated canyon near Death Valley on June 21st after setting off alone in midday triple-digit heat in search of an abandoned gold mine. "N.M. was able to endure extreme temperatures," reported the San Francisco Chronicle. "He once fell off a boat he was living on and into San Francisco Bay, where he survived for an hour and 45 minutes before he was noticed missing and pulled from the cold water." He also spent a summer in a metal NPS trailer in Death Valley in an attempt to measure and record the hottest day in California history. He recorded 127 degrees, just shy of the record. N.M. set off hiking alone in the Panamint Valley at 2:30 p.m. on June 21st in spite of his age and in spite of warnings by a camping partner not to go. When he did not return, he was reported missing at the Lone Pine Sheriff's Substation. It took two days and an aerial search to locate his body in Thompson Canyon and to retrieve it by lowering a hoist from a helicopter. Source: Sam Whiting, San Francisco Chronicle.
A Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter crashed during a training mission over the park last Wednesday, resulting in the death of the pilot and injuries to seven park visitors. All seven were treated at the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills Hospital. Two were admitted to the hospital, another four will ultimately require surgery for severe burn injuries, and one person sustained burns that don't require intensive care. The jet went down on the west side of the park near the Father Crowley Overlook. The overlook is an area informally known as "Star Wars Canyon," which has been used for military training flights since the 1930s. The aircraft was based at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California. Although military jets are not supposed to fly over national parks, an exception has been made for this section of the park. Sources: Richard Gonzalez, National Public Radio; KGO-TV News.
Park rangers responded to a two-car collision on CA-190 on the evening of December 30th — the fourth major motor vehicle accident in the park in recent weeks. Collectively, there have been 11 park visitors injured and one fatality. Around 4:50 p.m. on December 30th, Takumi Sagawa, of Hokkaido, Japan, allowed his Kia Optima to drift into the oncoming lane on CA-190 east of Stovepipe Wells. Xiaomin Deng, of Sammamish, Washington, was driving a Chevrolet Malibu in the opposite direction and attempted unsuccessfully to avoid the head-on collision. Two people were transported by air ambulances due to serious injuries. Three people with moderate injuries were transported by ground ambulances. Source: National Park Service.
On Thursday, February 6th, a backpacker on a multi-day trip fell while descending into a side canyon west of the main Cottonwood Canyon, suffering a severe lower extremity injury. Hikers in the canyon below made audible contact with the backpacker and used their satellite device to call for help. Because the hikers were unable to ascend the difficult terrain and assist the injured hiker, they made camp and spent the night in order to help via satellite communication with rangers. A member of Inyo County Search and Rescue was lowered into the slot canyon via helicopter at 9:30 a.m. on Friday. A California Highway Patrol helicopter then flew him out to a hospital. According to the park's SAR coordinator, good planning by both the injured man and the party that found him helped him survive. In addition to having filled out backcountry camping permits, which provided emergency contact information and planned routes, the injured man had proper equipment to spend the night in the park. The equipment was also brightly colored, which made it much easier for search crews to see him in the narrow canyon from the helicopter. Two-way communications, which were possible because of the satellite emergency notification device the other hikers had, proved invaluable, as cell phones don't work in most of the park. Source: Caitlin Lilly, KVVU News.
Three hikers came upon a body near the base of Manly Beacon mountain by the Zabriskie Point trail this past weekend. Rangers and an Inyo County deputy responded and determined that the victim fell roughly 300 feet from Manly Beacon. They were unable to recover the body due to insufficient resources and time. On Sunday, rangers, as well as search and rescue teams from the sheriff's office and Inyo County, responded along with a CHP helicopter, which hoisted out the body and flew it to the coroner's office. Rangers found a rental vehicle near the Zabriskie trailhead and determined that it'd been there for about three days before the body was found. Source: Cody Miller, KSNV News.
News on national parks continues to focus mostly on the administration's response to the pandemic. Here's an assortment of stories from the last two weeks: Wildlife 'Take Over' Parks — The Guardian has an article entitled "Wildlife Thrives In Closed US National Parks" that reports on instances of wildlife "thriving on public lands since the coronavirus closures went into effect" — pronghorn around park headquarters at Death Valley; wildlife around buildings and along roadways in Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone; a quadrupling of bears in public places in Yosemite.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter. Death Valley NP — On July 31, 2019, a Navy Super Hornet jet crashed near Rainbow Canyon in Death Valley National Park, killing the pilot and injuring several visitors who were viewing the aircraft training at low altitudes through the canyon. Over the last year, park and Navy officials have worked together to pay tribute to the pilot, Lieutenant Commander C.Z.W., and remove debris from the area near the Father Crowley Vista Point. Last month, the park installed a new exhibit overlooking Rainbow Canyon to educate visitors on the military aircraft training history in the area. Rainbow Canyon, commonly called Star Wars Canyon, is part of the R-2508 Complex which the military has utilized since 1930s. The California Desert Protection Act, which expanded Death Valley National Park, called for continuation of military overflights. The park continues to play an important role in training pilots and equipment. Source: Sierra Sun Times.
A possible hiker fatality near the Golden Canyon Loop trail was first reported around 9 p.m. on Sunday, September 6th. Park rangers and a deputy with the Inyo County Sheriff's Office responded to the Zabriskie Pointe Trailhead that night to search for the hiker, but were unable to find anyone. A team of rangers and the sheriff's deputy met again the next morning and were able to locate the victim, who was about a mile from the trailhead. He was taken to the Inyo County Coroner's office, which will determine the official cause of death, though the National Park Service suspects that extreme heat was a factor. Source: Matthew Seeman, KSNV News.
Last week, a climber stepped on a loose rock and triggered a rockslide that killed him. J.I., a 38-year-old canyoneer, died on January 30th, as he was going down the Deimos Canyon with six of his friends. The canyon is steep, and is not recommended for people who are uncomfortable with heights or are worried about crumbling rock under their feet. J.I. and his group knew the route and had descended the canyon many times before. They were all "very experienced" canyoneers. The incident occurred while J.I. was descending a steep, rocky slope to the top of the third rappel anchor. He apparently stepped on a rock that moved, triggering a rockslide that swept him past two companions and over the edge of the 95-foot-tall dry fall." J.I.'s friends were able to use an emergency locator beacon to call officials for help. They sent information by text to emergency responders. After assessing J.I.'s condition, the group continued down the canyon due to continuing active rock fall. Inyo County search-and-rescue and Death Valley rangers were assisted by helicopters from the California Highway Patrol and Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake. Rescue crews reached J.I. by helicopter hours after the rockslide and found him dead. His body was recovered the next day. Source: Maddie Capron, The Olympian.
A investigation into fire that started the night of April 21/morning of April 22 and destroyed the Scottys Castle Visitor Center, located in the historic garage/workshop, came back inconclusive. There was no electrical power connected to the building, no generators or equipment, no lightning, and no evidence of arson. Ongoing flood recovery at the site from the flash flood in October 2015 was suspended for two months due to the risk of wind-blown asbestos from the burn, but work has now resumed at other parts of the site. The historic district at Scottys Castle is expected to reopen in 2023.
On July 25 or 26, D.B., 68, set out to hike 12 miles across the salt flats from Badwater to West Side Road and back. A family member called the Inn at Death Valley on the morning of July 28 after he missed his flight home the day prior. His belongings were still in his room and rangers found his vehicle at the Badwater parking lot. A California Highway Patrol helicopter found and recovered his body later that day. The heat was up to 118 degrees with humidity as high as 91% over the two-day period he is suspected to have been hiking in. The Inyo County Coroner's Office is investigating the cause of death. Source: NewsNow Las Vegas
On August 18, visitors reported a suspected heat stroke victim and CPR in-progress near Red Cathedral on the Golden Canyon Trail. Rangers responded on foot and found the 60-year-old hiker to be deceased. California Highway Patrol Helicopter H-80 assisted in the recovery that evening. Source: Death Valley National Park
On August 21, a visitor was found dead by an early morning hiker near the Manly Beacon formation on the Golden Canyon Trail. A SAR team recovered the body on foot. The Inyo County Sheriff's Office is investigating the cause of death. Foul play is not suspected. Temperatures have been around 109. It was the second death on the Golden Canyon Trail in a week (the first was reported in the previous Coalition Report). Source: News3LV
On October 4, a Navy F/A-18F Superhornet jet from the Naval Air Weapons Station in China Lake crashed in the park. The pilot ejected and suffered minor injuries. Units from the base, as well as Fort Irwin Army Base and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma responded to rescue the pilot. The pilot was treated and released from a Las Vegas hospital that evening. The Navy has stated that it will assist the NPS with cleanup of the crash site. The crash is under investigation. Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune
On November 6, two family members went hiking together at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. After about half an hour, they split up, one returning to the parking lot, and the other, an experienced hiker, was to return in 1-2 hours. After waiting a few hours, the one at the parking lot returned to the dunes, but was unable to find the other party and reported her overdue. An NPS search that evening was unsuccessful. The next morning, search teams found tracks leading to the victim, who was deceased about 1.5 miles from the parking lot on flats adjacent to the dunes. Foul play is not suspected, and the incident is under investigation by the Inyo County Coroner's Office. Source: National Parks Traveler
On January 8, a 63-year-old motorcyclist drifted off the side of SR-190 near Stovepipe Wells. The victim crashed into a dirt and rock embankment and was ejected from the motorcycle. While being transported to Las Vegas University Hospital via Mercy Air helicopter, the victim succumbed to injuries. The crash is under investigation by California Highway Patrol from Bishop. Source: Death Valley National Park
On February 10, a car traveling westbound on CA-190 just east of Towne Pass traversed a right-hand curve and collided with a guidepost. It then crossed over the road and down an embankment, where it overturned. The driver, an 84-year-old, was brought to the hospital via ambulance, but did not survive. A 79-year-old passenger was also brought to the hospital and sustained minor injuries. Source: Death Valley National Park June 15, 2022 On May 15, a 69-year-old sent a text message to family, mentioning plans to head to Death Valley National Park, and then was not heard from again. On May 26, the Long Beach Police Department issued a public information bulletin for the missing person. On May 31, the individual's vehicle was found on Lake Hill Road in Panamint Valley. After two days of air and ground searches by personnel from the NPS, Bureau of Land Management, California Highway Patrol, and U.S. Navy, the individual's body was found on June 1 about a quarter-mile from their vehicle. Inyo County Coroner's office assisted with the body recovery. Foul play is not suspected. Source: KTNV
On June 8, an NPS ranger noticed a lone car at the Zabriskie Point parking lot. The same ranger noticed the car still in the lot three days later. Though the owner of the car, a 67- year-old, had not been reported as missing, the visitor had been cited in the park on May 30 for off-road driving and had mentioned he was low on gas that day. A crumpled note in the car said "Out of gas." The original search was focused on Golden Canyon and Badlands Trails, but the search was hampered by temperatures of 123 degrees. On June 14, the victim's body was found, about 2.5 miles from the car, 30 feet off of Highway 190, obscured by terrain and a tree. The individual appears to have been walking toward Furnace Creek after running out of gas. Source: Death Valley National Park
On August 5, severe flooding occurred in the park. Furnace Creek received 1.46 inches of rain in three hours. All roads in the park were closed and about 500 visitors and 500 staff were stranded inside the park. Around 60 cars were buried in debris. 600 feet of the main line in the Cow Creek water system washed away. Cow Creek supports many park residences and administrative buildings, including the primary emergency operations building and maintenance yard. Hundreds of miles of road experienced damage, some quite severe. Law enforcement escorts assisted people in leaving the park. A Naval Weapons Station China Lake helicopter crew was able to do aerial surveys and locate vehicles in remote areas of the park. Rangers were able to contact those visitors to ensure everyone was okay. Highway 190 was expected to reopen between Furnace Creek and Pahrump on August 9, but has been delayed until at least August 17 due to extensive debris removal. All other roads also remain closed while damage is assessed and recovery takes place. Source: News3LV (8/5, 8/6), Death Valley National Park (8/7, 8/8) August 24, 2022 Due to the extensive flooding in Death Valley (see 8/10/22 Coalition Report), all roads in the park were closed (see below for an update on current openings). As a result, some navigational apps have re-routed travelers onto primitive backcountry dirt roads, resulting in multiple stranded motorists, including one with all four tires flat. The park has responded and added additional closure signs. Source: Death Valley National Park August 24, 2022 The western end of State Route 190 from the park boundary to Panamint Valley reopened on August 10, with a full opening of the route through the park on August 20. Most other roads remain closed for further assessment and repairs from the "1,000-year flood event" on August 5. The Dantes View road and Badwater Road were both delayed in opening due to smaller storms on August 16 and 18 that brought further debris across roads. The park received $11.7 million in "quick release" emergency relief funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation to repair infrastructure. Source: Death Valley National Park (8/10, 8/18, 8/19), U.S. Department of Transportation September 7, 2022 The National Weather Service has classified August 5, 2022 as the park's rainiest day in history. Highway 190, Dantes View, Badwater Road (from 190 to Badwater), and Artists Drive are the only roads open in the park currently. The Federal Highways Administration has issued a contract to clear debris and fill in road gaps on Beatty Cutoff Road, North Highway, Badwater Road (from Badwater to Shoshone), and Mud Canyon Road. No timeline is yet available for road openings. Source: Death Valley National Park September 18, 2022 On September 13, the park experienced another round of storms that impacted roads across the park. This follows the 1,000-year flood event of August 2022 that had already damaged many of the park roads. As of September 14, the only road open in the park was a section of California Highway 190 from the east to Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. The park is concentrating road clearing efforts on the Badwater Road next, which is estimated to open by September 24. Work on the Beatty Cutoff road by a contractor will begin on September 23 and is expected to be open by mid-October, with some sections left unpaved. There are no estimated dates for other roads at this point. Source: Death Valley National Park
On September 19, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake on Mexico's Pacific coast created 4-foot tall waves inside Devils Hole, the geothermal pool that is home to the highly-endangered Devils Hole pupfish. No dead fish were found after the incident, though the incident displaced algae that are part of the pupfish's food source. The park's bi-annual pupfish survey occurred several days later, and indicated a record-high number of individuals (see "Around the Parks" above). Source: CBS News
On September 21, the park opened parts of Badwater Road and Wildrose. Artists Drive and Golden Canyon Trail are also open. Most roads in the park remain closed for repair after record flooding. Source: Death Valley National Park
In the aftermath of the flash floods over the summer, the park has reopened Texas Springs Campground, Stovepipe Wells Campground, and Furnace Creek Campground, and expect to open Sunset Campground on October 24. Overnight camping along backcountry roads and trails is also available, though a free permit is required for particular areas. Some backcountry roads remain closed. Part of Highway 190 between Emigrant Junction and Panamint Valley remains closed, likely through mid-November. Source: Death Valley National Park
On November 7, the park reopened Daylight Pass and Beatty Cutoff Roads for the first time since the record floods on August 5. On November 9, the Hole in the Wall Road and Echo Canyon Road also reopened. Campsites along these roads have now been designated and require free backcountry permits. On November 13, the Towne Pass section of CA-190 reopened, as well. That section of CA-190 has been closed since additional flooding took place in September. Source: News 3 LV December 14, 2022 In early December, a campground host reported a tent in a campsite past the checkout date. Rangers left a note on the tent and then returned the following day. While packing up the abandoned property, they found a package with a name and address on it. The rangers recalled seeing a car at the Mosaic Canyon trailhead for several days, so they ran its plates and found it matched the name on the package. A search was conducted and the 54-year-old individual was found deceased on December 3 in the West Fork route of Mosaic Canyon. The individual appeared to have rappelled on a rope that was too short, then attempted to extend the rappel with webbing. Something appeared to have gone wrong while passing the knot between the rope and webbing. Rangers estimate the individual fell 30 feet. The search and recovery were conducted by the National Park Service, Inyo County Search and Rescue, Inyo County Sheriff's Office, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake's VX-31 rescue helicopter, and California Highway Patrol's H-82 helicopter. The cause of death is under investigation by the Inyo County Coroner's Office. Source: Death Valley National Park December 14, 2022 On November 23, the park reopened Cottonwood Canyon and Marble Canyon roads, which had been damaged and closed by record flashfloods over the summer. Free permits are now required to camp along these roads in designated sites and to backpack along the Cottonwood-Marble Canyon Loop. On December 7, the park reopened Badwater Road, CA-178, Harry Wade, Owls Hole, West Side, Trail Canyon, Hanaupah Canyon, Johnson Canyon, Queen of Sheba Mine, and Galena Canyon Roads. Source: Death Valley National Park (12/1, 12/8) February 8, 2023 On January 13, a 73-year-old called 911 and reported that they had just killed their 72-year-old spouse and that they intended to kill themself. They gave a location of where to find their bodies, which was inside the park. Law enforcement from the NPS, Inyo County Sheriff's Office, Inyo County Coroner's Office, California Highway Patrol, and Bureau of Land Management responded and found both individuals deceased, with a note saying that the 72-year-old was suffering from chronic health conditions. Source: KTNV February 8, 2023 On February 1, two hikers on the Telescope Peak Trail slipped into a steep, icy drainage about two miles from the trailhead. The two hikers had crampons, trekking poles, and a 200-foot rope, but they were unable to maintain their footing or climb back up the trail. One of the hikers utilized a cell phone to request assistance. A California Highway Patrol H-80 helicopter was able to utilize a winch to rescue the two hikers. Source: Death Valley National Park February 22, 2023 On February 5, an individual in their 30s broke their tibia and ruptured their ACL while hiking in Mosaic Canyon. Other members of the individual's party stayed with them while a bystander hiked out and called for emergency assistance. NPS employees and interns from the American Conservation Experience extracted the individual to the parking lot via a wheeled-litter, and the individual was transported to the Stovepipe Wells helipad by a park ambulance. A private helicopter ambulance flew the individual to a hospital in Lancaster, California. Later that day, an individual in their 60s was hiking the Wildrose Peak Trail with a hiking club. The individual was close to the summit when they decided to stay back due to head and body aches. The group agreed the individual would wait for the group's return and descend together. However, the individual got cold and decided to descend on their own. The individual lost the trail, descending and ascending multiple times to try to regain it. The group hiked down, assuming the individual had done the same, and then found that the individual was not at the parking lot. They did a quick search, then drove to Stovepipe Wells Resort and reported the missing hiker. The missing individual also called 911 around the same time as the report came in. The individual said they had no food, no warm clothing, and did not feel well. The NPS sent a hasty response team and put California Highway Patrol and the Naval Air Weapons Station in China Lake on standby. The individual was located by the hasty response. The individual's fitness watch showed the lost hiker walked a total of 18 miles on what would have been an 8.4-mile round-trip hike. Source: Pahrump Valley Times February 22, 2023 On February 9, the park reopened the North Highway to Mesquite Springs Campground and Ubehebe Crater for the first time since record flashflooding in August 2022. The project was made possible through the Federal Highway Administration's Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads program. Mud Canyon, Racetrack Road, and the two-way end of Titus Canyon Road are still closed and expected to reopen by late February. Scotty's Castle will remain closed through August 2024. Source: National Parks Traveler
On March 24, a group of people hiked into the salt flats of Badwater Basin to photograph stars. A 61-year-old left the group to get something from a vehicle in the parking lot. However, the individual did not return. After conducting a search, the other members of the party drove to Furnace Creek and called 911. NPS staff turned on bright flashing lights and searched on foot, starting around 2:30 am. More NPS staff and a California Highway Patrol helicopter were called to assist with the search. The individual had gotten disoriented in the darkness. When they realized they couldn't see the road or other landmarks, they stayed in one place until daybreak. They were then able to see the road and hike to it, then hitchhiked to the Badwater parking lot, arriving around 8:20 am. Source: Death Valley National Park
On April 28, a bat was "behaving strangely" on a garbage can outside the Stovepipe Wells General Store. A concession worker wearing nitrile gloves attempted to move the bat and it bit the individual through the gloves. Park officials found the bat and had it tested for rabies, which came back positive on May 2. The worker was treated for rabies. Source: Sacramento Bee
On May 6, a 73-year-old lost control of their motorcycle on a "curvy section" of Highway 190 between Panamint Springs Resort and Father Crowley Point, causing them to slide into the other lane and collide with another vehicle. Staff from the NPS, California Highway Patrol, and Inyo County Coroner's Office responded to the scene. The individual was pronounced deceased at the scene. Source: Sierra Wave Media
A marijuana grow operation was discovered during a fly-over of Jail Canyon, on the western slope of the Panamint Mountains. Upon learning they were discovered, the growers abandoned the site. Crews from the NPS, American Conservation Experience, and the California Air National Guard recently removed 10,000 plants, 35 cubic yards of trash, and dangerous chemicals left behind at the site. A safety closure for Jail Canyon had been in place for the operation and has now been lifted. The plants were estimated to be worth $7 million. Source: National Parks Traveler
On May 17, a semi-truck was pulling two dumpster trailers full of brush trimmings on a 3,000 foot climb out of Death Valley on Highway 190 just outside the park when it broke down and caught on fire. Firefighters from the park and Southern Inyo Fire Protection District responded to the fire and the highway was shut down temporarily. Firefighting foam was used to contain the fire in the cab and first trailer and there were no injuries reported. Source: KTNV
On May 20, the park closed the Badwater Road due to safety concerns after a flash flooding event. Several park visitors attempted to drive through active flooding and needed to have their vehicles pulled from the mud by park staff. The park moved dirt and rocks off the road and filled in unsafe drop-offs on road edges. The road was reopened on May 25. Source: Death Valley National Park
On July 3, an NPS maintenance staff member came upon a car with two flat tires, 30 yards off the North Highway. Upon inspection, the staff found a deceased 65-year-old in the driver seat. The car was operational and did not show signs of a crash, but the air conditioning was not working and the window was down. Temperatures the day prior were estimated at a high of 126 and low of 86 overnight. It is suspected that the individual became unconscious due to the heat while driving and swerved off the road, puncturing their tires. Park rangers, the Inyo County Sheriff's Office, and Inyo County Coroner's Office responded to the incident. Source: CNN On July 18, a 71-year-old collapsed outside the restroom at the Golden Canyon Trailhead. A park visitor called 911. NPS staff attempted to resuscitate the individual, but they were unsuccessful. Temperatures were reported over 120 degrees that day in the park. The individual had just completed a 4-mile hike and had been interviewed by a reporter earlier in the day about hiking in heat. The cause of death is under investigation, and is presumed to be related to the heat. Source: Associated Press, Death Valley National Park
During the week of July 9, five burros were discovered to have been shot and killed in the Lower Wildrose area of the park. Burros are not native to the park, but this incident was not associated with National Park Service efforts to cull them from the park. The incident is considered an illegal use of a firearm in the park. The incident is under investigation and the park is seeking any information the public can provide. Source: Death Valley National Park
On July 17, a commercial truck crashed after its brakes failed while descending Daylight Pass, spilling an estimated 5,000 gallons of emulsified asphalt and 150 gallons of diesel fuel. The driver was uninjured and was able to flag down other visitors to get a ride to a location with cell phone signal to report the incident. Commercial vehicles are prohibited on Daylight Pass, in part due to the steep grades and high temperatures that can overheat brakes easily. The trucking company is working with the NPS to clean the site and remove the wreck, and charges for the violation are pending. Source: KTNV
On July 31, a 26-year-old was driving eastbound on CA-190 between Emigrant Junction and Stovepipe Wells when the vehicle crossed the opposite road shoulder, hit an embankment, and flipped several times. The driver appeared to not be wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle. The individual was declared deceased at the scene. Responding agencies included the NPS, Inyo County Coroner's Office, and California Highway Patrol. The crash is under investigation by the California Highway Patrol, and alcohol and drug use are not suspected. Source: Death Valley National Park
On July 4, two individuals got lost while navigating by GPS. They took a wrong turn onto West Side Road, eventually driving back and forth along the road for about three hours. Around midnight, they became concerned about running out of gas and decided to drive directly across the salt flat of Badwater Basin to Badwater Road, which is illegal. The vehicle got stuck in mud about 0.9 miles in. They walked a mile to Badwater Road, then 12 miles north along the road, splitting up from one another at 3am. One of the individuals walked another six miles north and was picked up by other park visitors around 8am. The individual was driven to Furnace Creek, where they called for help. The park visitors who had picked up the first individual drove back to pick up the second individual, who was experiencing symptoms of heat illness. The low temperature that night was 90°F. That individual was driven to Shoshone, California, then transported by ambulance to Desert View Hospital in Pahrump, Nevada. On July 27, Two Star Towing was able to use a skid steer to remove the vehicle. The two individuals were issued a mandatory court appearance for illegal off-road driving and the damage to park resources. Charges and fines are pending. Source: Death Valley National Park
On August 10, an off-duty NPS employee driving on Highway 190, leaving Towne Pass, noticed flames come out from underneath a semi-truck in front of their vehicle. Since there is no cell phone service, the employee used a park radio to report the fire. The truck pulled off the road onto a shoulder and the driver used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. A fire truck arrived on scene from Furnace Creek and escorted the semi-truck down the highway in case the brakes set on fire again. The brakes did catch fire again and the truck pulled over at Emigrant Junction, and NPS staff were able to extinguish the fire. One tire was destroyed in the fires. No injuries or other equipment damage was reported. This is the third vehicle fire in Death Valley this year. Source: KTNV
Most of the above parks announced preemptive closures between August 18-20 due predicted flooding from Hurricane/Tropical Storm Hilary. It is the first official National Weather Service Tropical Storm Warning in history for the region. Source: KTLA, Desert Sun, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Manzanar National Historic Site Death Valley closed on August 20 due to active flooding. They received over an inch by midday and another inch that evening. As of August 21, the park was searching for stranded people in remote areas of the park and assessing impacts. Caltrans and the NPS are working to clear an exit route on Highway 190 from Stovepipe Wells to Death Valley Junction so visitors and employees can safely exit the park. As of August 22, there were approximately 400 people sheltering in place in the Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, and Panamint Springs areas. Source: Death Valley National Park, Death Valley National Park Facebook page, National Parks Traveler
On August 21, the NPS and Caltrans road crews were able to open an exit lane on Highway 190 to allow residents, employees, and travelers stuck in the park to exit. Around 400 people people were stuck in the park for about 24 hours in the aftermath of major flash flood damage (see 8/23/23 Coalition Report). "All paved and unpaved roads in Death Valley have been damaged and are closed" and many of the utility systems were damaged in the storm. The entire park is closed to the public. The park will likely reopen in stages and "it may be weeks before Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells open." The endangered Devils Hole pupfish population was reported to be in good condition. The Las Vegas Review-Journal published a feature with photos and video of damage from the storm. Source: Death Valley National Park, Death Valley National Park Facebook page, Las Vegas Review-Journal
On September 13, the park announced that they tentatively plan to reopen CA-190 from the western end, as well as Panamint Springs, Stovepipe Wells, the Oasis, and "some" hiking trailheads and campgrounds. Most secondary roads and all eastern entrances will remain closed, and traffic control will be in place on CA-190 for continued repair work. Source: Death Valley National Park
On October 29, a camper van braked suddenly to avoid hitting a tarantula crossing the road on Highway 190 east of Towne Pass. A 24-year-old motorcyclist travelling behind crashed into the van. The motorcyclist was taken for medical treatment in Pahrump (NV) by NPS staff. Source: KOLO
On November 1, the park will reopen Mud Canyon Road and Daylight Pass (the Beatty entrance) for the first time since record flash floods in August due to the remnants of Hurricane Hilary (see 8/23/23, 9/6/23, and 9/20/23 Coalition Report). Emergency repairs were funded by the Federal Highway Administration's Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads program. Only emergency repairs were completed thus far on these roads; more permanent repairs will begin in a few months time. Most of the park's secondary roads and backcountry remain closed. Source: Death Valley National Park
On November 5, a semitruck traveling down a steep grade on CA-190 west of Towne Pass lost control and overturned several times, scattering its cargo of beehives. Other visitors extracted the 35-year-old driver from the truck, getting stung by bees in the process. California Highway Patrol and National Park Service staff responded and provided medical assistance to the driver, who had traumatic injuries from the rollover, as well as bee stings. The patient was driven by ambulance to Panamint Springs Resort, then taken by a Mercy Air helicopter to Antelope Valley Hospital. Source: Death Valley National Park
On November 18, two individuals on motorcycles bypassed a locked gate, concrete barriers, and closure signs on Titus Canyon Road, which has been closed since August due to damage related to the record flood event. One of the individuals crashed, breaking a collarbone and sustaining other non-life-threatening injuries. The individuals used a satellite phone to call for help. A U.S. Navy helicopter responded from Naval Weapons Station China Lake and transported both individuals to Ridgecrest Regional Hospital. The individuals stated they were following a map app that showed the road was open, so they bypassed the closure. Charges are pending. Source: Death Valley National Park
On November 20, the park reopened the southeast entrance and the southern end of Badwater Road. On November 21, the park reopened roadside camping and backpacking on Echo Canyon Road, Hole in the Wall Road, Cottonwood Canyon Road, Marble Canyon Road, and Greenwater Valley Road. Deadman Pass and Gold Valley Roads also are open but have not been maintained. Gold Valley Road "may be challenging even for vehicles with 4x4 high clearance." The roads were closed due to damage sustained during record flash flooding in August. Flood recovery is ongoing by the NPS, Federal Highway Administration, Caltrans, and Inyo County. Source: Death Valley National Park (11/20, 11/21)
Inyo County repaired roads leading to Eureka Valley and Saline Valley, allowing them to open on November 30. They have been closed since record flooding in August. Saline Valley Road's South Pass and Steel Pass Road past Palm Springs remain closed due to flood damage. Source: Death Valley National Park
On December 12, the NPS announced the reopening of 60 miles of backcountry roads in the southern end of the park. On December 23, the park reopened another 95 miles of roads, including the North Highway, Ubehebe Crater Road, Racetrack Road, and lower end of Titus Canyon Road. They have been closed due to damage sustained in record floods in August due to Tropical Storm/Hurricane Hilary. Source: Death Valley National Park (12/12, 12/21)
On December 23, the power went out at the park. At least eight electric vehicles had to be towed, and water was trucked into the park during the outage. It was restored on December 26 after a 64-hour outage. The cause of the outage has not be disclosed. Source: 8 News Now
On December 22, two individuals drove a rented SUV off a road toward the salt flat two miles south of Badwater Basin. The vehicle became stuck in mud about 200 yards from the road. The individuals were advised that NPS staff would need to monitor the extraction, as it can cause significant additional damage to resources. The individuals hired a person with a pickup truck to attempt to remove the SUV without NPS staff present. The pickup truck also got stuck in mud. A few days later, a tow truck winched the pickup truck out of the mud. The SUV required the digging of holes and laying down traction and was then driven out of the mud. On December 27, an individual drove an SUV over a parking lot curb and about a half-mile across the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes before getting stuck in sand. The vehicle was towed out the following night. Park staff are concerned that vehicle tracks often inspire others to follow. New carsonite sign posts were installed to deter future vehicle trespass. Individuals were cited for their actions. Source: Death Valley National Park
On December 25, a coyote was struck by a vehicle and killed. The coyote had been begging for food along Badwater Road near Golden Canyon for several months. NPS staff had attempted to haze it away from the road with a paintball gun and pepper spray, but the efforts were unsuccessful at changing the animal's behavior. Source: Death Valley National Park
On January 10, a semi-truck descending Towne Pass on CA-190 caught on fire, probably due to overheating brakes. Responders from the NPS, Beatty Volunteer Fire Department, California Highway Patrol, and Caltrans assisted in the incident. The truck was carrying bottled water, which helped slow the fire's advance, "but not enough to save it." Source: Sierra Wave Media
Keane Wonder Mine Road reopened on January 22 and the Big Pine - Death Valley Road reopened on January 18. Both have been closed since the record floods from Hurricane Hilary in August 2023. Source: Sierra Wave Media
On February 6, heavy rain caused flash flooding and debris across many roads. CA-190 and Badwater Road were reopened the following day. Many side roads are still closed. Source: Death Valley National Park
The park recently reopened another 195 miles of remote backcountry roads in the park. They have been closed since flash floods associated with Hurricane Hilary in August 2023. The repairs were completed by both park staff and contractors, with funding from the Federal Highway Administration and the NPS Disaster Supplemental fund source. Repairs are ongoing on other roads in the park, including Titus Canyon. Source: Death Valley National Park
Just after midnight on April 4, park staff responded to a fire behind the Borax Museum, located within The Ranch at Death Valley, a privately-owned hotel complex. The fire destroyed a historic wooden wagon used in the 1890s to transport borax out of the area. "Old Dinah," a steam engine that pulled the wagon, was adjacent to the fire, but escaped significant damage. That same morning, at about 5:15am, a second fire was reported about 500 feet away from the first fire, inside prefabricated employee housing units that had been delivered, but not yet occupied. Staff from the NPS, Southern Inyo Fire Protection District, Inyo County Sherriff, and California Highway Patrol, responded to the second fire. Two housing units were destroyed and a third was damaged. No one was harmed in either fire. The cause of the fires is unknown and under investigation by Inyo County Sheriff's Office and the California State Fire Marshall. Source: Death Valley National Park
On April 5, a 66-year-old individual was hiking with their spouse about a mile up the Mosaic Canyon Trail when he appeared "to have suffered an acute medical event." Other hikers used the satellite SOS function on their iPhone to call for help. A registered nurse and nurse practitioner who were also hiking in the area attempted to revive the individual. Park staff arrived soon after to join the ongoing resuscitation efforts, but they were not successful. The deceased individual was carried to the trailhead by an NPS Search and Rescue team and transferred to the care of the Inyo County Coroner. Source: Death Valley National Park
On April 26, the park celebrated the end of the emergency phase of flood repairs after the August 2023 rain event that damaged 1,323 miles of roads and several utilities. Steel Pass and Wildrose Charcoal Kilns were the most recent reopenings. The park thanked the staff who supported the effort, including 152 Death Valley employees, 256 NPS staff from other units, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, Caltrans, the Federal Highway Administration, Inyo County, multiple contractors, and the neighboring communities. Permanent repairs will begin later this year, including major repairs at Salt Creek, Titus Canyon, Lower Wildrose, and Darwin Falls. Source: Death Valley National Park
On April 26, a semi-truck carrying hazardous waste had its engine and brakes catch on fire while descending Towne Pass on CA-190, near milepost 83 between Emigrant Junction and Stovepipe Wells. A park staff member reported the burning truck to dispatch by radio. Park staff responded with a fire engine and prevented the fire from spreading from the cab to the cargo compartment, preventing the hazardous substances from igniting. Caltrans supported the incident with traffic control. The driver, a 48-year-old, sustained "non-life-threatening injuries," and was transported by ambulance to Desert View Hospital in Pahrump, Nevada. It is the third truck fire on Towne Pass in the last year (see 1/24/24 and 8/23/23 Coalition Reports). Source: Death Valley National Park
Some time between April 1 and 24, an individual used a winch to extract their vehicle out of deep mud, anchoring it to the historic 113-year-old salt tram tower in Saline Valley. In the process, the tower was toppled and its concrete footings came out of the ground. The Saline Valley Salt Tram is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Funding had been lined up for stabilization of the salt tram in its previous condition, and it is unclear whether or not it will be able to be re-anchored. The NPS is looking for any information the public can provide about the incident. Source: Death Valley National Park
On May 19, a 70-year-old was driving along Artists Drive when they went unconscious. Their spouse, a passenger in the car, was able to stop the vehicle safely and move the individual to the back seat. The spouse drove to Furnace Creek and called 9-1-1 as soon as they had service. NPS staff did CPR. An automated external defibrillator (AED) was attached but did not advise shocking. After consulting with University Medical Center, the individual was pronounced deceased. Source: Death Valley National Park
On May 9, a 31-year-old went missing from a day-tour group at Artists Palette. The tour guide searched for the individual, then drove to Furnace Creek to report them missing. Personnel from the NPS, Inyo County (CA) Sheriff's Office, and California Highway Patrol attempted a search. The individual had tipped their guide at the start of the tour and had told other people in the tour group that they were coming to Death Valley for "spiritual reasons." The following morning, a ranger spotted the individual on a steep, unstable ridge north of Artists Palette. Responders were able to communicate with the individual but were not able to find a safe route to access them. A California Highway Patrol helicopter hoisted the individual from the ridge. They later told park staff that they had intended to climb up the slope, wander into the desert, and not return. They "appeared to be experiencing an emotional crisis." Source: Death Valley National Park
On May 16, the park announced that an individual involved in the toppling of a historic salt tram tower in Saline Valley (see 5/15/24 Coalition Report) called the park's tip line and turned themself in. The individual acknowledged it was an accident stemming from their attempt to winch their vehicle out of deep mud and they had no intention of harming the tower. The park did not announce the identity of the individual, nor whether any punitive actions will occur. Source: NBC News
On May 26, a 28-year-old NPS staff member, Rigoberto "RJ" Avina, died in a single-vehicle accident on CA-190. He was not on duty at the time of the accident. He had worked for park's maintenance division since September 2021. Source: Death Valley National Park
On July 6, a group of six motorcyclists experienced heat illness while traveling through Badwater Basin during 128F temperatures, an all-time record for July 6. One of the individuals passed away, one was treated for severe heat illness and transported to advanced medical care in Las Vegas, Nevada. Four others were treated onsite and released. Emergency medical flight helicopters were unable to respond due to temperatures exceeding 120F. The incident was supported by responders from the NPS, Pahrump, NV, Death Valley Natural History Association, Inyo County (CA) Sheriff's Office, Inyo County Coroner, and the Southern Inyo Fire Protection District from Shoshone, CA. Source: Death Valley National Park
On July 2, a small private airplane was flying from Pahrump, Nevada, to Ridgecrest, California, when it started experiencing engine trouble over the southern end of Death Valley. The pilot changed course for the nearest airstrip, Maury Sorrells Shoshone Airport, but was not able to make it. Instead, the aircraft landed on California Highway 178, west of Salsberry Pass in Bradbury Wash. Personnel from Inyo County (CA) Sheriff, Caltrans, and California Highway Patrol responded and safely escorted the aircraft off the highway onto a wide shoulder. The plane was later removed by trailer. Source: Death Valley National Park
On July 13, a powerline leading to Furnace Creek Visitor Center, Cow Creek, and Stovepipe Wells Ranger Station failed due to "localized intense wind associated with a thunderstorm." Hotels, restaurants, and gas stations in the park did not lose power. Southern California Edison was able to supply a large generator, allowing the visitor center to reopen on July 15. Employees, their families, and pets were evacuated to nearby hotels. The park has experienced several heat records recently and is trending for the hottest July on-record. Southern California Edison was able to use a helicopter to replace a downed pole, and power was fully restored on July 16. Source: Death Valley National Park (press release, Facebook post)
On July 15, a large stake-bed truck ignited on fire after its brakes overheated while descending Towne Pass on CA0190 during 120F temperatures. Personnel from the NPS, San Bernardino County (CA) Fire Protection District, Beatty (NV) Fire Service, and Bureau of Land Management's California Desert District Fire responded to the incident. Due to low staffing levels, response was delayed, with the first engine on site 90 minutes after it was reported. The truck was destroyed in the fire. The drive was uninjured. It is the fourth vehicle to catch fire while descending Towne Pass this year. Source: Death Valley National Park
On July 18, two individuals started hiking the Badlands Loop at about 9:30 AM, when temperatures were about 110F. The group got lost for a time. Eventually, one of the individuals was unable to continue walking. The other person returned to the Zabriskie Point parking lot to request help. Due to the lack of cell phone signal, a bystander drove five miles to report the medical emergency at Furnace Creek Visitor Center at 11 AM. In the meantime, bystanders carried the distressed individual, now unconscious, toward the parking lot. NPS staff arrived on scene and cooled the individual in an ambulance. They drove the individual to a landing zone at 3,000 feet of elevation, where it was cool enough for a Mercy Air helicopter to land safely. The helicopter transported the individual to Centennial Hills Hospital in Las Vegas. Source: Sierra Wave Media
On July 20, a 42-year-old was hiking at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes when they lost their shoes. "Due to communication challenges, park rangers were not able to determine if [their] flip flops broke or were lost in the sand." The air temperature was 123F, meaning the ground temperature "would have been much hotter." The individual's family called for help and other bystanders helped carry the individual to the parking lot. NPS staff responded and transported the individual in an ambulance to a landing zone at a higher and cooler elevation, and a Mercy Air helicopter transported the individual to University Medical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The individual suffered full-thickness burns on their feet. Source: Death Valley National Park
On July 20, the operations manager at Stovepipe Wells Village, a long-time member of the Death Valley community, was found deceased in their residence from "apparent medical causes." Staff from the NPS and Inyo County responded to the incident. Source: Death Valley National Park
On July 20, an individual was found deceased in their vehicle "near CA-178." "Initial appearances are that the woman died by suicide." Source: Death Valley National Park
On July 21, a vehicle caught on fire at Dantes View. Personnel from the NPS, Amargosa Volunteer Fire Department, and Pahrump Fire Department responded to the fire. An NPS fire engine was unable to respond due to insufficient numbers of fire-trained staff available. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was destroyed. The cause of the fire is unknown but it suspected to be an electrical issue. It is the fifth vehicle fire in the park in the past year. Source: Death Valley National Park
On August 11, a fifth wheel travel trailer ignited on fire as it descended Towne Pass on CA-190. The driver and passenger saved their pickup truck by unhooking it from the burning trailer. They attempted to put the fire out with fire extinguishers. An off-duty NPS staff member reported the fire. Due to a shortage of employees with firefighting certification, they called for outside units from the San Bernardino County (CA) Fire Protection District, Mojave National Preserve, California Highway Patrol, Caltrans, and the Bureau of Land Management. The trailer was destroyed completely. The driver and passenger stated that they believe a propane issue near the refrigerator started the fire. Source: Death Valley National Park On August 15, a delivery truck ignited on fire while driving on CA-190 near Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. It is believed that overheated brakes started the fire. Personnel from the NPS, Beatty Volunteer Fire Department, Caltrans, and California Highway Patrol responded to the incident. The driver was not injured in the incident. The truck "burned to the ground." It is the fourth vehicle fire in the park in just over a month. Source: Death Valley National Park
On August 1, a 57-year-old hiked the one-mile Natural Bridge Trail in the afternoon. Other visitors noticed the individual stumble upon their return to the parking lot and offered to help. The individual declined, and the bystanders said that their "responses did not make sense." The individual got into their car and drove off a steep 20-foot embankment at the edge of the parking lot. The car rolled over and the airbags deployed. A bystander left to call 911, while other bystanders helped the individual walk back to the parking lot and into some shade. The bystanders said the individual stopped breathing just before NPS staff arrived. The park staff started CPR and moved the individual into an air-conditioned ambulance. The individual passed away in the ambulance. An autopsy by the Inyo County (CA) Coroner found that the individual died of hyperthermia. The park was recorded as 119F that day. Source: Death Valley National Park
On August 13, a concession employee began hiking from Panamint Springs Resort at 4 AM. They crossed Panamint Valley, climbed Panamint Butte's West Face, and summited around noon. After looking at a map, they decided to descend through a canyon, but eventually came to a place that would require rappelling, and they did not have technical gear. They re-ascended, then descended the route they had climbed earlier in the day. At about 4:30 PM, the individual ran out of water. They lost consciousness for a brief amount of time and slid down a scree slope. They eventually woke up, found themself bruised, and called for a rescue via satellite device around 6 PM. A helicopter from Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake was dispatched, but delayed by technical difficulties. They were eventually able to respond and rescued the hiker at about 11:15 PM. That same day... ...an individual reported their spouse overdue after failing to return from a drive to Badwater in the planned amount of time. Inyo County (CA) Sheriff's deputies began searching the area, and the missing individual eventually was able to contact their spouse that they were safe. ...an individual planned a one-hour hike at Mosaic Canyon, but after five hours had passed, had still not returned. Their family reported them overdue. Shortly after calling for help, the overdue individual reached cell phone coverage and called their family. ...an individual got into a car accident near milepost 18 on North Highway. They received a ride with other park visitors, who called in the accident. Park staff met up with the individual along North Highway, evaluated their medical condition, then gave them "a courtesy non-ambulance transport to Pahrump, NV." Source: Death Valley National Park
On September 11, the park announced that 11 burros were found deceased near Owls Hole Spring. It is believed to be due to a toxic algal bloom caused by warm temperatures and burro feces. Park staff have installed a sign adjacent to the spring warning visitors that the water may be hazardous to humans and pets. Source: Death Valley National Park | |