Golden Gate |  |
The following Incident Reports were extracted from the NPS Morning Reports/Coalition Reports from 1989-2025. They are not a complete record of all incidents which occurred in this park during this timeframe. INCIDENTS | |
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Thursday, November 13, 1986 Location: West Fort Miley Mr. W.J. was found dead lying in front of the south door of West Fort Miley, an old Navy bunker. It is believed that he fell from the top of the bunker and died of injuries sustained in the fall. US Park Police are investigating.
Location: Moraga Avenue, San Francisco Mr. D.H.R., who worked as an interpreter in the Ocean District in Golden Gate, was found stabbed to death in his bed by his roommate. There was no evidence of any forced entry, but the apartment was ransacked and some personal property and the victim's vehicle were reported missing. San Francisco PD is investigating.
On 01/09/87, United States Park Police, San Francisco Field Office advised that Ranger D.R. vehicle had been located at the Concord, California BART Station. SFPD is continuing the investigation.
At approximately 0145 hours on 03-16-87 four white male adults were sitting on a ledge near Sutra Bathes. All four individuals had consumed a substantial amount of alcohol. Victim, M.J.O., fell approximately 70 feet receiving a trauma to the head and chest. Rescuers arrived on scene at approximately 0210 hours. Victim was transported to Mission Emergency Hospital and was pronounced dead by physician.
Location: Aquatic Park J.B., a maintenance employee was assaulted by A.D., a narcotics addict, while he was working on a dumpster at the foot of Van Ness Avenue in Aquatic Park. Brewster summoned Park Police via radio. When police arrived to investigate, the suspect fled in a vehicle which struck a car on Bay Street. Park police pursued until suspect's car hit a divider and overturned on the Doyle Drive approach to the Golden Gate Bridge. Suspect reported to be in critical condition at SF General Hospital. He has been charged with assault, battery, and hit-run.
Location: Ocean Beach Great Hwy at Balboa St. USPP Officer Raymond Rapp, along with Sgt. Gerald Mcarthy, was performing routine patrol on foot of the area when he smelled what appeared to be the odor of marijuana. The odor was emanating from a parked truck containing two passengers. They were smoking a marijuana cigarette. The individuals were removed from the vehicle and arrested. The vehicle was searched and the following items were found; 32.5 oz of marijuana, 161 grams of cocaine and $5,000 cash. Individuals were charged with possession of marijuana, and narcotics, and having narcotics for sale. The street value of the cocaine is estimated to be $120,000.
Location: Lands End A human body was recovered by USPP and MPS personnel in the Lands End area. The body is that of an unidentified white male. The remains were turned over to the coroner's office for further identification. Cause of death undetermined at this time.
Location: Ocean Beach, Stairwell # 47 An unidentified female was found floating in the water by 2 visitors who pulled her out and notified SF Police Department. SF Police Department notified USPP who responded to the scene and began CPR until SF Fire Department arrived. SFFD transported victim to DC Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. The woman had been sighted approximately 15 minutes earlier walking alone on the beach. USPP are still investigating.
Although the Harmonic Convergence occurred several weeks ago, it took some time to get reports on the event from the parks which were involved in Southwestern and Western Regions due to travel and other obligations. The attached reports summarize the course of events at Chaco Canyon, Joshua Tree, Haleakala, Golden Gate and Grand Canyon. DATED: 08/26/87 Golden Gate NRA and Grand Canyon NP reported no unusual incidents other than very large crowds.
Location: Ocean District San Francisco Police Department received a report of a rape. Two SFPD officers responded to the area and found the victim. One of the officers took the victim in his patrol vehicle with him to search the area for the suspect who was believed to be in the vicinity. The officer saw NPS ranger Tim Stone who was driving an NPS Ramcharger which is used to perform beach patrol. The SFPD officer asked Stone to look for the suspect on the beach. The SFPD officer, and the reported rape victim joined Stone in the NPS patrol vehicle. The group continued north on the beach until they exited the beach to the main road at Ramp #15. In order for the vehicle to gain traction in the sand on the ramp Stone had to accelerate to pass over a sand dune approximately 4' in height. He then got out of the vehicle to remove 2 bicycles which were on the ramp. As he reentered the vehicle the female stated they had just driven over two people. Evidently there had been two sunbathers on the other side of the dune. Stone immediately called for medical help and began to administer first aid. The sunbathers, a male and a female were transported by paramedic to San Francisco hospital. As of this morning, both have received surgery. The female is listed in critical condition, it is believed the male has been taken out of intensive care. Both suffered broken bones, internal bleeding, and other multiple injuries. Media was present at the scene of the incident yesterday, but the coverage of the incident has been slight.
Location: Aquatic Park Two off-duty San Francisco PD officers heard shots in the park and saw a male and female running from the area. US Park Police and San Francisco PD responded, discovered the victim, who had been hit by four rounds from a 9 mm. handgun, and apprehended both of the alleged assailants. Although the victim was still alive when found, he died at a hospital shortly thereafter. No motive for the shooting is presently known.
Location: Muir Beach D.C., 23, of Walnut Creek, California, fell 200' to his death from the cliffs overlooking the beach 1/2 mile south of Muir Beach on the 6th. Rescue personnel provided life saving measures for 40 minutes with no positive results. The victim was flown out by US Coast Guard helicopter, and was pronounced dead at Letterman Hospital in San Francisco.
Four young people were in a vehicle moving at a high rate of speed on Conzeiman Road in Marin Headlands on the night of May 6th when the driver lost control and the vehicle went over a cliff. All four people were ejected. Two unidentified males, including the driver, are in critical condition; the two female passengers, M.H., 21, and A.Z., 22, both Mexican nationals, were killed. (Ann Betus, RAD/WRO).
On the morning of the 21st, a park visitor found the body of 27-year-old T.B. of Oakland, California, at the park's Sutro Baths. She had been shot in the chest. An investigation is underway. (Dispatch, GOGA; report via CompuServe from {AD/ARO).
While on routine, horse-mounted patrol in the Merrieway/Point Lobos area, a Park Police officer apprehended K.L., 22, of Alameda, California, and J.H., 25, of San Francisco, California, for infractions of laws concerning alcohol in motor vehicles. This eventually led to the arrest of the suspects for possession of narcotics and for possession of narcotics for sale. LSD and marijuana with a street value of $15,300 were seized, as well as $1,652 in currency. (GOGA Dispatch, via CompuServe message from RAD/WRO).
On the 21st, oil began coming ashore in the park at Kirby Cove, China Beach, Ocean Beach, Baker Beach and around the Cliff House area. The oil was in the form of globules of from one to six inches in diameter, dispersed from one to two feet apart. There was no visible oil on the water's surface. The Coast Guard is making a complete assessment of the situation on all ocean beaches as far north as Stinson Beach. Ridel1 Environmental Company cleaned up Kirby Cove later that day, and will probably work on the remaining park beaches. There are no apparent threats to wildlife, and beaches have been posted with signs notifying the public of the situation. (Gil Soper, CR, GOGA, via CompuServe report from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO).
The Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism and recent recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to free his subjects from Chinese rule, will visit Golden Gate as part of his world tour on the 10th. He will be flying by helicopter from Monterey to Mount Tamalpais, where a religious ceremony will be held; he will then helicopter to Crissy Field and be driven to the Commonwealth Club to deliver and address. The religious ceremony is open to the public by invitation only due to the limited amount of parking. Fran 600 to 1,000 people are expected to attend. The park will have a contingent of ten rangers at the site, but no incidents are anticipated. (Gil Soper, CR, GCGA, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO).
Attempts were made last night to directly contact parks in central California to determine any possible damage or injuries incurred during yesterday's earthquake. Efforts to get through to most parks proved fruitless due to the high volume of calls on trans-continental phone lines. Sequoia/Kings and Lassen reported that the tremors had not reached them. A call to Regional Director Albright revealed that there were no reported injuries to employees in other parks and that parks outside the San Francisco area were generally unaffected by the quake. Concerns are currently focused on Pinnacles, south of San Francisco, and parks in the city itself. At 4 a.m. PDT this morning, Capt. Clayton Connor of WRO's Ranger Activities called this office from a Park Police (USPP) field office and advised that, as far as the Park Police knew, there were no injuries to visitors or employees at Golden Gate. Damage assessments will be begun at first light. The fire in the city's Marina District, which was seen on many television stations last night, occurred close by the park's Fort Mason - Aquatic Park area, but it is as yet unclear as to what impact the fire has had on park grounds or facilities. At present, most damage appears to have occurred to the south and east of San Francisco; there have been no reports of any significant damage north of the city. The Park Police will probably be seeking extra personnel to assist them, as they will be responsible for the park and for providing support to the city. The regional office will be closed today. (Reports via telephone to and from RAD/WASO and Operations, WASO).
The following is the text of the briefing prepared for the Secretary this morning. It is based on current reports from Phil Ward and Capt. Clayton Connor in RAD/WRO and Doug Erskine in BFM/Boise: Overview Shortly after the earthquake struck California on the night of October 17th, the Washington Office began efforts to determine the impact the quake had on parks in central California and to ascertain what equipment, services or funding would be needed there. Although reports are still incomplete due to difficulties in communicating with both parks and the regional office, which is located in downtown San Francisco, it has been determined that no National Park Service employees or visitors were killed or injured by the quake and no major damage occurred in the parks. The Federal interagency fire management community, including the National Park Service, has committed pertinent fire resources to the relief effort. The National Interagency Fire Coordinating Center (NIFCC) in Boise is operating on a 24-hour basis and is prepared to fill resource orders immediately. A Multi-Agency Coordination Group (MAC) has been established in Sacramento. Fire overhead teams, qualified specialists, equipment and supplies will be provided as needed. All personnel in the United States Park Police contingent in San Francisco are on 12-hour shifts; days off and leave have been cancelled. In addition to routine patrol activities, they have increased patrols in the Fort Mason area and are assisting the city's police department with traffic control in the heavily damaged Marina District. Golden Gate National Recreation Area At present, it appears that the only structures in the park which suffered any damage were the converted warehouses on the three piers of Fort Mason Center in the city's Marina District. The loading platforms around the warehouses have dropped two to three inches, and there are cracks on the outside of the building. The buildings are now closed pending a full examination by a team of engineers from the Denver Service Center who are due to arrive in the park at noon today. The headquarters building is also closed due to a suspected gas leak and possible structural damage. The Haslett Warehouse, an unreinforced brick structure which is presently unoccupied, is also closed, but appears to be undamaged. Except for the Fort Mason area, the park remains open to the public.
The following is the text of the brief prepared for the Secretary this morning. It is based on current reports from Phil Ward and Holly Bundock of WRO: Overview Except for NPS facilities along San Francisco's waterfront, all parks in the areas affected by Tuesday's quake are now open. A team of six NPS engineers from the Denver Service Center is in the process of assessing earthquake damage to Cliff House, lower Fort Mason, Fort Point, the Hyde Street Pier, and Alcatraz Island; until their work is complete, those areas will remain closed. Golden Gate National Recreation Area The engineering team is evaluating the collapsed concrete loading platforms, separated fire escapes and pavement rifts at lower Fort Mason. This area includes restaurants, theaters, museums, studios, classrooms and offices. Utility service to the area has not yet been restored. The park headquarters building was determined to be sound, and will be reopened on Monday. An examination of Fort Point, near the southern base of Golden Gate Bridge, revealed that the earthquake reopened a crack in the west wall caused by the 1906 quake. The breach, however, is not as wide as the original and is not considered to be serious. Cliff House Restaurant, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean at Point Lobos, remains open, but the Museum Mecanique and visitor center, which are beneath the restaurant in the same building, are closed because of the spalling of large chips of concrete from the lower level of the structure. Although damage to Alcatraz appears to be minimal, it will be closed until at least Monday so that an engineering assessment can be completed. The Red and White Fleet ferry normally used to convey visitors to and from Alcatraz is temporarily serving commuters between the East Bay and San Francisco.
Park Police officers arrested two men - A.C., 20, of Redway, California, and R.N., 20, of Garberville, California - at House Cove on the 11th for possession of marijuana for sale. The officers also confiscated over $9,000 worth of drugs and $711 in currency. (CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO).
Park Police officers responding to the report of a disturbance in the Merriway parking area just after midnight on the 20th found an adult male who had been repeatedly stabbed. Preliminary investigation indicates that two groups of individuals became involved in some type of altercation, and that one person pulled a knife and began stabbing the unidentified victim. The victim died at the scene. There are no suspects in custody. An investigation is underway. (USPP dispatch, GOGA, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRD, 6/20).
On June 23rd, rangers from Golden Gate and Point Reyes conducted a raid on a marijuana plantation on park land in western Marin County. They netted 60 plants, valued at $1,500 each, and approximately $2,000 in automatic irrigation equipment. The bust kicked off the park's 1990 "Take a Walk in the Woods for Weed" campaign. This particular patch was discovered while rangers were pursuing a feral pig. (Jay Eickenhorst, GOGA, via (3cmpuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 6/26).
On July 15th, the Park Police shut down three-quarters of a mile of Ocean Beach after 53 used medical syringes washed ashore and 200 more were found in two wine bottles hidden in a rocky outcropping called Kelly's Cove near Cliff House. There were no reports of injuries, and it was not known where the needles came from. (Curtis Shane, USPP, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 7/16).
While on patrol in the Marin Headlands just after 10:00 p.m. on the 18th, rangers Cheung and Mitsuyasu saw a fire with flames reaching ten feet in height. As they drew closer to the flames, their emergency overhead lights picked up two vehicles fleeing the area. Cheung requested backups and road blocks, and the vehicles were successfully intercepted and their occupants detained. The body of an adult female was discovered within the flames. Preliminary investigation indicates that she was abducted in San Mateo, California, sexually assaulted and strangled in Concord, then transported to the park and burned. The three men in the vehicles M.S.B., 20, M.S.I., 27, and A.S.I., 24 were arrested and charged with homicide. The victim's name is being withheld until next of kin are notified. [MaryBeth McFarland, GOGA, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 1/22]
On June 29th, rangers responded to a report that a visitor, later identified as G.J., 27, of San Rafael, California, had become stranded on a sea stack north of Point Bonita. Ranger Steve Prokop and Norm Simons secured G.J., then swam him through the surf to a Coast Guard boat. G.J. was not injured in the incident. [Michael Quijano, GOGA, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 7/1]
Earlier this week, Park Police officers Steve Prickett and J.O. Smith arrested R.T. for a rape which occurred in the Lands End area of the park on July 31st. The officers were driving through the city when they spotted R.T. and recognized him from a composite drawing of the victim's assailant. The officers subsequently learned that R.T. was a fugitive from justice wanted on a parole violation and that he was a registered sex offender with a lengthy criminal history. R.T. is in a San Francisco jail, where he is being held without bond. [Curtis Shane, USPP, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 8/5]
Early on the afternoon of August 22nd, J.J., 49, and J.M., 64, both from California, swam to a rock outcropping off Point Bonita when their 20-foot boat lost power. The rock, which was 300 yards offshore, was already taking two to four-foot surf when ranger Gazzano arrived on site in the park's Zodiac rescue boat. Rangers Simons and Prokop swam to the two men and employed rescue buoys and life vests to get them through the surf to the Zodiac. They were then transferred to a waiting 44-foot Coast Guard vessel. Both are reported to be in satisfactory condition. Plans are being made to recover their boat. [Norm Simons, GOGA, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO]
Park maintenance worker Dennis Glass spotted a surfer caught in a rip current off Ocean Beach on the morning of September 25th. Rangers Norm Simon and Steve Prokop responded along with two U.S. Coast Guard rescue boats and San Francisco fire department personnel. The surfer, F.K., 24, of Woodland Hills, California, was being carried rapidly northward by the current when rescued. Since he was in a wet suit and still on his surfboard, he was in good condition. Rangers remained on scene to warn other surfers of the danger. This was the fourth rescue that had taken place in the park that day. [Norm Simons, GOGA, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 9/26]
On January 18, 1991, rangers on patrol in Marin Headlands came upon two vehicles fleeing a fire. They requested back-up and were able to stop the vehicles. Investigators found the body of an adult female in the flames and arrested M.S.B., M.S.I. and A.S.I. The three were subsequently tried in Contra Costa County superior court on charges of murder, kidnapping for extortion, kidnapping resulting in death, false imprisonment and conspiracy. Two of the three were found guilty and were recently sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. The third is to be retried. [Bob Cheung, GOGA, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 3/6]
Officer Bob Reidy of the Park Police was patrolling Ocean Beach on the afternoon of March 7th when he received a report that two men - S.C. and C.W.O., both of San Francisco - had entered the surf and disappeared. Reidy located their two female companions, who confirmed that S.C. and C.W.O. were missing, and reported the incident. Rangers and personnel from the San Francisco fire department began a search for the men. Meanwhile, investigators learned that the incident had begun when one couple had gotten into trouble in the surf. The second male noticed their distress, entered the surf, and pulled the woman to shore. He then attempted to rescue the man and was last seen being swept out to sea. About 45 minutes later, S.C.'s body washed ashore 200 yards from the point of entry. Rangers, Park Police officers and Coast Guard personnel continued the search for C.W.O., but were unable to find him. [USPP Dispatch, via CompuServe message from Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 3/7]
Several areas and operational units of the National Park Service were directly or peripherally affected by the riots, demonstrations and other incidents that have occurred since the verdict was handed down in the King assault case: * Golden Gate (California) - On Friday, park rangers and USPP officers assisted local agencies in keeping Golden Gate bridge open when a contingent of demonstrators from Sausalito threatened to close it down. Rangers also filled in for USPP officers dispatched to Los Angeles. [Telephone and telefax reports from Phil Ward, RAD/WRO; Bob Reid, RAD/MARO; Bob Ditolla, RAD/NARO; Bill Sturgeon, RAD/SERO; Bob Byrne, CR, INDE]
On the afternoon of June 15th, 15-year-old J.T. became stranded on rocks at Tennessee Point in Marin Headlands. Rangers Simons and Smith responded along with rescuers in the Ocean District's Zodiac and from the Presidio fire station at Fort Cronkhite. J.T. was located 200 feet down the cliff on a steep scree slope, but was not seriously injured and in no immediate danger. Smith rapelled down to the victim, tied J.T. into the rescue system, then descended with him to the beach below, where both were picked up by the Zodiac and subsequently transported to the ranger office. J.T. suffered cuts and abrasions on the left leg which he incurred while sliding down the steep scree slope. [Norm Simons, GOGA, 6/17]
On August 12th, USPP sergeant Kevin Hay spotted an unoccupied 1986 Toyota in the parking lot at Baker Beach which was listed as stolen by San Francisco police. A surveillance operation was begun; shortly thereafter, two other Toyotas occupied by several teenagers entered the parking area and pulled in next to the first vehicle. Both were also confirmed as stolen by USPP dispatch. Four teenagers entered the first vehicle, and all three vehicles headed for the exit. A triple felony stop was executed and 12 juveniles and an adult were placed under arrest. Since the incident occurred in an area of exclusive federal jurisdiction, all those arrested have been charged by the U.S. attorney with possession of stolen vehicles. So far this year, officers from the San Francisco field office have recovered 32 occupied stolen vehicles and made 82 arrests. Another 39 unoccupied stolen vehicles have been recovered. The total valuation of all the vehicles has been placed at $448,000. [USPP Dispatch, 8/13]
At about 11:15 p.m. on September 7th, Park Police officer James Coates spotted a man walking back and forth and shouting at passing cars in the southbound traffic lanes of Great Highway just north of Sloat. Coates stopped to investigate out of concern for the man's safety. The subject then began screaming at Coates. As Coates attempted to bring him to his patrol car, the man walked off toward nearby sand dunes. When Coates again contacted him, the man suddenly turned and attacked him. During the ensuing scuffle, the man got Coates' flashlight and began hitting him on the head with it. He then ripped the officer's night stick and holder from his belt, attempted to get his weapon, knocked him to the ground and began choking him. At that point, Coates was able to draw his weapon and fire three shots at the assailant, one of which struck him. Numerous Park Police and San Francisco police units responded to the officer's call for help. It took several officers to subdue Coates' assailant even after he was shot. The man, who refused to identify himself and whose identity can not be determined, is in San Francisco General Hospital being treated for a gunshot wound. The officer was treated for lacerations and bruises. An investigation into the incident is underway. [Lt. Curtis Shane, USPP, 9/8]
On September 11th, a USPP detective spotted a vehicle whose owner was suspected of numerous larcenies in the park, Marin County and East Bay regional parks. He called for several units to assist him in surveillance. The suspect and a female passenger were seen entering the vehicle and were followed to the Lower Conzelman lot, where they parked, got out, smashed the passenger window on an adjacent pickup truck, and stole a purse from the truck. The two were stopped as they attempted to leave the lot. A search of the vehicle subsequent to the arrest produced a stolen purse, burglar tools and narcotics. Both suspects were charged and detained. This arrest will result in the closure of over 20 cases of larcenies from autos in the park and Marin County. [Maj. Hugh Irwin, SFFO/USPP, 9/10]
Just before 7 a.m. on September 21st, Park Police dispatch received a report of a body in the Lands End area of the park, and officers subsequently discovered the partially-clothed body of E.R., 51, on the El Camino del Mar trail. E.R. apparently fell down the steep slope above the trail. Investigators later learned that he was a missing patient from a nearby VA hospital. [Sam Eddy, SFFO/USPP, 9/22]
An estimated 5,000 demonstrators from various local groups occupied a bleacher at Aquatic Park on October 11th to protest a planned reenactment of the landing of Columbus. Several vessels representing the Peace Navy were also anchored in the Aquatic Park harbor. A detail of Park Police officers and rangers was on hand to maintain order in the park. No actual landing of the ship had been planned, though; when it failed to show up, the demonstrators left the park for a planned march to city hall. When the demonstrators changed course and headed for a Columbus Day parade, Park Police units were summoned to help city police bar the way. Molotov cocktails were thrown, one of which struck a city police cruiser. Police officers arrested 40 protestors in conjunction with the firebombing and attempts to stop the parade. [Maj. Hugh Irwin, SFFO/USPP, 10/14]
On October 28th, Park Police responded to a report of an assault which had occurred on Ocean Beach and contacted the reporting party and the victim, who had three gashes on his head. The victim advised that he was sitting by a fire on the beach when he was approached by a group of between ten and twelve men, who, without provocation, began striking him on the head and arms with a crowbar. He was taken to a hospital for treatment. A search of the area was conducted, but no sign of his assailants was found. [Maj. Hugh Irwin, USPP/SFFO, 11/18]
Park Police officers were notified on December 23rd that a woman had found a suicide note from her father and had subsequently located his car at Ocean Beach. They conducted a foot search of the area and found his body on the beach. He apparently died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His identity has not yet been released. [Sgt. Harold Gefrich, SFFO/USPP, 12/24]
On January 2nd, J.J. of Forest Knolls, president of the Bicycle Trails Council of Marin (BTC), an organization currently suing the NPS for setting regulations governing mountain bike use in the park, was knocked unconscious when he crashed his mountain bike on the Old Springs Trail in the Marin Headlands District. J.J. was leading a BTC-organized group of mountain bikers on the trail, which is a designated bicycle route under the regulations, when he took a header over his handle bars and landed on his head and shoulder. J.J. lost consciousness and had to be evacuated to a local hospital by paramedics. According to a witness, who said that J.J. had traveled the trail about 20 times, J.J. was going less than 15 mph when he went up and over a small bump in the trail, twisted his front wheel, then lost control of his bike. The section of the trail where the accident occurred had recently been repaired. [Jay Eickenhorst, GOGA, 1/11]
Rangers responded to a 35-foot trimaran in distress at the surf line at Fort Funston on January 9th. Ranger Steve Prokop swam through heavy surf to the vessel and brought the two occupants - R.E. and J.E. of Salem, Oregon - to shore with the assistance of city firemen. Rangers Matt Ehmann and Larry Morales attempted to tow the trimaran out to sea with the park's Zodiac rescue boat, but were unsuccessful due to hazardous surf conditions (waves up to eight feet high) and shallow water. Although firemen hauled the boat as high up the beach as possible, the vessel was battered to pieces during the night by large waves and high tides. The couple, who are in their late fifties, had invested their entire life savings in the boat, which was conservatively valued at $50,000. [Larry Morales, GOGA, 1/21]
On February 5th, rangers, Park Police officers and Coast Guard personnel rescued three members of a four-person crew who had been on a large sail boat which capsized in the heavy surf between Point Diablo and Point Bonita and came aground at Black Sand Beach. The three survivors were evacuated by helicopter while a search for the fourth crew member continued. On February 6th, a body washed ashore on Black Sand Beach along with flotsam from the totally destroyed boat. The victim was tentatively identified as that of the missing crew member. The body was removed by rangers and turned over to the county coroner's office. No names have yet been released. [Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 2/9]
On the afternoon of Mary 21st, R.F., 40, of San Francisco, was preparing to land his hang glider near Stinson Beach when he plummeted about 15 feet to the hard-packed sand at the water's edge and struck the ground head first. Bystanders were administering CPR when rangers and lifeguards arrived and took over lifesaving efforts on R.F., who had sustained significant facial trauma, some of which apparently was caused by his helmet. As soon as R.F. was immobilized, he was evacuated by a Coast Guard helicopter which had been nearby on routine patrol. The victim was pronounced dead at Peninsula Hospital, where it was learned that he was HIV positive. All rescuers with direct patient contact had gloves on, but there was significant airborne dispersal of blood, resulting in some direct contact to the skin and mucous membranes of some EMS personnel. All personnel with any exposure to R.F.'s body fluids are following either California OSHA or federal OSHA/DOI bloodborne pathogen exposure protocols. [Jay Eikenhorst, GOGA, 3/23]
Rangers received a report of two stranded persons in distress on Seal Rocks near the Cliff House on the morning of March 30th. Rangers Strickfaden, Milestone and Park Police officer DeVlught responded in a rescue Zodiac. They maneuvered the boat through ten-foot swells, tricky cross currents and rough surf and rescued surfers H.L. and R.S. Both were uninjured. They said that they'd been surfing when the currents began to pull them into the rocks near the shore and that they were forced to abandon their surfboards. They'd been on the rock for about 45 minutes when rescued. [Charlie Strickfaden, GOGA, 3/30]
Late on the morning of April 18th, ranger Steve Prokop spotted the 40-foot fishing boat Lindy Su in distress off the north end of Baker Beach. The boat was drifting dangerously close to the surfline; although it dropped anchor, the boat was swept onto the rocks by six-foot-high shore breakers and the crew and passengers abandoned ship and attempted to swim to shore. All were wearing life preservers. Five made it to safely to the beach and were pulled from the water, but the captain, D.D., had difficulty staying upright. Prokop entered the heavy surf to assist him; although both were severely buffeted, they were able to make it shore without injury. Rangers Milestone and Strickfaden, who had been dispatched to assist, initiated a high-angle cliff rescue with the help of Park Police officers and local fire departments and retrieved two victims who were stranded on offshore rocks. All seven victims were uninjured, but the boat could not be salvaged and broke up on the rocks. The Coast Guard responded to the minor fuel spill that followed. [James Milestone, GOGA, 4/20]
On the afternoon of May 4th, rangers and a Park Police officer responded to a report of a person stranded about 100 feet below the spur ridge north of the Point Diablo lighthouse. They established a technical rescue system and a ranger descended the steep, brushy, poison oak-laden 2,000-foot slope to reach the victim, 21-year-old M.C. A two-pulley system was employed to raise M.C. to the top of the cliff. Investigators determined that M.C. and a companion had encountered the cliff while hiking. M.C. had climbed up a steep portion of the cliff until he reached a point where he was unable to either ascend or descend. [Norm Simons, GOGA, 5/7]
A man and woman were parked in Merrie Way parking lost at 1 a.m. on May 19th when they were approached by two men who knocked on the driver's side window with a gun and demanded money. The driver of the vehicle heard his window shatter and received another demand for money. He tossed his wallet out of the window, then realized his companion had been shot. The assailants fled on foot in the vicinity of Point Lobos Avenue. The wounded victim was admitted to Mission Emergency Hospital for treatment. [USPP Dispatch, 5/19]
At 1:20 a.m. yesterday, Park Police dispatch received notification that a ship had docked at the old Coast Guard station near Fort Point. Arriving officers observed a ship headed out of the bay toward Golden Gate Bridge; shortly thereafter, military police stopped a vehicle containing seven illegal aliens and soon came across another ten to twelve vehicles carrying approximately 150 more aliens. All ran into the nearby woods. Backup was requested and provided by MP's, California Highway Patrol, and the Golden Gate Bridge, Veteran's Administration, and San Francisco police. A total of 169 people were apprehended. All are being detained at Fort Point NHS until they can be processed by INS. [USPP Dispatch, 5/24]
On May 29th, San Francisco police advised US Park Police officers that a body had been found in the Fort Funston area. A bicyclist had come upon skeletal remains in a sleeping bag at an illegal campsite hidden in the bushes and reported it to the police. The body may have been there for several months. Cause of death, sex, race, age and identification of the victim have not yet been determined. [USPP Dispatch, 6/1]
Rangers in the park's Ocean District responded to a variety of law enforcement and search and rescue incidents over the three day weekend. They: * Arrested an illegal camper in the Fort Funston area after discovering
that he was wanted on an outstanding warrant. [Jay Eickenhorst, GOGA, 6/4]
Late on the afternoon of June 12th, a ranger spotted a wrecked 18-foot speedboat washed ashore on Ocean Beach. Two men wearing who were wearing life jackets survived uninjured; a third, who was seen struggling towards shore by the two survivors, disappeared in the waves before he could make it to land. Ocean District rangers coordinated and conducted an extensive search that eventually covered eight miles of coastline and employed four- by-four vehicles, ranger rescue swimmers, a Coast Guard helicopter and patrol vessel, and San Francisco firefighters. The search was continued until nightfall and resumed the next day. No trace of the victim has been found. [Jay Eickenhorst, GOGA, 6/18]
On the afternoon of June 12th, a park ranger discovered the body of a 35- year-old man lying in heavy brush adjacent to the Fort Funston hang glider viewing deck. The cause of death was later determined to have been a drug overdose. The man's father, who was in the area at the time, and the three teenage girls who initially reported the body all required support and assistance from the ranger staff. [Jay Eickenhorst, GOGA, 6/18]
Park Police officers received a report that a juvenile had fallen off the cliffs in the vicinity of China Beach on the afternoon of June 19th. Officers, rangers, and city rescue and EMS personnel were dispatched to the area; they found the victim, a juvenile male about 15 or 16 years old at the base of Eagle's Point, where he had been climbing with three friends when he slipped and fell approximately 80 feet. He sustained massive head injuries in the fall. CPR was begun on him, but was unsuccessful. [Sgt. Dennis Maroney, USPP, 6/21]
On July 9th, S.J., 34, of Sebastopol, California, was arrested for the May rape and robbery of a 53-year-old San Francisco woman in the park. The woman had accepted a ride home from him, but S.J. had instead taken her to an overgrown rifle range on Bunker Road in the Fort Cronkhite area of Marin Headlands and assaulted her. He also allegedly stole her purse and a small amount of cash. After the assault, the woman was left in the isolated area. An off-duty ranger saw her walking down the road at 12:30 a.m. and picked her up. During the subsequent investigation, Park Police detective Ray Rapp was able to learn the identity of the man, known by his nickname of "Apache" because of his fondness for Native American art and jewelry. S.J. is being held in Los Angeles County jail on an unrelated charge and will be transferred to the San Francisco area to face federal charges. [Lt. Gerald McCarthy, SFFO/USPP, 7/9]
On the afternoon of August 19th, a series of marijuana-detection helicopter flights over Golden Gate, Point Reyes and adjacent state and county park lands was completed by pilots from the Army's 168th Combat Aviation Group. During the three-day operation, NPS and state rangers and Marin County detectives spotted a total of 14 marijuana plantations containing approximately 260 plants. Observers found one each in Point Reyes and Golden Gate, but many others were discovered near Golden Gate's boundaries. The total estimated street value of the plants was placed at $540,000. [Herb Gercke, RAD/WRO, 8/23]
Alex McFarland, 36, an equipment operator at Golden Gate, suffered a heart attack while at home on August 28th. He was taken to Marin General, where he stayed for six days. Alex is currently at home and preparing to have remedial work to further open two arteries. He's expected to return back to work in a month. [Marybeth McFarland, GOGA, 9/7]
A man wearing a motorcycle helmet, trench coat and scarf walked into the bar at the Cliff House on September 14th, drew a revolver from his coat, pointed it at an employee, and ordered him to put money into a bag which he laid on the counter. After the employee complied, the man walked out the door, got on a motorcycle, and headed southbound on Great Highway. An investigation by Park Police is underway. [Bert Lewis, GOGA, 9/16]
Over 250 marijuana plants were spotted from the air on and around NPS lands in Marin County on August 19th. During a subsequent flyover, DEA agents, state and county rangers and local law enforcement officers discovered and eradicated another 250 plants in north Marin park and open space lands adjacent to Golden Gate boundaries. Another 1,000 plants were discovered in a camouflaged greenhouse on nearby private property. A search warrant was issued for the greenhouse and an arrest was made there later that day. [Marybeth McFarland, GOGA, 10/20]
The park reports three arson fires in the Sweeney Ridge area since the beginning of the month. All three were extinguished while still small, but could have developed into larger fires threatening both life and property. Ocean District rangers have carried out an investigation and have identified a juvenile suspect in at least two of the fires. The investigation is being conducted in conjunction with the California Department of Forestry and the Pacifica and San Bruno fire departments. [Gil Soper, CR, GOGA, 11/18]
Park Police officer Brunilda Fonseca was on foot patrol on Aquatic Beach on the afternoon of November 18th when a visitor directed her to a reported drowning at the east end of the beach. Fonseca and two swimmers from the South End Rowing Club pulled a middle-aged man from the water. The victim had been face down in the water for an undetermined period of time; he had no pulse and was not breathing. CPR was begun and maintained until a city ambulance arrived on scene. The victim was successfully revived, then taken to the ICU at a local hospital. He has not yet been identified. [Sgt. Duane Kraft, USPP/SFFO, 11/19]
Rangers, Park Police officers and representatives from several cooperating agencies responded on December 13th to a report of a vehicle down a steep hillside in the Marin Headlands. They found a vehicle upside down about 300 feet down the slope, and an injured victim between 150 and 200 feet below the road. The victim, a despondent 40-year-old man from San Rafael, had been ejected from the vehicle and sustained injuries to his back and face. He as stabilized and placed on a backboard, hauled up the steep hillside on a litter by a technical rescue system, then transported by helicopter to a hospital for treatment. Several rescuers suffered extensive poison oak exposure during the rescue. Employee of the National Park Service and the Presidio Fire Department had just completed technical cliff rescue training minutes before the incident occurred. [Norm Simons, GOGA, 12/13]
G.F., 44, an interpretive specialist at Golden Gate, fell to her death from the Golden Gate Bridge around 10:30 a.m. yesterday morning. Feiker was on duty and in uniform at the time. Her body was subsequently retrieved by the Coast Guard. Her death was an apparent suicide; she had attempted to take her life on a previous occasion. There will be a counseling session for park employees. [Gil Soper, CR, GOGA, 4/6]
On May 29th, plain clothes investigator Raymond Rapp noticed and began watching a man who was apparently "shopping" cars - that is, looking them over to determine which one to steal - along Van Ness Avenue. After a few minutes, it became apparent that the suspect was accompanied by two other individuals, one of whom was a juvenile, and that both were serving as lookouts. The suspect attempted entry into a vehicle which, unbeknownst to him, contained a very large but very quiet dog. As he attempted to reach into the vehicle's partially opened window to unlock the door, the dog made itself known and latched on to the man's arm. After freeing himself, the man moved on to several other vehicles, finally chosing a Honda Accord. He hot-wired the car and his two lookouts joined him; before the trio could leave the scene, however, they were converged upon by several Park Police units and apprehended. One of the three told Rapp that he was part of an auto theft ring and that the Accord would net him $500. An investigation is underway. [Sgt. Bert Lewis, SFFO/USPP, 6/3]
A search was begun on the afternoon of July 17th for F.U., 78, of Boston, Massachusetts, who failed to return from a hike on the Miwok trail in Marin Headlands. Reports indicated that F.U. had been taking lithium for approximately 20 years to control manic depression, but that the medication had controlled the condition and mental problems were not likely. Search efforts, which concentrated on trails throughout the Headlands portion of the park, were suspended at 11:30 p.m. due to darkness, but were continued and enlarged the following morning. About 100 searchers from the NPS and a half dozen other organizations participated. F.U. was located around 10:30 that morning. He had apparently attempted to follow a social trail that he believed would provide a shortcut to the residence adjacent to the park where he'd begun his hike, but lost his footing and fell about 30 feet down a steep ravine. He did not attempt to climb back to the trail, even though he'd suffered only minor injuries and was within a quarter mile of his destination, and instead spent the night there awaiting rescue. When found, F.U. was suffering somewhat from exposure, and was taken to a local hospital for examination. [Gil Soper, CR, GOGA, 7/19]
A visitor found the body of a man lying on the floor of Sutro Baths with a gun in his hand on the morning of September 10th. Responding rangers, officers and firefighters found the victim dead from a gunshot wound to his left temple. A friend of the deceased said that he was distraught over the death of a girlfriend last week. At 4:30 a.m. that morning, the victim signed over the title to his vehicle to his friend and asked him to leave the areas. The coroner estimates the time of death at about 5 a.m. The victim had a copy of his will and a picture of his girlfriend in his pocket. [Sgt. Louis Mugg, USPP/SFFO, 9/12]
On the morning of October 26th, a golfer found the body of an unidentified juvenile male near Eagle Point overlook. The body exhibited signs of trauma. The death is thought to be gang related, and is being jointly investigated by Park Police and San Francisco police department detectives. [Lt. Jerry McCarthy, USPP, 10/27]
Following the discovery of the body of a juvenile male in the park last week, Park Police detectives Prickett and Martin were assigned to participate in a joint investigation with the San Francisco police department's homicide unit. The newly-formed Park Police identification unit was summoned to the crime scene and employed a metal detector to locate several items of evidence. A park bench located at the crime scene, which was dedicated to the memory of another California shooting victim, was removed because it contained valuable evidence which was used in the investigation. A "hot line" was created with the cooperation of officials at Washington High School, and lead to the receipt of a tip about a witness who had critical information about the homicide. Prickett interviewed this witness, who allegedly was present at the crime scene. The interview led to the identification of several other possible suspects. A confidential informant subsequently called and identified three persons heard boasting of the murder. Interviews were conducted and two suspects were arrested. It was also learned that the third suspect was attempting to gather funds to flee the country. With assistance from the Daly City police department, a task force was created to track the suspect and to watch known family residences. The suspect was apprehended when he attempted to solicit money from a family member in Daly City. [Lt. Jerry McCarthy, USPP, 11/7]
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]
Heavy rains and high winds have caused considerable damage to areas and buildings in the park. Sections of the metal roof on building 64 on Alcatraz blew off, causing the closure of the island to the public until emergency repairs could be made. A mudslide and debris flow from Sutro Heights onto the Great Highway in front of the Cliff House caused the closure of the road for a 24-hour period; the road closure and a power failure forced the closing of the Cliff House and Louise restaurants. High waves along Ocean Beach removed over 50,000 cubic yards of sand and undermined the Second Overlook parking lot; the walkway and beach access were washed away. The area remains closed. A leach field at Stinson Beach was exposed and damaged by heavy waves and high tides. The Fort Point parking area and access road were closed during several periods of high waves. Numerous trees have fallen, causing damage to structures and one vehicle. There have been several cases of buildings damaged by roof leaks and flooded basements, including the museum and several housing units in the Presidio. [CRO, GOGA, 1/17]
On March 6th, Park Police officer Robert Jansing stopped S.R., 49, in Gas House Cove in lower Fort Mason for a routine traffic violation. S.R. was subsequently identified as wanted for an armed robbery in Yorba Linda in which a man had been killed and for his involvement in two other shootings in southern California, one involving a police officer and the other an unarmed security guard. S.R., an ex-Los Angeles County deputy, was recently featured on "America's Most Wanted" and had elsewhere boasted that he wouldn't be taken alive. At the time of his arrest, S.R. was in possession of several loaded semi-automatic weapons, a laser scope, ammunition, bullet-proof Kevlar materials, a grenade launcher with grenades, and many other similar items. He was taken to the city jail, where he is being held without bail. [Sgt. J.O. Smith, SFFO/USPP, 3/7]
A double-wide trailer at the Johnson Oyster Farm caught fire around 1 a.m. on the morning of March 10th. Park and local engines responded; crews were unable to save the double-wide, but were able to limit damage to an adjacent trailer to about a quarter of the structure. Property loss and cause remain unknown, but it appears that there was a wood-burning stove in the double-wide. Strong winds of from 30 to 40 mph fanned the flames and complicated suppression efforts. [Bill Oswald, FMO, GOGA, 3/10]
Rangers and police assisted the Coast Guard with rescue operations for two people who were involved in a boating accident along the park's shore at Ocean Beach. Both victims were airlifted from the surf by a Coast Guard helicopter and taken to a local hospital. One was revived, but the second succumbed. An investigation is underway. [Lt. Thomas Moyer, SFFO, USPP, 4/10]
On March 28th, park maintenance workers advised dispatch that a visitor had told them that two juveniles with brass knuckles had attempted to rob him on the beach below Fort Scott in the Presidio. Rangers and Park Police officers began a search and soon located the pair at a bus stop adjacent to Golden Gate Bridge. A search of the two suspects and their backpacks led to the discovery of two sets of brass knuckles, three large camping knives, a camcorder, and a significant amount of foreign and domestic cash. Interviews indicated that the twosome had obtained the camcorder and cash during a spree of four larcenies and a car clout. Both have extensive criminal histories; one is on parole, which is being revoked. [Kathy Clark, WRO, 4/6]
On the evening of June 10th, a visitor notified park dispatch that a man and woman were in the water at Baker Beach and were being swept away from the shore. Responding units found that the woman, 20-year-old J.T., had been pulled from the surf, and that visitors were attempting to perform CPR on her. She was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead on arrival. A Coast Guard helicopter and surf rescue boat began an off-shore search for her 20-year-old male companion while rangers and Park Police officers conducted an extensive but unsuccessful search for him along the shoreline. He is presumed to have drowned. Preliminary investigation revealed that the two were college students and that they were visiting the beach with friends. It appears that they were knee deep in the water when both fell down and were swept out to deeper water by the strong undertow. [Lt. Jeff Wasserman, GOGA, 6/12]
On June 10th, South District rangers responded to a report of two uninjured individuals stranded on a 150 foot high coastal cliff at Eagles Point, two miles west of Golden Gate Bridge. A technical cliff rescue was conducted and the two were retrieved. [CRO, GOGA, 6/13]
Several thousand people from the city's Filipino community attended the Fiesta Filipina at Fort Mason on June 10th. Numerous dignitaries attended the event, including vice president Estrada of the Philippines. That afternoon, members of the CBA (Color Blue Always) and SI (Samahang Ilocanos) gangs started to congregate at the front of Pier III. Members of the RPB (Real Pinoy Brotherhood) subsequently arrived at the pier, wearing red and flashing gang signs at the two gangs wearing blue. A large-scale fight immediately ensued which involved more than 30 gang members. Park Police officers and members of the city's gang task force made a total of 14 arrests. On June 11th, other gang members were arrested on trespassing, alcohol and disorderly conduct charges. Only one weapon was seized, a lock-blade knife with attached brass knuckles. The pier sustained damage at several location in the form of gang- related graffiti. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA, 6/14]
The park received a mutual aid request from the city on the afternoon of June 15th and dispatched an ALS engine from the Presidio fire department. Upon arrival, NPS firefighter/paramedics Ed Lyell and Scott Sandine found a pulseless, non-breathing 81-year-old man being administered CPR by a city police officer. The victim was intubated, cardiac drugs were administered, and he was defibrillated; spontaneous breathing and circulation were restored, and the man was taken by ambulance to a city hospital. It's expected that he will fully recover and soon be released from the hospital. [CRO, GOGA, 6/19]
The Presidio fire department responded to the release of compressed chlorine gas from a pump house in the Presidio just after 5 a.m. on July 7th. The pump house is located near several heavily populated neighborhoods. A unified command was established in conjunction with the San Francisco fire and police departments and representatives from air quality and public health agencies. The leak was stopped and all necessary actions taken by 6:30 a.m.; no evacuations were necessary. Park Police officer Kenneth Blair inhaled some chlorine while investigating the audible alarm at the pump house. He was taken to a hospital for observation, but was found to be okay and later released. [CRO, GOGA]
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]
Two men believed to be responsible for over 100 car clouts in the San Francisco Bay area were arrested earlier this week by a task forced headed by officers from the Park Police criminal investigations branch. The duo - one of them a juvenile - broke into a car at Baker Beach in the Presidio in July. Prints were found on the vehicle, and a computer check through several local systems led to a hit on the juvenile, who had an extensive criminal record. During an interview with Park Police detectives, he confessed to the break-in at Baker Beach, and provided information concerning other auto burglaries in the Bay area. The second man was then arrested and interviewed; he confessed to the car clout in the Presidio and to nine other vehicle break-ins in the park. Written statements from the two men, coupled with the information they supplied, led to closure of numerous car clouting and stolen vehicle cases. [James O. Smith, GOGA]
On September 12th and 14th, the park's fire department provided mutual aid assistance to the city of San Francisco. The first call was to a reported electrical hazard in the Marina District, which borders the Presidio. Upon arrival, the crew found that the hazard had grown into a fire, that the rear entry to the house was engulfed in flames, and that the fire was threatening to spread to the interior of the house. By the time the closest city fire company arrived, the park crew had extinguished the blaze, saving the home and its contents. Two days later, the department responded to a fire just two blocks away from the first fire, and found heavy smoke rolling out of the garage of a two-story house. The fire was in a workshop in the back of the garage, and was knocked down just as city companies arrived on scene. There was minimal damage to the garage and none to the house or its contents. [J.R. Tomasovic, GOGA]
Maintenance worker Al Lauro discovered a duffle bag containing a .44 revolver in a shoulder holster in the park last January. Responding Park Police officers searched the bag and found within it numerous letters addressed to a M.G. at Soledad state prison, marine binoculars, an inflatable life vest, and a Magellan GPS device. After an hour's search, M.G. was found emerging from some bushes. M.G. subsequently admitted to ownership of the duffle bag. A follow-up investigation on the suspected stolen property led to the discovery of an outstanding $200,000 warrant for M.G. which had not yet been placed on NCIC. On August 31st, M.G. was sentenced to six years imprisonment on a single count of grand theft. M.G. was on parole for stealing a sailboat at the time of his arrest, and this conviction counted as a "second strike" against him. [Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA/PSAF]
Park Police officer Ken Blair was on patrol in the Fort Mason area when he spotted a vehicle wanted by city police. The driver was a suspect in the rape of a juvenile girl at Marina Green, a parcel of city property within the boundaries of the park between Fort Mason and the Presidio. Blair stopped the and detained the driver, who was subsequently identified as the girl's assailant and charged with rape, false imprisonment, kidnapping and other charges. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA/PSAF]
On the afternoon of November 4th, a dead, 30- to 40-ton humpback whale washed ashore at Stinson Beach and became an instant visitor attraction. After consultation with various individuals and organizations, including the Coast Guard, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Marine Sanctuary and California Department of Fish and Game, it was decided that the best course of action would be to dispose of the whale by burying it on the beach. A park roads and trails crew was scheduled to employ three bulldozers yesterday in an attempt to do so. [CRO, GOGA]
A park neighbor called Park Police dispatch to report flooding on her property in the early morning hours of December 11th. Responding officers found a developing sinkhole in the Lincoln Boulevard entrance to the park. The hole threatened eight residences and caused a natural gas leak, forcing the evacuation of the area by Park Police and city officers. The majority of one home slid into the hole, and another was rapidly losing its foundation at the time of the report (yesterday morning). Officer Noel Wagner volunteered to move a vehicle owned by one resident which was about 20 feet from the hole. As he drove it off, the ground began giving away in front of the vehicle. No injuries occurred, but some personnel were exposed to natural gas for several hours while emergency evacuations occurred. The boulevard will remain closed for some time, as all of the eastbound lane and part of the westbound lane sank into the hole, which measures about 150 feet wide by 40 feet deep. It's not known whether the size of the hole will increase, but more rains are forecast for the rest of the week. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA]
The strong storm which struck the Pacific coast from California to Washington on Tuesday produced very heavy rains and winds of near hurricane force, with gusts at some locations exceeding 100 mph. Reports on the storm's impacts have been received from several parks: * Golden Gate - The park was closed on Tuesday and will remain closed until further notice. The closure affects such areas as Alcatraz Island, the Presidio, Muir Woods, Marin Headlands, Fort Point, Fort Funston, and Fort Mason. Heavy rains and high winds have caused significant damage throughout the park. Over 100 trees are reported down; many have fallen on buildings, live power lines, vehicles, roads and trails. Many buildings have been damaged and were still without utilities yesterday. The park is managing this incident through ICS. About 150 employees were engaged in efforts to reopen portions of the park yesterday. Storm conditions were continuing at the time of the report and are forecast to persist through the remainder of the week. The current damage estimate has been placed at $1.2 million. [J.R. Tomasovic, IC, GOGA; Andy Ringgold, Superintendent, REDW; Curt Sauer, OLYM; Gary Candelaria, Superintendent, PINN; Superintendent, EUON]
Additional reports have been received from the Pacific West Field Area regarding the impact of the severe storm which struck the West coast earlier this week: * Golden Gate - Most areas of the park have reopened. Areas still closed due to contamination from a broken sewer line are China Beach, Baker Beach and a portion of Ocean Beach. Most park sites were without power, water or phones for between 48 and 72 hours, but all utilities have been restored. Crews have begun assessing the damage to cultural and natural resources. It's known at this time that over 1,000 trees have either toppled or become hazards, and that over 100 buildings have been damaged. [J.R. Tomasovic, GOGA; Jane Sikoryak, REDW; John Krambrink, MORA; George Buckingham, CRLA; Larry Carr, WHIS; Pete Cowan, NOCA; Don Neubacher, PORE]
Last June, 150 demonstrators representing a group called "Homes Not Jails" held a non-permitted demonstration in the Presidio. Eleven members of the group barricaded themselves inside two buildings in an avowed attempt to obtain low cost housing for the homeless of San Francisco. After negotiations broke down, mass arrest procedures were initiated, a battering ram was used to enter the building, and the 11 barricaded suspects were arrested. Other demonstrators in the street left after announcements were made that they would also be arrested. On January 11th, a federal judge found the group guilty of trespass, but acquitted them on the charge of demonstrating without a permit. Defense lawyers used the "necessity defense", which holds, for example, that an inmate in a prison can not be charged with escape if the building is burning and he leaves due to imminent harm. The judge said that homelessness in and of itself does not meet the imminent harm standard, noting that fewer than one percent of homeless died from being homeless in 1995 and that substance abuse and other factors also affected the death rate. Only two of the suspects were found to be homeless; the others were determined to be "homeless advocates." Ten were sentenced to community service, and the eleventh failed to appear. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA]
A group of 50 to 60 homeless advocates held an illegal demonstration in the Presidio on February 23rd. Park managers were aware of planning for the event; they attempted to negotiate with the group about permit requirements, but without luck. They were offered a First Amendment area near the site of their demonstration, but indicated that they would instead engage in civil disobedience by entering residences slated for demolition. The group marched through the housing area, placing 142 "tombstone" signs with the names of homeless people who died in San Francisco in 1995. The group's organizers announced that they were going to occupy a dwelling and that only people who wanted to be arrested should enter. One demonstrator kicked in a back door and let in the others - a total of 20 people. A squad of U.S. Marshals formed in a line and moved the remaining demonstrators down the street. Park Police officers and rangers then moved in and arrested the demonstrators in the building, who offered no resistance. Members of "Homes not Jails" who were recently convicted for violations in a similar demonstration in the Presidio were in the crowd, but none chose to be arrested. The remaining demonstrators left the area after the 20 were arrested. Each of those arrested was charged with 36 CFR violations for trespassing and demonstrating without a permit. Banners and signs were confiscated as evidence and the incident was videotaped by Park Police officers. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA]
Unusually warm spring weather on March 16th and 17th resulted in high visitation to the park's many beaches. Over the course of the weekend, Stinson Beach lifeguards and rangers conducted 38 rescues and made more than 200 aquatic safety contacts. On March 16th, they rescued two men in separate incidents from 55 degree ocean surf. One suffered from chest pains, shortness of breath and hypothermia; the other for hypothermia and loss of consciousness. Both were taken to area hospitals. On March 17th, rangers employed an inflatable surf rescue boat to search for a boy caught in seven to nine foot waves. They searched for 30 minutes with the assistance of a Coast Guard helicopter, eventually discovering that the boy had made it safely to shore. Rangers also rescued a man stranded on a high angle coastal cliff in a remote section of San Mateo county. [CR, GOGA]
On January 22nd, two Swiss nationals reported that their car had been burglarized at the Lighthouse parking lot in Point Reyes and that the thief had assaulted one of them after they'd discovered him in their vehicle. The man, subsequently identified as G.H., a known area car-clouter with a 25-year record of auto burglaries, stole over $800 in U.S. currency and 500 Swiss francs. An interpretive ranger spotted G.H. on Great Beach below the lighthouse, and he was caught and arrested by rangers. G.H. was subsequently able to get out of prison on bail. On March 1st, Golden Gate dispatch received an anonymous report of a man casing cars at the Muir Beach overlook. The description of the man and his vehicle matched those of G.H. and the car he was using at Point Reyes. He was stopped but was not arrested because he wasn't seen entering any cars and did not have any stolen property with him. The report of this incident, however, was brought up at G.H.'s preliminary hearing on March 4th. G.H. pled guilty to second degree robbery, a second strike under California's three strike law, and was subsequently sentenced to five years in prison. Rangers were to interview him yesterday to pursue his claims that he knows about several other long- running auto burglary operations in northern California. [Frank Dean, CR, PORE]
On April 25th, Park Police officers arrested a man for the January, 1996, robbery of the Presidio Exchange, during which three masked gunmen stole $200,000 in cash, jewelry and money orders. Detective Jeff Weisenberger and sergeant J.O. Smith worked in conjunction with the FBI to identify and apprehend the men. The investigation led to the execution of a search warrant on a residence in East Oakland. A money order machine and 109 Presidio money orders were found and one of the three men was arrested. Additional arrests are imminent. The surveillance of this residence was complicated by a suspected drug operation next door, which was guarded by street lookouts. Following the execution of the warrant, four Park Police officers came upon a homicide victim several blocks away. Two handguns were on the ground next to the victim. The officers protected the scene until city police arrived on scene. The incident was unrelated to the robbery investigation. [Lt. Kevin Hay, CIB, USPP, GOGA]
Park Police officer Bryan Feeney stopped to investigate a truck in a closed area in Marin Headlands just before 3 a.m. on June 11th. As he approached the truck, he heard a gunshot and took cover. Feeney was able to see that the vehicle's driver was slumped over the wheel; upon approaching, he observed a handgun in the man's hand and a profusely bleeding head wound. Feeney had to break out a window with his expandable baton to get into the locked vehicle and administer first aid. Emergency units responded, but the driver succumbed to his wound and was pronounced dead at the scene. The county coroner and Park Police are investigating. [Lt. Kevin Hay, SFFO, USPP]
Protection rangers and Park Police officers provided security for President Clinton when he visited the park and gave a speech at Crissy Field on Sunday, June 9th. The mayor of San Francisco had advised President Clinton not to come to the city due to potential demonstrations. No problems were encountered. [Lt. Kevin Hay, SFFO, USPP]
On the evening of June 26th, the Golden Gate Bridge was shut down due to a major motor vehicle accident. As a result, Park Police officer Pat Fouty remained on patrol in the Marin Headlands past his normal tour of duty. At 8:20 p.m., a distraught woman told Fouty that her suicidal husband was trying to drive their van over a cliff with their two-year-old daughter inside. Fouty found the vehicle; as he approached, the driver revved the engine and made several attempts to drive over a log barrier. Negotiations were begun, and Fouty was able to get the little girl out of the van. The father insisted that his wife be brought to the scene so that she could watch him drive over the edge. Sergeant Boyer arrived to assist. After several more attempts by the driver to clear the log barrier, Boyer got him to roll down his window and again tried to establish a dialogue. Boyer and Fouty then quickly reached into the van, threw the gearshift into park, and removed the keys. The distraught father was then taken into custody for a 72-hour psychiatric evaluation. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP/CIB, GOGA]
On June 18th, maintenance workers Brad Benson and Louis Mitchell were on the end of Muni Pier when they were advised of a drowning in progress. Benson and local resident M.C. swam to the elderly subject. They were unable to hold the victim's head above water, however, and he soon lost consciousness. Park Police officers soon arrived on scene and noted that the man was spitting up sea water and blood. Mounted Park Police patrol officer CJ Ross, who is also a certified climbing instructor, used the rope from his mount to assist fellow officers in their efforts to pull the victim to safety. Since the victim started to spit up water and gasp for air, CPR was not initiated. City paramedics arrived and treated the man for ingestion of sea water and hypothermia. The victim was in his 70s, was fully clothed, and had his wallet inside a zip-locked bag. He was treated as a possible suicide risk. [Lt. Kevin Hay, CIB, GOGA/PSAF]
A group called "Religious Witness with Homeless People" conducted a non- permitted demonstration in the Presidio on Sunday, October 13th. The group had advertised in advance that they would conduct non-violent civil disobedience. Although they were offered a First Amendment permit to demonstrate legally, they declined the offer. About 50 of the demonstrators entered an unoccupied dwelling in the Wherry housing area. Their signs indicated that they were opposed to the planned destruction of these buildings. Park Police officers made four announcements over a public address system, asking the demonstrators to come out, but 35 of them refused and had to be arrested. They were processed and cited for trespassing and demonstrating without a permit, then released. This is the fourth homeless demonstration in the park since the Service took over the Presidio in October, 1994. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP/SFFO]
Several park beaches were closed on Wednesday, October 30th, due to an oil spill in San Francisco Bay. Initial reports indicated that the vessel "Cape Mohican" had released about 8,000 gallons of oil into the bay on October 28th. An interagency incident command team, comprised of representatives from the NPS, Coast Guard, Fish and Wildlife Service, state and city, directed the response efforts. The Coast Guard served as lead agency. Damage assessment teams are evaluating the impact of the spill on park resources. Professionally trained crews are cleaning the affected beaches and retrieving injured wildlife. The park has also established a separate incident command team to manage the park's response and coordination efforts. As of Saturday, 43 dead oiled birds had been collected, over 20 oiled birds had been captured, and 12 oiled harbor seals were still being monitored. There is significant concern for the impact of this spill on the Western snowy plover and the California brown pelican, which are federally listed species. Beaches south of Cliff House, including Ocean Beach and Fort Funston, were reopened on Thursday afternoon; remaining beaches were to be reopened as soon as resource assessment teams determined that they were safe for visitor use. As of Saturday, the interagency team had the following resources deployed on the incident: one open water skimmer, 35 support vessels, ten vacuum trucks, 530 people, 30,000 feet of boom, and eight shallow water skimming vessels. [Bill Oswald, IC, GOGA; Gil Soper, CR, GOGA]
Clean-up and monitoring activities are continuing on park beaches. The following areas have been reopened: Crissy Field, Fort Point and Municipal Piers, Aquatic Park waterfront, Stinson Beach, Muir Beach, Tennessee Beach, Baker Beach, China Beach, and East Fort Baker. Kirby Cove and Rodeo Beach remain closed due to the continuing cleanup activities. Efforts are also underway to work with San Francisco Maritime NHP to monitor the effects of the oil spill on its historic ships and surrounding piers. The number of birds and animals impacted by the oil spill continues to grow. On Tuesday alone, volunteers counted over 712 live, oiled birds and nine oiled, dead birds. A total of 37 live, oiled birds and 78 dead, oiled birds have so far been taken to wildlife centers. Both the interagency and NPS ICS teams are beginning to downsize, but expect to be in operation until Friday. [Bill Oswald, IC, GOGA]
Cleanup efforts are continuing on waterfront areas within the park. Most beaches have been reopened, with the exception of one area which has not been cleaned yet due to the logistics of moving equipment on and off the beach. Volunteers from the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary are still monitoring the effects of the oil on wildlife. On November 5th, they sighted 398 oiled, live birds and three oiled, dead birds on park beaches. Wildlife rehabilitation centers have received a total of 42 oiled, live birds (including 14 endangered Brown pelicans) and eight oiled, dead birds since the incident began. [Bill Oswald, IC, GOGA]
All park beaches are now open, but oil slicks continue to move with the tide and may resoil beaches and waterfronts. Signs warning the public about the possibility of oil on the beaches will be left in place indefinitely. The estimated total impact to wildlife at this point is as follows: 101 dead birds, 42 cleaned birds (including 14 endangered brown pelicans), and approximately 700 oiled, uncaptured birds (including 7 threatened Western snowy plovers). Both the NPS and the interagency ICS teams are beginning to demobilize and should be shutdown entirely by this afternoon. [Bill Oswald, IC, GOGA]
On October 26th, a hiker advised Park Police officers of a body near the Fort Miley stables. Evidence, including handcuffs and a laceration to the throat, indicated an execution style killing. The case was investigated by Park Police detectives and FBI agents. Detective Steve Prickett disseminated an all-points bulletin with a description of the unidentified victim and searched missing persons entries which matched the victim's physical description. On October 31st, Prickett was contacted by a representative from the Vallejo police department, and they soon determined that there were strong similarities between the victim and a missing person from that town. Vallejo detectives brought in a suspect who confessed complicity in the crime and identified an accomplice who was subsequently arrested by police in Fairfield on a parole violation. The two suspects have implicated each other. The motive for the crime appears to have been the recovery of a stolen camcorder that had been sold to the victim. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA]
On October 13th, 36 members of a group called "Religious Witness with Homeless People" were arrested for trespassing and demonstrating without a permit in the Presidio. On November 15th, they were found guilty in magistrate's court. They received fines of $75 or community service with 60 days' probation. This was the fourth homeless demonstration on the Presidio. These non-permitted activities have resulted in a total of 90 arrests. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP/SFFO]
On January 17th, Park Police officers Noel Wagner and Greg Chan observed a speeding vehicle in the vicinity of Fort Mason. When they stopped the vehicle, they found that one of its occupants had an open container of alcohol. The officers asked all three occupants to step out of the car, at which point one of them became very excited, yelling "I am not going down for this." He then ran into the parking lot of the nearby Marina Safeway store. Wagner and Chan chased him down; a struggle ensued, and it was only with difficulty that he was finally handcuffed. The man then yelled, "It's in my left leg!" The officers patted him down and found an 18-inch-long pipe in his pants, which the man said was a bomb. The city police department's bomb disposal unit was summoned, and they safely detonated the pipe bomb. The device was found to contain gunpowder and glass, designed for fragmentation and maiming. The three were charged with possession of explosives; two of the suspects were also charged with possession of two and a half grams of methamphetamine and a small quantity of marijuana. A consent search of the home of the man who had the bomb, a long-time methamphetamine user, led to the discovery of a hot, 220-volt wire lying near his bed. The man said that he intended to use it to shock anyone who attacked him while he was sleeping. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA, 1/22]
Two men with a handgun accosted a tourist near the Cliff House just before 9 p.m. on February 6th. One held a gun on him while the other patted him down, found and removed a wallet, and took the contents. Both then fled. Investigation revealed the city police had reports of similar armed robberies with descriptions which matched those of the two men. The victim in one of the previous robberies had gotten the license plate from a vehicle used by the suspects, and they were stopped shortly thereafter by police in Daly City. The victim positively identified the pair as his assailants. The stolen cash and handgun were recovered. Both of the assailants were on parole from state prison. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA, 2/7]
Park Police officers Madore and Bottomly came upon a damaged door at the bowling alley in the Presidio at 5:15 a.m. on February 6th. They requested back-up, and a perimeter was subsequently set up with all exits controlled. An interior search led to the discovery of a man trying to conceal himself behind a counter. C.K. was taken into custody and relieved of the $113 he'd stolen from the manager's office. Investigation revealed that C.K. was also responsible for two other recent burglaries in the Presidio - one at the Tides Foundation, where he stole cash from the snack bar, the other at a private residence, where he stole clothes and shoes. C.K. is a self-described methamphetamine addict who lives on the streets of the city. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA, 2/7]
On March 6, 1995, Park Police sergeant Bob Jansing observed a vehicle with expired plates near the gate to lower Ft. Mason. The driver was unable to produce a license; during the subsequent field interview, Jansing came to believe that he was lying about his identity and took him into custody without incident. Jansing then found the man' wallet, which contained his real name, S.R. A second wants/warrants check revealed that S.R. was wanted for the robbery and murder of a grocery store manager in Yorba Linda, California, and for shooting an unarmed security guard at another grocery store in Orange, California. S.R. had vowed that he would not to be taken alive, and had been featured on "America's Most Wanted" in November, 1994. In a search incident to arrest, Jansing found a large weapons cache in the vehicle, including a .380 semi-auto pistol with a laser sight (used in the murder), a sawed-off rifle, an AR-15 with a laser scope, and a grenade launcher with a bandelier of twelve grenades. Jansing also found a kevlar lined helmet and vest. S.R., who was a Los Angeles county deputy from 1967 to 1973, had previously been arrested for a bank robbery and shooting a police officer and was sentenced to state prison. He was shot and wounded during an escape attempt in the 1980's. Paroled in 1993, S.R. conducted a series of grocery store robberies until stopped by Jansing. Sergeant Jansing was called to testify against S.R. in Orange County Superior Court on several occasions. The prosecution was successful, resulting in a conviction for homicide with special circumstances. On February 28th, S.R. was sentenced to death for the murder. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA, 3/7]
About 130 people gathered at the Presidio visitor center on March 9th to demonstrate against the planned demolition of former enlisted personnel housing. The group, which believes that Presidio housing should be used for the homeless, has demonstrated in the park on six previous occasions. Although they did not have a permit and were in violation of 36 CFR, they were offered the use of a nearby area where other First Amendment activities are held. The group's leader told Park Police officials and a city newspaper reporter that a permit would "put a demand on our conscience." The group refused to move from the visitor center, which had been temporarily closed. Four announcements were made over a public address system, stating that the demonstration was illegal and that arrests were imminent. About 50 people moved from the visitor center, and officers and rangers arrested the remaining 83. All were eventually cited and released without incident. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA, 3/14]
On October 26, 1996, hikers found the handcuffed body of M.R. in a wooded area of Fort Miley. M.R.'s throat had been cut. A joint investigation by the FBI and Park Police detectives was begun. Detective Steve Prickett entered a physical description of the then unidentified victim into a statewide missing persons data bank. Vallejo PD detectives contacted Prickett, and they soon confirmed his identity. Vallejo officers then interviewed and arrested M.P. and W.J. Investigation revealed that M.P. and W.J. had carjacked M.R. in Vallejo when he refused to return a stolen camcorder that M.P. had sold to him. They put him in the trunk of the car and drove over 40 miles to San Francisco. After arriving at Fort Miley, they attempted to shoot him with a .38 revolver, but found that they only had ammunition for a 9mm. They therefore employed a knife instead. M.P. and W.J. pled guilty to first-degree murder in state court on March 26th. M.P. faces a sentence of 25 years to life, W.J. a sentence of 50 years to life. A sentencing hearing is pending. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA, 3/24]
USPP officers Jolynn Andrews and Noel Wagner were on foot patrol of the Ocean Beach seawall just before 11 p.m. on May 16th when they saw a man acting strangely on the beach. The man was throwing sand on himself, hopping up and down, and yelling "I am God!" As they approached him, the officers could see that he was sweating profusely. He then started walking into the concrete seawall, injuring himself. Wagner and Andrews tried to calm him, but he became combative and attacked both officers, kicking with his feet and striking them with his fist. They were able to handcuff him only with great difficulty due to his great strength. It appears that the man was under the influence of PCP. Andrews sustained a serious contusion over and around her right eye which required a doctor's care. The man was charged with felony assault on a police officer, being under the influence of drugs, and possession of marijuana. Earlier in the shift, the same two officers had made several other arrests for possession of methamphetamine, resisting arrest and outstanding warrants. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA, 5/17]
At midnight on May 30th, officer Dan Firce was about to leave the USPP field office parking lot following the completion of his tour of duty when a man on a bicycle - subsequently identified as J.A. of Fraser, Colorado - stopped in front of him and began making accusations at the officer. When Firce tried to drive around him, J.A. struck his car. Firce got out and was immediately challenged to a fight. Firce identified himself as an officer, but to no avail; J.A. struck him several times, one blow landing on his cheek. Other officers responded from the station and helped subdue J.A., who smelled of alcohol. J.A. was charged with assault on a police officer and disorderly conduct and booked on an outstanding warrant. It's not known why he came to the station, as Firce had had no prior contact with him. Nor is there any indication that J.A. had ever been contacted by any other Park Police officers. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA, 5/31]
On June 4th, the new USPP stable was opened with a parade of 46 mounted officers from seven different jurisdictions, including rangers from Yosemite NP. The stable was originally built in 1913 for U.S. cavalry units stationed at the Presidio. These cavalry units were responsible for patrolling Yosemite and Sequoia NPs in the days prior to the establishment of the NPS in 1916. Many NPS dignitaries attended. The facility will house the USPP San Francisco Field Office's nine-member horse mounted unit. It will also serve as a stable for the California Mounted Officer Association, thereby providing an opportunity for mounted units from throughout the state to share collective knowledge on mounted enforcement techniques. [Lt. Kevin Hay, SFFO, GOGA, 6/5]
On the morning of July 4th, D.H., 19, of Danville, Pennsylvania, entered the Muir Beach overlook with a companion before the area opened, climbed over protective barriers along the trail to the overlook, and began descending a steep slope above a 500-foot-high cliff with the intention of climbing down the cliff. D.H.'s companion descended about 75 feet, then returned to the parking area to wait for D.H. D.H. was last seen at the top of the vertical cliff at about 8 a.m. When he failed to return by early afternoon, his companion reported his disappearance to park staff. A search was begun with inflatable rescue boats and ground searchers, but no sign of D.H. was found. The search was continued the following day, with climbers checking the cliff area and a state police helicopter checking the shoreline. This effort was equally fruitless. Daily searches of the coast were conducted until July 8th, when D.H.'s body was found in the water, wedged into a small sea cave at the base of the overlook. The area had been checked on previous days at higher tides; the body was apparently visible only during lower tides. [Jon Anglin, PR, GOGA, 7/9]
L.M., 40, of San Francisco, and a companion were riding bikes down a steep and twisting one-way section of Conzelman Road in the Marin Headlands when they both lost control of their bikes. L.M.'s companion went down in the road and sustained a bruised shoulder. L.M., however, struck the guard rail with his bike, went airborne, and came to rest in thick brush down a steep slope. During the process, his biking helmet was broken in numerous pieces and scattered around the area. When rangers and paramedics arrived on scene, bystanders had pulled L.M. up the slope and begun CPR on him. He did not survive. Witnesses indicated that L.M. and his companion were traveling at very high speed and had passed a car just prior to the accident. The area is posted with cautionary signing and has a speed limit of 15 mph. [Jon Anglin, PR, GOGA, 7/9]
On Saturday, July 26th, about 150 demonstrators advocating use of government buildings for the homeless entered the Presidio after marching at San Francisco's civic center plaza. Two nights previously, a person or persons had broken into three vacant apartments in Wherry housing and pre-positioned three 55-gallon drums filled with fresh concrete. Each of the drums had a plastic sleeve which would have allowed the demonstrators to handcuff their hands deep inside the concrete filled barrels. On the day of the advertised demonstration, however, roads to the housing area were blocked off by rangers, so the demonstrators went to another location on Wyman Avenue. Dozens of them broke into three residences there and barricaded themselves inside, using boards and nails to block exterior doors. Park Police officers, assisted by city police and U.S. marshals, moved demonstrators who remained outside those buildings from the area, thereby permitting entry teams safe access to use battering rams on the barricaded doors. A total of 54 arrests were made. Two protestors employed a quarter-inch thick steel sleeve to guard their chained hands, which were locked inside a steel bannister. Park maintenance workers and Presidio firefighters employed a metal grinder to cut the bannister. They were taken into custody and later identified from old booking photos. Many members of the group "Homes Not Jails" refused to give their true names during processing. After being advised that they were going to be taken to county jail, however, they met with their attorney from the National Lawyers Guild and eventually agreed to give their names. Personal vehicles owned by two officers were vandalized outside of the police station. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, SFFO, 7/30]
At 8:20 a.m. on the morning of August 11th, a passenger vehicle drove off Highway 1 above Stinson Beach, struck the steep slope below, smashed through a cypress tree, and landed in the park's south parking lot 400 feet below. The accident was witnessed by a fisherman who notified park maintenance workers; they in turn called 911. Park lifeguard/EMTs Zave Agnew, Steve Hills, and Mark Norman responded along with local and county units. They found the lone occupant of the vehicle, a 30-year-old male, lying face down on a nearby sand dune. He was stabilized and evacuated to a hospital in Walnut Creek. At the time of the report, he was listed in stable condition with an L-1 fracture, fractured pelvis, three broken ribs and a slow abdominal bleed. Damage to his spinal cord was not yet known. The cause of the accident is under investigation by state police. [CRO, GOGA, 8/14]
On January 20, 1996, three armed men robbed the Presidio Exchange at gunpoint. About $200,000 in cash, jewelry and money orders was stolen. Each of the suspects wore a ski mask to conceal his identity. A joint investigation by the Park Police and FBI determined that the money orders were being cashed at various locations in the Bay Area. A search warrant served in Oakland in April, 1996, produced a majority of the stolen money orders and a money order machine. The chief suspect, L.S., fled the state and was later arrested in Louisiana on a federal warrant. On August 20th, Shaw was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison, followed by probation and $1,600 in restitution. Detective Jeff Weisenburger was the lead investigator. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP/GOGA, 9/11]
A woman reported being raped on Ocean Beach during the early morning hours of September 23rd. She said that she'd agreed to collect cans on the beach for money, and that the man she was working with had attacked her. She eventually was able to escape and reported the assault to Park Police officers. Initial efforts to find him proved fruitless, but a BOL was issued to the following shift. Later that morning, officers Tom Hart and Mark Iacangleo responded to a report of a fight in progress on the sea wall. They chased the pair into the west end of Golden Gate Park, and eventually discovered that one of the two men was trying to make a citizen's arrest of the other. The officers found the second man under a bush. He had a tatoo on his chest saying "Out of Control," which matched the tatoo the woman had reported on her assailant. She subsequently positively identified him as her attacker. The arrest took place about 300 yards from the point where the rape had occurred. Further investigation revealed the assailant's true name, and that he was a registered sex offender and a parolee at large. The city district attorney's office has rebooked five felony charges on the suspect. Detective Jeff Weisenberger was the lead investigator. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, SFFO, 9/25]
The 25th Annual San Francisco Blues Festival took place at Great Meadow at Fort Mason on September 20th and 21st. Crowds of from 9,000 to 10,000 people attended each day. Hot weather combined with alcohol sales created the potential for problems, but the event with smoothly and there were no arrests. The event was patrolled by NPS rangers and USPP officers. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, SFFO, 9/23]
Rangers received a report of a man stranded on the coastal cliffs below the Cliff House just north of Ocean Beach on the morning of October 11th. A ranger was lowered 60 feet to his location and discovered that he'd become wedged into a 25-foot high by one-foot wide crevice. A heavy equipment team from the city fire department responded with jack hammers, lubricating grease, crowbars and other equipment. Rangers established two climbing stations and a Z-rig to lower and raise rescuers and equipment. All initial attempts to free the man were unsuccessful. Finally, after six hours, he was extricated and removed from the cliff - just as the incoming tide was entering the crevice. Although he suffered only minor injuries during his ordeal, he could easily have drowned during high tide. Media coverage was extensive due to the length of the effort and its highly technical nature. Ranger Raquel Lopez was IC; participating in the effort were rangers Bob Airey, Steve Prokop, Ron Heeren and Sam Eddy, two USPP officers, members of the city fire department, the city medical director, Red Cross representatives, and personnel from the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. [Richard Danielsen, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 10/15]
On Sunday, October 12th, Religious Witness with Homeless People, a homeless advocacy group, conducted a permitted demonstration in the Presidio. Although their First Amendment permit prohibited demonstrating within 50 feet of any building, the group ignored this when they diverted from their march route and attempted to occupy the Golden Gate Club. In anticipation of this move, USPP sergeant Ray Rapp and a squad of five officers blocked the doors of the facility. The group then attempted to occupy the visitor center, which includes park managers' offices. Based on the group's history of civil disobedience and arrests for trespassing, the decision was made to close the visitor center before the marchers could get inside. The group pitched a large cabin tent on the lawn of the Golden Gate Club and set up blankets, sleeping bags and carpets on the porch of the building, stating that they were claiming the area for the homeless. After nightfall, they were advised that they were going to be cited for camping in an undesignated area. When officers began to take down the tent, the 26 remaining demonstrators rushed over and sat on it. After ignoring orders to leave the area, all 26 were arrested on the camping charge and for interfering with agency functions. On the same day, the park's law enforcement staff also had to contend with the Dudley Perkins motorcycle rally, the 30th anniversary of the "Summer of Love," and the Fleet Week air show with the Blue Angels. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA, 10/16]
On October 12th, the San Francisco Council for the Summer of Love held a 30th anniversary celebration of the "summer of love" in the western end of Golden Gate Park. Although no official counts were made, local newspapers estimated the attendance at between 30,000 and 35,000 people. The event's organizers originally proposed a two-day event with attendance of up to 30,000 people per day, but park representative Greg Shine (special park uses group) and lieutenant Kevin Hay (USPP) argued in front of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Commission that a two-day event would compromise park operations and the NPS mandate to protect park resources and a federally-threatened species (the event location was 100 yards from Ocean Beach and directly adjacent to the northern portion of a special management area for the federally- threatened western snowy plover). Although event organizers did not propose to hold the event on federal land, Shine and Hay asked the city to add a provision to their contract requiring the event manager to pay up front all NPS costs for the projected impact on the adjacent park lands. The city agreed and ultimately permitted a one-day event. The park issued a special use permit for overflow visitation and recovered all costs through the permit. Park staff - officers, protection and rescue rangers, maintenance workers, and special park uses personnel - logged over 100 hours of overtime. Interpretive rangers added over 20 hours of visitor contact and education in and around the plover special management area. [Greg Shine, GOGA, 10/20]
On October 11th, a vehicle was broken into in the Marin Headlands area of the park. Eyewitnesses said that the thief had driven a silver Dodge Stratus, and that information was relayed by USPP officer Dave Booth to other officers. Later that day, officer Mike Martinez stopped a green Dodge Stratus for running a stop sign in the Presidio. He found that the driver, J.R., had a suspended license and began the process of impounding the rental car. When detective sergeant Ray Rapp heard Martinez run J.R.'s name over the radio, he recalled that J.R. was a suspect in auto burglaries which had occurred in 1995-96. Rapp drove to the scene and noted that an Olympus Infinity 200 camera and clothing in the car matched the descriptions of items taken in the Headlands car clout. J.R. was arrested. Investigator Greg Martin had previously tracked J.R. and identified his modus operandi of employing rental cars of different makes and colors while engaged in car clouts and had also determined the rental car agency that J.R. had employed in San Jose. Surveillance efforts, however, had been unsuccessful. Charges against J.R. are pending in federal court and the INS has been notified of J.R.'s status as an illegal alien. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA, 10/17]
On November 29th, a park maintenance worker reported a homeless man camping in the Sutro Heights Park area. USPP officer Mark Iacangelo contacted and attempted to identify the man, later identified as D.B., but D.B. gave him a false name. Iacangelo found marijuana and a syringe charged with suspected narcotics at the site; at this point, D.B. attempted to flee and a struggle ensued. D.B. struck Iacangelo on the head, then broke free and ran. Officer Larry Morales arrived on scene at that time and saw D.B. run into the bushes near Sutro Baths. Morales and Iacangelo pursued, and D.B. was subsequently taken into custody. He was found to be a parolee at large, with outstanding warrants against him from the California Department of Corrections. Iacangelo was treated for his injuries and released. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA, 11/29]
On the night of November 28th, USPP officers were dispatched to Ocean Beach in response to a report of a robbery in progress. Officer Garth Folley contacted the seven victims, who had been seated around a fire when five men with sticks accosted them, demanded money, and kicked one of the seven into the fire, causing burns to one hand. Four of the remaining members of the group turned over their money, and their assailants departed. About 30 minutes later, sergeant Duane Kraft located and detained two suspects. The victims were brought to the scene, where they positively identified the two men. City police found more victims from a second robbery in a nearby parking lot; canine officer Daugherty detained two more suspects, and city police captured the fifth. All were positively identified and arrested, and officers recovered $55 in stolen money from them. No firearms were found. All five were booked on robbery and other charges. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA, 11/29]
The first annual "We Hold the Rock" pow wow was held on Alcatraz Island on October 25th. The day-long event honored the veterans of the Native American occupation of Alcatraz (1969-1971) and celebrated the recent opening of the island's new Native American exhibit, entitled "We Hold the Rock." The video exhibit, produced by the Golden Gate National Park Association, contains the first comprehensive compilation of interviews and recollected histories from the Native American community regarding the occupation. More than a thousand participants turned out for the event. Activities included an inter-tribal celebration of drum, dance and musical tradition, a reading of a written proclamation from the mayor of San Francisco, story-telling, and contemporary Native American music. About 4,000 visitors to the island took part in the event, which was managed by the park's special uses group with assistance from Alcatraz interpretive staff and representatives from the transportation concessioner for the island. [Alison Hood, PR, GOGA, 12/8]
Ranger Norb Ruhmke came upon a man urinating in public on Stinson Beach on December 5th. During the course of the subsequent contact, the man, who appeared to be intoxicated, became belligerent and antagonistic. Ruhmke requested assistance and was backed up by rangers from the park's Marin Headlands unit and from Muir Woods NM. When the first ranger arrived on scene, the man assumed a fighting posture and advanced on the rangers. They employed OC spray to stop him and were able to subdue and arrest him without injury or further incident. Follow-up investigation revealed that he was under treatment for paranoid schizophrenia and that he had a history of DUI and assault on a police officer with a firearm. [Richard G. Danielsen, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 12/10]
A fire in a historic structure on the Presidio was reported at 10 p.m. on December 12th. The building, which was constructed in 1917, was occupied at the time by a park employee and his family. The fire started on the second floor in the bedroom of a seven-year-old child. The family evacuated the building and called in the emergency by cell phone. The Presidio fire department responded and arrived on scene within two minutes. Extensive smoke and fire were evident upon arrival. Firefighters suppressed the blaze, limiting direct fire damage to the second floor. Smoke damage, however, was extensive on the second floor and also occurred on portions of the first floor. The preliminary estimate places the total damage at about $250,000. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but indications are that it was caused by an electrical problem. There was a hard-wired smoke detection system in the building, but no sprinkler system. The family has been relocated to another Presidio residence. [William Oswald, GOGA, 12/15]
G.G., age two, was walking with her parents on the east sidewalk near the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge on the afternoon of December 21st when she somehow fell through a gap measuring about nine-and-a-half inches between the sidewalk and the roadway. Her parents attempted to catch her, but she fell 180 feet and landed on a dirt slope below the bridge in the vicinity of lower Conzelman Road in East Fort Baker. A joint emergency response was begun which included personnel from the park, state police, bridge authority, Marin County and the city of Sausalito. Ranger Alex Naar served as a unified command incident commander along with the fire chief from Sausalito. Following provision of initial advanced life support, the little girl was transported by ambulance to the parade ground at East Fort Baker, then airlifted by helicopter to Children's Hospital in Oakland. She was pronounced dead a short time before arrival at the hospital. The incident is being investigated by state police and bridge authorities. Corrective measures are being taken to prevent a similar accident. [Richard Danielsen, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 12/29]
On the afternoon of December 28th, a fire occurred in a single-story historic structure measuring about 800 square feet at Fort Mason. The building was being used by a park partner. The fire, which apparently started outside the building, caused extensive damage to both the structure and the contents of the building. There were no injuries. The fire is under investigation. [William Oswald, GOGA, 12/29]
On the afternoon of December 30th, USPP criminal investigator Greg Martin was conducting plain clothes surveillance of an area in Fort Funston which had been the site of numerous car clouts over the previous few weeks when he saw a man break into a parked vehicle with a slim jim (a device used to open car doors which have been accidentally locked). The man stole some property and was attempting to leave when Martin attempted to stop him. The man struck Martin which his vehicle, knocking him to the roadway, but his car was in turn struck by a passing vehicle as it entered the roadway. Martin was able to place the man in custody. Martin was then taken to a local hospital, where he was treated for numerous scrapes and abrasions and released. Several possibly stolen items were seized as evidence; the man was charged with several felonies, including assault with a deadly weapon (auto). [Sgt. Harold Gefrich, SFFO/GOGA, 12/30]
Early in December, Park Police and park investigators set up remote sensing devices in the area of Battery Dynamite in an effort to determine who was working on a large graffiti mural which had been started there. This historically significant battery was constructed circa 1894-99 and was part of the command and control complex for all coastal artillery protecting the San Francisco Bay. On the afternoon of December 25th, officers were notified that there was movement inside the fenced area. Detective Jeff Weisenburger and lieutenant Jeff Wasserman responded and apprehended a suspect who had ten cans of spray paint and thirteen different nozzles in his possession. He was charged with several violations of 18 USC and with resisting arrest. [Lt. Kevin Hay, SFFO/GOGA, 1/7]
On January 4th, W.C. crashed into the ground while attempting to land his hang glider on park lands at Fort Funston. Protection ranger Matt Ehmann was on the scene within two minutes and found W.C. unconscious with an open femur fracture and labored breathing. Ehmann, an experienced EMT, applied high flow oxygen and maintained his airway. He was assisted by interpretive ranger staff in stabilizing W.C. San Francisco paramedics transported him to San Francisco General Hospital, where he was initially listed in critical condition. The following day his condition was upgraded to fair. [Steve Prokop, GOGA, 1/8]
Park Police officer Garth Folley was on patrol on February 11th when he came upon a jeep parked illegally in a handicapped space. The driver, A.L., was not handicapped and had no handicapped placard. A routine "wants and warrants" check revealed that A.L. could be searched without a warrant as a condition of his probation. Folley subsequently found that A.L. had a substantial amount of packaged cocaine in his possession and arrested him for possession with intent to sell. A.L.'s residence adjacent to the park was searched and more evidence of cocaine sales was located. A.L. was arrested by USPP officers in 1995 for selling cocaine from his bar (Tippy's Bar) in San Francisco. The bar was closed as a result of this case and is now a bakery. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, SFFO, 2/12]
Around 10:30 p.m. on February 17th, Park Police officers responded to a 911 call concerning an assault. Officer Ken Blaire met with a homeless man who had been stabbed in the neck and also received a wound in his thumb while attempting to defend himself. He told Blaire that a man named T. had attacked him with a fishing knife at their camp site. Responding officers searched Battery Sherwood; they discovered fresh blood, but no suspects were found. The victim was released from the hospital about five hours later and soon spotted his assailant near the old motor pool. Officer Garth Folley and sergeant Connie Leonard searched the area and found D.S., a.k.a. "B.T.," hiding under some blankets inside a concrete shed. He was armed with a knife. D.S. was identified by his victim and taken into custody. Felony charges were filed, but were later dismissed by the U.S. attorney's office. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA, 3/5]
A golf course worker contacted the Park Police on the morning of March 14th and reported that an elderly man was standing at the top of MacArthur Tunnel on the edge of a 60-foot precipice. Heavy weekend traffic was passing on the highway below. Officers Austin King and Todd Roth started a dialogue with the man, while other officers and rangers established a perimeter around the area. Sergeant Christine Hodakievic designated a command post for liaison with other agencies. Traffic on the highway was stopped by San Francisco and California Highway Patrol officers. Although Park Police negotiators responded, they did not enter directly into the conversation with the man because of the rapport already established by Roth and King. Over the next two hours, the officers kept the man talking and provided him with food and water. Although he constantly repeated his desire to jump and even put his feet over the edge, the officers were eventually able to talk him away from the brink and take him into custody for psychiatric evaluation. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA, 3/14]
Sergeant Bob Jansing was on patrol just after 6 a.m. on March 25th when he spotted a vehicle in the park which had been stolen from a Presidio resident. Jansing attempted to stop the truck, but the driver sped away. The pursuit continued out of the park to a washed out area near Land's End, where Jansing boxed him in. The driver then attempted to ram the marked vehicle, but Jansing pulled back to avoid the collision. The chase continued until the driver lost control of the truck at Golden Gate Park and crashed into bushes and small trees. Jansing's vehicle was struck by a passing motorist as he arrived at the scene, causing damage to both vehicles. The driver of the stolen truck evaded capture by fleeing into the woods. It's believed that the suspect also broke into three other vehicles, burglarized an occupied park residence, and dumped another stolen truck in a felony hit and run. Park Police identification technician officers have processed both stolen vehicles; latent prints will be submitted to a fingerprint identification computer to determine the suspect's identity. Recovered property included stolen lap top computers, luggage, burglary tools and methamphetamine. The investigation continues. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA, 3/27]
USPP detective Jeff Weisenburger spotted a pickup truck being driven recklessly on Crissy Field at the Presidio on April 7th. The driver parked the vehicle and got out with two other occupants. When Weisenburger approached them, though, the trio jumped back into the truck and sped away. They were immediately pursued by four Park Police units that were in the area. After a brief chase through the Presidio, the vehicle left federal property and began heading in the direction of the Golden Gate Bridge, at which time the Park Police supervisor terminated the pursuit due to public safety concerns. The chase was continued by San Francisco officers and ended at the San Francisco International Airport when the truck crashed at the terminal. The three men fled on foot, climbed a fence onto the tarmac, and hijacked an airport worker's vehicle. They were then apprehended by airport police and charged with numerous violations, including possession of a stolen vehicle, carjacking, assault, eluding, and trespassing on an airport restricted zone. [Sgt. Bert Lewis, USPP, GOGA, 4/8]
On March 9, 1997, 83 demonstrators were arrested for holding a non-permitted demonstration at the visitor center in the Presidio. The group was offered a First Amendment area, but refused to accept the conditions of the permit, arguing that 36 CFR 2.51 (the regulation on public assembly) is unconstitutional. On April 13th, a federal district court judge found the defendants guilty of demonstrating without a permit. Each defendant was sentenced to 12 hours of community service and 90 days' probation. This was the group's second conviction for demonstration in the Presidio. They were found guilty of trespassing into unoccupied buildings in the first case. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP/GOGA, 4/16]
On April 22nd, a man who had stopped at a 7-11 convenience store in Tamalpais Valley saw someone heading north on State Route 1 in his 1992 white Ford Mustang, which had been stolen earlier that day from his residence. He immediately reported the sighting to the Marin County Sheriff's Office. Ranger Norm Simons picked up the stolen vehicle report on the scanner of his patrol car and positioned himself on the side of SR 1 in the vicinity of Muir Beach. The vehicle passed by shortly thereafter and continued north toward Stinson Beach. Simons reported the situation and began following the Mustang, which was occupied by two people. Park dispatch alerted other rangers and notified both the California Highway Patrol and Marin County Sheriff's Office. When the operator of the Mustang spotted Simon's marked patrol car behind him, he attempted a U-turn, which Simons blocked. The vehicle continued north at a high rate of speed, disappeared from sight on the winding road, then reappeared heading back south. It was being driven recklessly on the narrow, two-lane highway, forcing northbound traffic off the road. Simons made a U-turn and pursued the Mustang until its driver came upon a road block set by a county deputy and turned off the highway onto a dirt road leading to Slide Ranch, an environmental education center on park land. The car came to a stop and the two occupants jumped out and fled on foot down a steep trail toward a rocky beach. At about this time, additional state and county officers and rangers Terry Swift, Alex Naar, and Marybeth McFarland arrived at the ranch. Two NPS lifeguards who were on duty at Stinson Beach - Xavier Agnew and Bruce Airey - had been monitoring the radio traffic; they requested and received permission to launch the park's jet ski. A search ensued with the assistance of a helicopter and two canine units. Agnew soon arrived off-shore of the area on the park jet ski and spotted the two men hiding at the base of a cliff. They were taken into custody without incident. An unsuccessful search was conducted for a handgun that one of the men lost when he fell while attempting to elude capture. On April 24th, Simons returned to the area with a metal detector and found the weapon, a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. The California Highway Patrol is coordinating the investigation. It appears that the arrests will lead to the clearance of other crimes. The two men told investigators that they would have used the gun against pursuing officers if they hadn't lost it. [Richard Danielsen, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 4/24]
Rangers received a report of a possible attempted suicide at Morse's Gulch north of Stinson Beach on the evening of May 1st. Rangers Bob DelSecco, Matt Martin and Norbert Ruhmke responded along with county and state units and found a station wagon parked at the side of Highway 1 at the mouth of the gulch. Inside the vehicle, neatly laid out on the dash, were a wallet, address book, coins and a belt. A suicide note was found inserted in the address book. A search was begun, and the man was found in a creekbed that traverses the canyon about 45 minutes later. He was semi-conscious and foaming at the mouth. He was revived, stabilized, then evacuated to a county hospital. It was determined that he'd injected a mixture of cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin, and that he'd also taken Vicodin, Qualafen, Prozac and Dilantin orally. He was admitted to the hospital with a referral to county mental health services. [Richard Danielson, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 5/5]
On May 18th, ranger Matt Ehmann responded to a report of a fully-clothed woman actively trying to drown in the ocean 100 yards off of Fort Point, which is adjacent to Golden Gate Bridge. Ehmann put on a wetsuit and rescue fins, swam to the 45-year-old woman, and secured her in a rescue buoy. The woman kept attempting to roll over and turn her face down into the ocean and screamed continually at a high pitch. She became very combative when Ehmann turned her face up out of the water. Ranger Sam Eddy and Presidio fire paramedics assisted Ehmann in hauling the woman out of the water. She was taken to a hospital for psychiatric observation. Further investigation revealed that she had a recent history of attempted suicide. [Steve Prokop, GOGA, 5/20]
President Clinton visited Monterey, California, to attend a conference on marine sanctuaries on June 12th. He then traveled by helicopter to the park's Presidio Unit. Twenty USPP officers, including SWAT and canine units, provided a secure landing area and motorcade route through the park. As Marine One, the president's helicopter, was about to land, ranger Aline Forbes was flagged down by two citizens who reported a man with a gun at the Fort Scott overlook, which is about a quarter of a mile from the point where the president landed. Secret Service agents and NPS law enforcement units responded, but the suspect had left the area by the time they arrived. The president's arrival was otherwise uneventful. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA, 6/17]
While conducting surveillance for car clouts in the Battery Spencer area on June 17th, Park Police detectives saw a man break into a car and steal a purse. Units converged on Conzelman Road as he attempted to flea the area in a 1998 Toyota 4-Runner. The suspect rammed a vehicle being driven by identification technician Robert Waidman, causing neck and shoulder injuries to the officer. The collision caused the Toyota's airbags to deploy, though, permitting officers to arrest the man without incident. He had in his possession two loaded handguns and stolen property from numerous local car clouts, including laptop computers. A check of the 4-Runner's VIN revealed that it had been stolen in Montana in mid-April. The suspect has not been cooperative and his identity remains unclear. He's been held for trial in federal court, with numerous felony charges pending. Waidman was treated at a hospital and released. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA, 6/18]
Park Police dispatch received reports of the sound of gunshots being fired on the Presidio around 2 a.m. on July 17th. A search of the area revealed that an unoccupied Park Police decoy patrol car parked on a residential street had been struck by five .40 caliber rounds. Three shell casings were recovered, but no suspects have yet been identified. The vehicle is used to slow down drivers and for other purposes. The investigation continues. [Jeff Wasserman, USPP, GOGA, 7/17]
Between July 16th and the 19th, Fort Point NHS, which is a unit of Golden Gate NRA, hosted four sold-out performances of "Invisible Wings," an interpretive dance performance depicting the history of slavery and the Underground Railroad movement. The performances were produced by the Zaccho Dance Theatre in collaboration with the park and the Golden Gate National Parks Association. The event was managed by Greg Shine of the park's special park uses group and involved over seven months of planning and coordination, including the scheduling of 25 park and USPP personnel for compliance, monitoring and security. Legislation is currently under consideration to establish a nationwide web of sites, landmarks and programs to commemorate the Underground Railroad movement. [Armando Quintero, GOGA, 7/21]
On July 23rd, rangers Chris Bruno and Norm Simons received a report that a 45-year-old woman was in the process of attempting to commit suicide at Muir Beach. She'd contacted her family in the East Bay area and told them that she'd taken an overdose of pills. Simons and two county deputies arrived just as Bruno located the woman, who was at the north end of the beach on county land. They found that she had a severely diminished level of consciousness; other symptoms included shallow breathing, a slow and weak pulse, pale skin, and cyanosis. She was taken to a hospital by a medevac helicopter and is expected to survive. [Richard Danielson, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 7/24]
The last week of July and beginning of August were very busy for protection rangers in the South Unit in San Francisco. The following water-related rescues occurred: o On July 25th, rangers Airey, LaSalle and Prokop responded in the park's surf rescue boat from China Beach to the base of a 300-foot coastal cliff in San Francisco to recover a body. The extrication required rangers to swim a body bag and rescue board through the surf onto the rocky shoreline, then swim back out with the victim to a waiting rescue boat. Neither climbers nor a helicopter could be used due to an overhanging cliff with very unstable rock and debris. o On July 31st, rangers Airey, Forbes, Warmerdam and Ehmann responded to Fort Funston to assist the passengers in a 17-foot motor boat that had washed ashore. Once it was determined that all were okay and they were brought to shore, rangers helped swim the tow line through the surf to the boat and monitored the scene for any fuel spilled during towing. o On August 2nd, rangers again responded from China Beach in the surf rescue boat, this time to the aid of a person who had fallen near the base of a remote 300-foot cliff in Marin Headlands and suffered a possible broken ankle. North Unit rangers had requested the boat due to the difficulty of a carry-out on an unstable scree slope. The victim was transported back to a waiting ambulance at China Beach. o On August 4th, rangers returned to the same location in the rescue boat to retrieve a visitor who had fallen and suffered two broken ankles, a possible broken nose, and possible spine injuries. Presidio paramedics scrambled down the scree slope and treated the victim, who was then evacuated by boat. On the same day, rangers responded to a report of a victim in a rip current and arrived on scene within five minutes. The victim was brought to shore and transported to an ambulance , but later died at a hospital. o On August 5th, ranger Airey was making water safety contacts with visitors on Ocean Beach in his four-by-four vehicle when he saw two people caught in a rip current and unable to make it back to shore. Airey, a highly-trained surf rescue swimmer, enlisted the assistance of two surfers, then swam through the surf and brought them to shore with the surfer's aid. [Steve Prokop, GOGA, 8/5]
A 16-year-old boy was attacked by a shark at Stinson Beach on the afternoon of August 26th. The boy was on a boogie board about 50 yards from shore in five feet of water at the time. The shark pulled him off the board, but he was able to get back on and get to shore with the help of friends and park lifeguards. Lifeguards and ambulance personnel immediately began treating the major lacerations and avulsions on his right leg. A medevac helicopter took him to a Bay Area hospital, where he received over 100 stitches and underwent surgery to repair severed tendons around his knees. He is doing well and is in stable condition. Although shark sightings are not uncommon in the area, this is the first documented shark attack at Stinson Beach. It appears that the boy was attacked by a great white shark. The beach was closed and will not reopen to water-related recreation until it's been determined that there's little likelihood of another attack. The incident was covered by reporters from over 30 media from throughout California. [Richard Danielson, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 8/27]
On August 25th, resource management staff and members of a contract crew working on park property west of Muir Woods NM found a possible marijuana site. Rangers found three separate plots with a total of 59 plants. Since the location was known to contract crew members, the plants were removed and various cultivation tools and other items found within the area were seized as evidence. The potential street value of the marijuana has been estimated at $88,500. [Richard Danielson, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 8/27]
Park Police officer Mike Ramos was on foot patrol on the municipal pier around 1 a.m. on September 28th when he came upon a partially clothed woman who yelled that she had just been raped. She pointed out a suspect behind a concrete bench. When the man refused to show his hands, Ramos attempted to take him in custody at gunpoint. The man instead fled on foot toward the shoreline. Ramos chased him to the foot of the pier, where a struggle ensued. Ramos sprayed the man with pepper spray and was finally able to handcuff him with the assistance of a citizen. Investigation revealed that he was on parole for a robbery in Louisiana. The victim was taken to a city hospital for treatment. Detective Jason Wu is conducting the follow-up investigation. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP, GOGA, 9/12]
A team of five North Unit rangers, assisted by a California Highway Patrol helicopter and crew, removed a marijuana plantation from the east slope of Wolfback Ridge in the Marin Headlands on September 20th. They seized 45 mature sinsemilla plants valued at $225,0000 and removed them by helicopter sling load along with numerous cultivation supplies and equipment. The plot was eradicated after a surveillance operation to identify the grower proved unsuccessful. [Richard Danielson, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 9/21]
San Francisco police contacted park dispatch on October 2nd and asked for assistance on an assault that had occurred just outside the marina gate. One man had stabbed another in the chest; the assailant and a companion then fled on bicycle into the Presidio. USPP canine officer Jeff Daugherty found the pair a half mile inside the park and detained them. After the victim was treated for superficial knife wounds, he was brought to Daugherty's location and positively identified his assailant. Daugherty found a multi-purpose tool in the suspect's possession which had blood on its knife blade. The man was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. The suspects claimed that they were only in the park to search dumpsters for aluminum. [Lt. Kevin Hay, USPP/GOGA, 10/9]
On April 22, 1998, rangers Norm Simons and Terry Swift joined other county and state officers in the pursuit of a stolen 1992 Mustang in Marin County. The Mustang was eventually abandoned on the dirt road leading to Slide Ranch, an environmental education center on park land. The two occupants - brothers E.S. and R.S. - jumped out and fled on foot down a steep trail toward a rocky beach. During the ensuing foot pursuit by rangers and officers, one of the S.s dropped a loaded 9mm handgun in thick brush. The pair were subsequently arrested without incident. Last November, E.S. was sentenced in state court to three years' probation and fined $100 for his involvement in the crime. On February 16th, R.S. was sentenced in state court to 12 months in jail and fined $1,100 for felony auto theft and felony evasion of a police officer. He was also given five years' probation as part of a plea bargain arrangement. [Richard Danielson, CR, GOGA, 2/24]
A group of nine BLM employees/interns from Fort Ord spent July 22nd in the southern portion of the park on Milagra Ridge removing non-native plants. After finishing work, they drove to Tennessee Valley north of the Golden Gate Bridge with the intent of hiking into a backcountry camp in the Marin Headlands. While hiking to the camp, Leslie Matlack, 24, who had a history of asthma problems, experienced difficulty breathing, went into respiratory distress, and became unconscious and pulseless. Several members of the group began CPR while the others returned to the trailhead and called 911. Park staff and local agencies responded, and a medevac helicopter flew to the scene. Sustained resuscitation efforts proved unsuccessful, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. [Richard Danielsen, Ops Supervisor, GOGA, 7/23]
Park staff conducted a series of rescues between October 16th and the 20th: o On October 16th, the park was advised of a woman and dog stranded on the cliffs at Fort Funston, about 100 feet above the beach. Rangers Ron Heeren and Matt Ehmann and NPS Ocean Beach safety patrol officers Greg Gubser, Mark Vann, Rich McLaughlin, Shane Hauschild, and Bill Hood responded. The woman was able to climb down to safety without assistance, but it took a technical cliff rescue to retrieve the 140- pound Great Dane. The dog was secured to the ropes with a modified safety harness, then the rangers and dog were lowered to the beach. o Rangers Stephen Prokop and Ehmann were called out of their park residences at 3 a.m. on October 17th to rescue five people injured from a fall off a cliff at Fort Funston. They transported city paramedics by four-wheel-drive vehicle down Ocean Beach to the base of a 200-foot sandstone cliff. One victim had suffered a cervical-1 fracture, the second had major abdominal trauma, the third had an ankle fracture, the fourth and fifth had minor cuts and bruises. The victims were quickly secured on backboards and taken off the beach, as an incoming tide threatened to block access to the beach by vehicles. The five, all in their late teens or early 20s, had evidently consumed drugs and alcohol before deciding to "roll" down the cliff together. They didn't realize that the last 50 feet of the cliff is nearly vertical. o NPS safety officers Hood and Sean Scallon received a report of an injured person at the cliffs a mile south of Fort Funston on October 19th. Prokop, safety patrol officers, and firefighters searched the area and eventually found the male victim two-and-a-half miles south of the fort. He'd fallen 100 vertical feet to the beach and was suffering from seven rib fractures, a flail chest, a fractured jaw and other facial bone fractures, a fractured arm, and massive bleeding into his chest cavity. He was stabilized and taken by park vehicle to a waiting ambulance. He underwent three hours of surgery at the hospital and is expected to fully recover. o On October 20th, Forbes, Scallon and Hauschild began a search for a possibly suicidal adult male at Ocean Beach. Safety patrol officers found him hidden in some sand dunes, suffering from severe bleeding at both wrists and ankles. They cleaned and bandaged the self-inflicted wounds and transported him to an ambulance. o Later on that same day, Forbes, Scallon and Hauschild responded to the cliffs below Fort Funston for another falling victim. The man was treated for minor facial injuries and a lower back fracture, then evacuated. [Stephen Prokop, SPR, South Unit, GOGA, 11/2]
On October 17th, rangers and Ocean Beach public safety staff coordinated the safe removal of three unexploded, eight-inch, armor-piercing shells found on a remote beach in the Marin Headlands. An ICS unified command was established with the Coast Guard and DOD demolitions experts. The explosives were blown up on October 20th after much planning and preparation. An NPS inflatable rescue boat was used to land three military demolitions experts and their equipment on a rocky cove beach. A second inflatable rescue boat was used to help the Coast Guard maintain a 500-meter safety perimeter in the water. Other rangers maintained a similar perimeter on shore. [Stephen Prokop, SPR, South Unit, GOGA, 11/2]
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 Golden Gate NRA (CA) - Planning continues for events and celebrations throughout the city and at Golden Gate Bridge. A cruise line is apparently underwriting the fireworks and laser show that will take place around the bay. Current plans call for four separate fireworks sites, culminating with the fireworks shower and laser show from the bridge. Anticipated visitation to the city has been estimated at 1.5 million. In addition, the city of San Rafael, 10 miles north of San Francisco, is having a very large event that will attract many people. Gridlock is expected on all routes in and out of the city. The bridge activities will attract visitors to park property, including Crissy Field, which is currently being renovated with private funds. The area is fragile and hazardous. The park may seek two SET teams to assist with event management; both have been placed on stand-by. A call for available personnel to backfill has been issued regionwide. Discussions continue at city hall regarding the impact of events to the bridge and park lands if they are allowed. ICS has been put into effect. Parks making similar preparations are encouraged to submit short summaries to the Morning Report. [Editor]
On March 24th, park dispatch received a report of a suicidal person in the park and a description of his vehicle. The car was found at Battery 911 in Marin Headlands. Ranger and Park Police officers began a land search and a Coast Guard vessel coordinated an off-shore search. The man's body was found near the base of a 400-foot cliff and about 30 feet above a small cove beach. Rangers Stephen Prokop and Matthew Ehmann and a Coast Guard rescue swimmer reached the spot in one of the park's Zodiac rescue boats. They placed the victim's body in a rescue basket and lowered it to the beach. Prokop swam a rescue line attached to the basket out to the Zodiac through large surf; the body was then transferred to the Coast Guard. A suicide note was found on the body. [Richard Danielson, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 3/28]
The San Francisco area experienced record-breaking temperatures last weekend, which in turn brought large crowds to Stinson Beach. Despite signs warning that no lifeguards were on duty, many hundreds of visitors entered the water to swim. Although the beach normally has lifeguard service only from mid-May to the end of September, two permanent, subject-to-furlough lifeguards - X.A. and M.N. - began work this month in order to assist with preparations for the coming season. The two lifeguards came on duty and attempted to keep people from areas of dangerous rip currents; they also made numerous safety contacts (preventive rescues) and effected 23 surf rescues over the course of the weekend - among the highest number of rescues recorded over the course of a single weekend at Stinson Beach since it became part of the park in 1977. Says supervisor Richard Danielsen: "Although some of the 23 people rescued might have eventually made it to shore on their own, the truly valiant efforts of lifeguards X.A. and M.N. saved many lives." [Richard Danielsen, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 4/5]
On February 10, 1999, ranger John Sherman discovered two unoccupied, 15-ton utility trucks owned by Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) on the Baquiano trail in the Sweeney Ridge area of the park. The trucks had become bogged down in mud as PG&E employees attempted to reach and repair power lines that traversed the ridge top. In their efforts to free the trucks, the workers caused extensive damage to native vegetation, primarily coyote bush and coffeeberry. Entire sections of native plants had been excavated in several areas, exposing bare soil. Other PG&E trucks drove off road to bypass the two stuck trucks, creating deep ruts in a grassy meadow. A resource damage assessment team led by park plant ecologist Sharon Farrell determined that the restoration would cost $10,000. A report was submitted to PG&E and the park received payment in full last month. The funds will be used to restore and monitor the site. [Richard Danielson, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 5/1]
Over the past several months, there have been at least three armed robberies of park visitors on Ocean Beach. In two of the three robberies, some type of chemical agent was sprayed into the eyes of the victims. The victims were able to provide descriptions of their assailants and the weapon employed in the robberies. On May 19th, Park Police officers began a plainclothes operation in the area. Two men and a woman drove to the location in a Lincoln Towncar (later found to have been stolen) just after midnight on May 21st. The two men got out, walked onto the beach, approached one of the plainclothes officers, then turned and began walking hastily away. The officers identified themselves and the men fled. The woman in the Lincoln, however, provided officers with information on where they lived. Several items connected to one of the armed robberies were found in the car. Surveillance was begun at one suspect's home and he eventually showed up there in another stolen vehicle. He was joined by two other men. USPP and city officers arrested all three. A gun was recovered, and a can of mace was found in the main suspect's pocket. The weapon and a hat he'd worn have been positively identified by the victims in one of the robberies. San Francisco police are employing the information obtained in this case in their investigation of several robberies with similar MO's which occurred elsewhere in the city this spring. [Raymond Rapp, USPP, 5/25]
On the morning of July 12th, supervisory ranger Bob Cheung was notified that an elderly man was sitting in a parked vehicle in Marin Headlands which what appeared to be a handgun pointed at his head. Cheung and ranger Robert DelSecco responded and found the man with a handgun in the back seat of a Ford station wagon. Other law enforcement units and a Presidio FD ambulance also responded. When Park Police officers Larry Morales and John Richardson arrived, contact was made from a safe distance. The man in the car ignored all requests from the officers and rangers. He then got out of the back seat of the car, got into the driver's seat, and began to drive slowly away. As rangers and officers followed and prepared to make a stop, he pulled to the side of the road. Cheung used his vehicle's PA system in another effort to get him out of the car and away from his gun, but he shot himself in the head shortly thereafter. Medical personnel provided advanced life support, as he had a pulse and was breathing on his own. A medical helicopter was summoned to transport him to a hospital, where he later succumbed to his injury. Several CISD sessions were conducted with all involved personnel. [Richard Danielson, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 7/12]
The park and city of San Francisco hosted the street luge competition (see attached photo) from ESPN's X-Games for the second year in a row over the three days from August 11th to the 13th. Although the course itself ran on city streets, the spectator areas were almost entirely on park property, including portions of Land's End, the Cliff House, Sutro Baths, Sutro Heights Park, and Ocean Beach. The most popular spectator area stretched along park property from the Cliff House down Great Highway to the finish line at Ocean Beach. Friday's practice runs attracted a few hundred spectators; an estimated 4,500 visitors watched the qualifying heats on Saturday. Sunny skies and warm temperatures on Sunday, combined with the popularity of the "super mass" event (six luge pilots on the course at a time) brought out some 9,000 visitors. Close cooperation among representatives from Golden Gate's special park uses office, ESPN event organizers, and Park Police and city officers resulted in a highly successful event. There were no reports of spectator injuries or illnesses. A strong Park Police officer/park ranger presence ensured the safety of the visiting public and park resources, preventing spectators from trespassing in closed areas of Sutro Heights Park and the surrounding dunes and cliffs. [Greg Shine, Chief, Office of Special Park Uses, GOGA, 8/16]
While closing Stinson Beach on the evening of September 16th, ranger Norm Simons was contacted by M.M., who reported that his vehicle was stuck in the sand at the south end of the beach. Simons found the vehicle, which had been driven about 40 yards into sand dunes, and saw both opened and unopened containers of alcohol inside. M.M. also had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. Supervisory ranger Bob Cheung joined Simons and the two rangers arrested M.M. for public intoxication. M.M. attempted to resist by pulling away and kicking the rangers, but was subdued and placed in Simons' caged patrol car. Even though handcuffed and restrained by a seatbelt with shoulder harness, M.M. was able to lean back far enough to kick out the left rear window with his bare feet. He was put back in the car and his legs and feet were restrained, but again got free and attempted to get out of the car through the broken window. Rangers Pat Norton and Richard Danielsen assisted Simons and Cheung in again subduing M.M., but M.M. was able to kick Simons three times in the chest and narrowly missed kicking him in the head. He also spat on the rangers, made threats against them and their families, and continued to struggle. When put back into the vehicle, he alternated between hitting his head on the cage and attempting to kick out the remaining rear window. Park Police officers Mike Siler and Darren Battles joined the rangers and got M.M. into their patrol car, which has bars across the rear side windows. M.M. was transported to jail, where he complained of an injured shoulder. He was taken to Marin General Hospital, where he continued to make threatening remarks and kicked a hole in the wall of the ER. No medical problems were found. It took the efforts of four rangers and officers to get him back into handcuffs for the return to jail. Further investigation revealed that M.M.'s rap sheet ran to seven pages, including many similar previous incidents. He is currently facing a number of charges, several of them felonies. [Richard Danielsen, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 9/18 and 9/25]
On September 16th, M.M. was arrested and charged with a variety of state offenses after the off road operation of his vehicle led to it becoming stuck in the sand at Stinson Beach. During the course of his arrest, M.M. assaulted several rangers and made threats against them and their families. The extremely intoxicated M.M. also kicked out a side window in a patrol car and made various attempts to escape custody. M.M.'s tirade, much of which was captured on tape by ranger Norm Simons, lasted for six hours. In addition to the damage to the patrol car, M.M. also damaged a wall in the emergency room of Marin General Hospital. On Monday, October 23rd, M.M. pled guilty to a single felony count of resisting/threatening an officer. His previous history, which included a seven-page rap sheet with many similar violations, was taken into account and he was sentenced to one year in county jail. Upon release, he will serve three years of supervised probation, which will include mandatory restitution for damages, alcohol and drug screening, and search of his person/vehicle at any time by any officer, with or without probable cause. M.M. was also ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluation, and, as a convicted felon, will be prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm. [Richard Danielsen, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 10/24]
Park dispatch was notified on November 11th that a fisherman had been reported missing in the Marin Headlands area of the park some time the previous day. Ranger Matt Ehmann launched the park's rescue Waverunner at 8 a.m. and began a near-shore search of the Headlands coastline. Coast Guard vessels were unable to search close to shore due to large waves and shallow waters. Ehmann found the missing fisherman standing at the waters edge in a secluded cove about a quarter mile east of Point Bonita at 8:30 a.m. He landed the Waverunner and made contact with the fisherman, who told him that he'd spent the night in that area. He'd become stranded by an incoming tide and had slipped and fallen a couple of times while trying to climb up the adjacent cliffs. He'd also set two fires with the hope of attracting attention. The fisherman was wet from the waist down and suffering from thirst and mild hypothermia. Ehmann transported him to the boat ramp at Fort Baker. [Stephen Prokop, SPR, GOGA, 11/29]
On December 9th, ranger Sam Eddy was patrolling the park's South Unit when a person on a nearby city street flagged him down and pointed to a park van near the park's boundary with its engine running and a vacuum cleaner hose leading from the exhaust pipe to its interior. Eddy found that all the van's doors were locked. He requested assistance from the city fire department and directed his ride-along partner - ranger Jacob Shanks from Grand Canyon NP - to disconnect the hose. Eddy then utilized a "slim jim" to release the lock and enter the vehicle. The rangers found an unconscious adult male in the enclosed portion of the van. The man was breathing shallowly. Ranger Bob Airey-VanDiem, who also responded, provided high flow oxygen. The man regained consciousness just as firefighter/paramedics arrived on scene. He was treated and taken to a local hospital for medical and psychiatric treatment and evaluation. His survival was directly attributable to the rangers' prompt action. [Richard Danielson, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 12/18]
On December 22nd, rangers Bob Airey-Van Diem and Stephen Prokop responded to a report of a teenage boy drowning in 10 to 15 foot surf off Baker Beach. Witnesses told them that they'd lost sight of the boy just before the rangers arrived. The rangers began a hasty search while USPP officer Jason Raymos interviewed the witnesses and conducted a preliminary investigation. Coast Guard rescue boats and helicopters and San Francisco FD units were on scene within minutes and assisted in the search under a unified command. A grid search of the area was conducted over the next three hours but terminated at nightfall. A sea and land search the next day was equally fruitless. Investigators determined that the 13-year-old boy had gone to the beach with several friends and was standing in knee-deep water when a large wave swept him off his feet and carried him offshore. A second teenager attempted to help his friend and almost became a second victim. [Stephen Prokop, IC, GOGA, 12/23]
Storm damage to the dock at Alcatraz Island forced the closure of the island to visitors on January 11th. A portion of the floating dock was damaged during stormy weather late that morning, making it impossible for concession ferries to land on the island. About 230 visitors and staff were on the island when the incident occurred and were stranded for about four hours until the concessioner could land a smaller boat on the island and evacuate them. Among them was former prisoner Whitey Thompson, who was on the island for a book signing. He told visitors that they now had some idea of what it was like not to be able to get off the island. The damage was repaired and regular operations resumed on January 13th. [Yvette Ruan, CR, GOGA, 1/18; Roger Scott, Public Affairs, GOGA, 1/19]
Rangers and Park Police officers responded to a report of a drowning in progress at Baker Beach on January 2nd. USPP officer Larry Morales was first on scene and found an adult male on the beach in full cardiac arrest. Morales began ventilations; a bystander assisted with chest compressions. Rangers Sam Eddy, Matt Ehmann and Mark Warmerdam arrived shortly thereafter. Eddy and Warmerdam took over chest compressions, while Ehmann administered oxygen. Presidio paramedic Jeff Hubbard and firefighter Matt Buckley took over from them upon arrival. The victim's pulse returned and he was taken to a local hospital. He never regained consciousness, though, and died several days later. The victim and his girlfriend had taken a taxi to the beach, then decided to attempt to ride the 10- to 15-foot, storm-generated waves in 52-degree water. Other visitors on the beach were able to grab the woman before she was swept away by the strong undertow, but the man was unable to get to shore and was underwater for about 10 minutes before being extracted from the ocean. [Richard Danielson, Operations Supervisor, Steve Prokop, SPR, GOGA, 1/19]
On January 4th, ranger Mark Warmerdam saw a woman enter the ocean at Ocean Beach, and noticed that she'd written a message in the sand saying that she wanted to kill herself. Ranger Matt Ehmann and USPP officer Tim McGee joined Warmerdam on the beach and approached the woman, who was standing in knee-deep water and was surrounded by three other women who were attempting to console her. The distraught woman told Ehmann that she'd recently been raped by a police officer. A female officer was requested and USPP lieutenant Connie Leonard responded. The woman was taken from the beach, but continued to try to hurt herself by hitting her head on a patrol car. As rangers and officers were restraining her, she began screaming "shoot me" and made attempts to grab both Ehmann's and Leonard's handguns. She was restrained and taken by ambulance to San Francisco General Hospital, where she was placed on psychiatric hold for evaluation. [Richard Danielson, Operations Supervisor, and Steve Prokop, SPR, GOGA, 1/19]
On March 27th, park dispatch received a report of a man stranded on a cliff in the Land's End area of San Francisco. South Unit rangers Steve Prokop, Sam Eddy and Bob Airey-Van Diem responded and found the man yelling for help from a precarious location about 60 feet down a nearly vertical 200-foot cliff face. Prokop served as IC; Airey-Van Diem was designated as rescue climber; Eddy was the rigger. The city fire department also provided assistance, with personnel belaying Airey-Van Diem over the cliff on two rescue ropes. The uninjured man was secured in a seat and chest harness and raised to the top of the cliff. The man told rescuers that he thought he was going to die and that he had almost lost his grip on the cliff just before Airey-Van Diem reached him. South Unit rangers and city fire and rescue personnel had conducted a two-day cliff rescue training session just two weeks previously at the same location. [Richard Danielson, Ops Supervisor/Steve Prokop, SPR, GOGA, 3/29]
On February 4th, rangers contacted three men who were building an illegal mountain bike trail on Golden Gate NRA lands administered by Point Reyes. The three men - M.M., 47, W.M., 50, and N.D., 46 - have been indicted by a federal grand jury in San Francisco on felony charges of conspiracy (18 USC 371) and causing injury to federal property (18 USC 1361). M.M. was also charged with unlawfully cutting trees on federal property (18 USC 1853), a misdemeanor. M.M. was a member of the Marin County open space and trails committee, but resigned the post on February 5th. According to the indictment, the defendants and others agreed to construct an illegal bicycle trail in the park in an area not open to bicycles. Construction of the illegal trail entailed cutting down trees and bushes, cutting branches, removing and destroying plants, and digging and moving soil. Rocks were gathered and stacked to create retaining walls and trees were cut and moved to create a "jump" area. The route was marked with flagging. A cache of tools was discovered near the illegal trail site. Golden Gate NRA, which is part of a biosphere reserve, provides habitat for threatened species, including the northern spotted owl, coho salmon, steelhead trout, red legged frogs, and the endangered California freshwater shrimp. The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The maximum penalty for injuring federal property is ten years and $250,000. The tree cutting charge has a maximum penalty of one year and $100,000. [Karyl Yeston, DR, PORE, 4/18]
Rangers in the Marin Headlands received a report of an injured woman northwest of Slacker Hill shortly before noon on June 27th. The responding ranger found her at the base of a steep, densely vegetated ravine. Presidio FD paramedics stabilized her and she was flown out to an area hospital by a CHP helicopter. Investigation at the scene produced evidence that she'd been attempting to commit suicide, and that she may have been in the area through the previous night. Rangers also learned that she had previously attempted suicide within the Presidio. As a result of her mental instability, she was committed to an institution. [Richard Danielson, Ops Supervisor, GOGA, 7/17]
The park received a report of an assault in Sutro Heights Park - part of Golden Gate NRA - on the afternoon of July 8th. Ocean Beach lifeguards Sean Scallon and Jason Arrow found the victim in an area of dense brush and tree limbs. The man, who was suffering from severe head injuries, including multiple skull fractures, had spent nearly 12 hours hidden from view. Scallon, Arrow and ranger Mark Warmerdam provided initial care to the man, whose condition alternated from near coma to extremely combative. San Francisco paramedics ultimately took him to a hospital in San Francisco, where he was in a coma at the time of the report. Park Police officers and other rangers searched the area while the injured man was being treated on scene. Rangers Eric LaSalle and Jeff Caulfield found the suspected assailant hiding in some bushes. He surrendered peacefully and spontaneously admitted his guilt. He was arrested by rangers. The large stick used in the assault was found nearby. USPP investigators are conducting the investigation. [Richard Danielson, Ops Supervisor, GOGA, 7/17]
The National Park Service continues to provide support to its parks and employees, gather information on the status of field areas for DOI, and deal with security issues throughout the country, including the brokering of numerous requests for operational support. The Service's Type 1 incident management team (Eddie Lopez, IC) continues its operations from the South Interior Building; a regional Type 2 team from Southeast Region (Bob Panko, IC) is overseeing the NPS expanded dispatch operation at Shenandoah NP. Members of the team in Washington are in the processing of contacting every park in the nation to establish a comprehensive list of resources that can be utilized in emergencies if needed. So far, they have made calls to 368 areas, and should finish making the calls today. CISD counselors brought in to work with Washington area staff will be demobilizing shortly. The Department of Interior has notified the NPS that OPM has agreed to allow the agency to extend 1039 appointments during this time of emergency. Employees may be permitted to work as appropriate. If OPM decides that the Service should use a different authority, they will inform the agency within a few days. Meanwhile, parks can continue to use our current temporary authority. The closure list posted in yesterday's Morning Report remains the same, with two additions: o The areas at the north and south ends of Golden Gate Bridge within Golden Gate NRA are closed, and Fort Funston is closed to hanggliding and paragliding launches. [Terrie Fajardo, Chief, Staffing and Compensation, HRO/WASO, 9/26; EICC/Type 2 IMT, SHEN, 9/26; Kris Fister, NPS Type 1 IMT, WASO, 9/27]
The National Park Service continues to provide support to its parks and employees, gather information on the status of field areas for DOI, and deal with security issues throughout the country, including the brokering of numerous requests for operational support. The Service's Type 1 IMT (Eddie Lopez, IC) continues its operations from the South Interior Building; the Type 2 East Team (Bob Panko, IC) is overseeing the NPS expanded dispatch operation at Shenandoah NP. Here's a current report on the status of parks affected by this incident: o Golden Gate - Areas at the north and south ends of the bridge are closed. Fort Funston is closed to hanggliding and paragliding. [EICC/Type 2 IMT, SHEN, 9/27; Kris Fister, NPS Type 1 IMT, WASO, 9/28; Pat Buccello, CISM Team, 9/28; Billy Garrett, Superintendent, Jamaica Bay Unit, GATE, 9/27]
At 9:22 a.m. on Friday, October 19th, San Francisco police notified park dispatch that an anonymous call had been received reporting three bombs on Alcatraz. About 50 NPS personnel and contractors were on the island at the time. A visitor boat that was en route to the island at the time picked them up and returned them to San Francisco. Park Police officers, protection rangers, park staff and a city explosives ordnance disposal team were taken to Alcatraz and began searching the island. Teams included interpretive rangers and maintenance personnel who were familiar with the island. The search was completed at 2 p.m. Nothing was found. At 10:30 a.m. that same morning, police asked the park to close Fort Point as a result of a credible bomb threat to Golden Gate Bridge. Fort Point was closed and secured. A search was conducted, but nothing was found. Battery East, Fort Scott overlook and Long Avenue within the park were also closed. [Yvette Ruan, CR, GOGA, 10/19]
On November 10th, ranger Jennifer Durney checked out a report of a lost dog wandering in the Baker Beach area. Durney scaled two 20-foot cliffs and worked her way along a rocky coastline, eventually finding the dog and its male owner in two "pocket cove" beaches north of Baker Beach. The man, who was very muscular and fit, was moving through various martial arts offensive positions; these actions, combined with other verbal and physical indicators, led Durney to believe that he was high on angel dust (PCP). Rangers Matt Ehmann, Steve Prokop, Bob Airey-Van Diem, Eric Beckert, and Park Police officer William Bottomly responded as back-up. Due to an incoming tide, with six-foot surf smashing against a vertical sea cliff inside the coves, lifeguards Sean Scallon and Scott Palmer also responded. The man alternated between attempting to run up steep cliffs and assuming threatening, aggressive postures when approached by the rangers and officer. Since the incoming tide was threatening to trap everyone inside the cove and since all efforts to reason with him failed, the rangers employed pepper spray in an attempt to subdue him. Because of his condition, it took several applications of the spray to overcome him. He was taken over the cliffs and through chest high surf back to Baker Beach, where he was checked by Presidio FD paramedics, then taken to San Francisco General Hospital and admitted to a psychiatric hold unit for observation and treatment. [Richard Danielsen, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 11/16[
On the evening of November 21st, ranger Norm Simons was on patrol in the north portion of the park. Visibility at the time was extremely limited due to heavy fog and rain. Simons observed a bright red glow below the highway south of Muir Beach and discovered an overturned SUV approximately 100 feet over the side of the road, fully engulfed in flames. After making notifications on the radio, he made his way down the steep, brush-laden hillside to check for possible victims. As he was making his way down hill, the vehicle's gas tank exploded. Simons called out in an attempt to determine if there were any survivors. A person located very near the burning automobile answered him. Skirting the burning car, Simons fell into an eight-foot- deep, brushed-covered ravine. Although slightly injured in the fall, he continued to make his way toward the individual. There he found B.J. of Seattle, Washington, who had escaped from the car but was unable to move very far from it due to second degree burns to both legs and a fall into the same ravine that Simons had tumbled into. Even though the burning vehicle was only ten feet away and directly above them, Simons took the time to determine that B.J. could be safely moved, then dragged him downhill through brush and rocks so that if the vehicle shifted and fell, it would not come down on top of them. Ranger Terry Swift arrived on scene and coordinated a six-agency effort that involved extinguishing the fire and evacuating and treating the victim. B.J. was transported to San Francisco General Hospital, where he was treated for serious burns to his legs. The accident is under investigation by the California Highway Patrol. It's believed that B.J., who was en route from Seattle to his brother's house in San Francisco for Thanksgiving, fell asleep at the wheel of his car. [Richard Danielsen, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 11/27]
Ranger Matthew Ehmann discovered an illegal campsite near the Navy Memorial on March 20th. An unoccupied tent at the campsite was open in the front and a marijuana pipe and other miscellaneous items were in plain view. A search of the tent turned up five cellular telephones and a plastic handgun that had been painted black so that it would appear more realistic. Park Police sergeant Tom Hart responded and determined that the occupant might have been involved in numerous car clouts that had occurred in the area. Ehmann secured the evidence, then again checked the area later in the day. When he returned to the campsite, he saw that it was occupied by an adult male and a female juvenile. USPP lieutenant Connie Leonard and officer Tony Kang provided back up and assistance in interviewing the pair. The man said that he was homeless, that he had been camping in the area for some time, and that he had found the cell phones while walking in the park. He said that the toy gun was for protection and that he used it to fool people into believing that he was armed. Subsequent investigation revealed that he'd been sexually involved with the 16-year-old girl. Park Police detective Anthony DePalma determined that the man had also been a witness to the assault and robbery of a park visitor a month earlier. He was arrested and has been charged by the San Francisco DA with four counts of statutory rape. Ehmann and USPP identification technician John Schnieder processed the campsite and collected additional evidence, including materials linking the male to the statutory rape charges. The investigation is continuing; additional charges may be filed. [Richard Danielsen, Operations Supervisor, GOGA, 3/25]
On May 25th, a group calling themselves the "All Peoples Coalition" obtained a permit and gathered on Crissy Field in the park for a demonstration they described as "Take it to the Bridge." The event included a march onto the Golden Gate Bridge under a permit issued by the Golden Gate Bridge Authority (GGBA). The prevailing theme seemed to be a display of opposition to the United States' war against terror and policy in the Middle East. Despite the group's prediction that 2,000 people would gather for the event, only 120 demonstrators or so had gathered at Crissy Field by 12:30 p.m. The group conducted its march to the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge, where their numbers increased to approximately 150. Park Police officers and NPS rangers facilitated the movement of vehicles and the safe passage of marchers by conducting intermittent road closures along the route. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) met the group at the Golden Gate Bridge and enforced the GGBA permit restriction prohibiting signs and banners. The marchers then continued onto the bridge, closely monitored by CHP. In an effort to enforce the condition of permit that the marchers clear the bridge by 2:00 p.m., CHP stopped the marchers north of the north tower to turn them around at 1:30 p.m. Several marchers refused to comply with CHP directives and engaged in displays of civil disobedience, violating the conditions of permit and other regulations. CHP was finally able to gain compliance from the majority of the marchers, but had arrested 30 people on various charges by the time group finally exited the bridge. Approximately 30 demonstrators then gathered in the Battery East parking area in the park and confronted Park Police personnel, demanding the release of an individual in the custody of CHP. Negotiations were conducted, the situation was defused, and the marchers continued to Crissy Field and continued the rally until 5:00 p.m., pursuant to the terms of their permit. [Lt. Christine A. Hodakievic, USPP/SFFO, 5/30]
Ranger Christopher Bruno investigated an illegal campsite covered with a blue tarp early on the morning of Saturday, November 23. Bruno tapped the tarp with his baton and was immediately confronted by a 37-year-old man who rose to his knees, reached for his waistband and said he had a gun. Bruno drew his handgun and ordered him to put his hands up. He did so, yelling that he did not have a gun, but then picked up a 42-inch-long umbrella, stood, and swung the umbrella at Bruno. The umbrella was longer than Bruno's baton and struck him in the face. The man then ran away from Bruno, who was able to follow him in his patrol vehicle and call for additional help. Officer Larry Morales and two other US Park Police officers arrived and forcibly disarmed, arrested and transported the man to jail. Bruno sustained only a small laceration. The man was subsequently charged with assaulting a federal officer (18 USC 111(a)(1)). That same afternoon, ranger Bob Airey-Van Diem arrested a 50-year-old man for threatening two park visitors with a broken beer bottle. The man was extremely combative and was subdued with the assistance of four other rangers. He was then fingerprinted and booked into jail. Both individuals are homeless, have had numerous interactions with Park Police officers and rangers, and have demonstrated increased violence in contacts. The homeless population inside the park poses challenges to both resource management and visitor protection. Many of these people have been institutionalized and have criminal records. Restraining orders, mental health help and prison time are all being sought at this time. [Submitted by John Evans, District Ranger]
On the morning of January 5, ranger Lopez-Milano received a report
that a visitor's dog was stuck on one of the sandstone cliffs above the
Pacific Ocean at Fort Funston. The visitor said that he was walking his
dog off-leash when it disappeared over the cliff edge. He saw that the
dog made it to the bottom of the cliff and was dodging large waves that
were hitting the base of the cliff. When a friend went to rescue the
50-pound dog, he and the dog became stranded half way up. Ranger Eddy
was lowered to the pair and outfitted both in harnesses (the dog's was
specially-designed for such rescues). All were then raised to the top.
Ranger Warmerdam received a similar report the next afternoon less than
a mile north of the first incident. This time, the dog was alone on a
tiny shelf on an unstable 100-foot cliff above the ocean. The 120-pound
bull mastiff, named "Astro," had become stranded there while wandering
off leash. The owner said that she saw the dog disappear over the cliff
edge and had called for help. Warmerdam was lowered to "Astro,"
outfitted the dog in a large dog harness, and raised it to the top.
Lopez-Milano was IC. The park has an ongoing problem with dogs off leash
in all areas, and has had a concomitant increase in dogs and visitors
falling off the cliffs at Fort Funston. Rangers have purchased, trained
with, and employed two sizes of specialized dog harnesses in response to
this upswing in canine rescues. Citations are regularly issued to
rescued visitors in these cases. Warnings and citations are being used
to address the issue of dogs off leash.
The National Park Service, working in concert with federal, state and local governments, has mobilized incident management and SET teams and personnel to increase security throughout the agency. Skip Brooks' national Type 1 incident management team is operating under a delegation of authority from the Directorate. Among other tasks, the delegation specifies that the team:
Meanwhile, regions and parks across the system are taking necessary measures to protect resources and assure public and staff safety. A substantial number of rangers and agents have been committed so far on tasks pertaining to these objectives:
Detailed reports on incidents occurring at two of these parks have also been submitted through the normal incident reporting system:
[Submitted by Bob Love, Plans Chief, Type 1 IMT; Brenda Ritchie, Eastern Interagency Coordination Center, Shenandoah NP; Tom Lobkowicz, Special Agent, Gatewary NRA; Katherine Kort, LES, Independence NHP]
The National Park Service, working in concert with federal, state and local governments, has mobilized incident management and SET teams and personnel to increase security throughout the agency. Skip Brooks' national Type 1 incident management team is operating under a delegation of authority from the Directorate. Among other tasks, the delegation specifies that the team:
Meanwhile, regions and parks across the system are taking necessary measures to protect resources and assure public and staff safety. A substantial number of rangers and agents have been committed so far on tasks pertaining to these objectives:
[Submitted by Bob Love, Plans Chief, Type 1 IMT; Brenda Ritchie, Eastern Interagency Coordination Center, Shenandoah NP; Tom Lobkowicz, Special Agent, Gatewary NRA; Katherine Kort, LES, Independence NHP]
On Wednesday, November 12th, ranger Raquel Lopez was conducting a
bike patrol of Crissy Field when she saw two men on the beach allowing
their dogs to run unrestrained. Lopez contacted the two men and asked
each of them to leash their dogs. Once the dogs were restrained, she
asked for identification. During this contact, one of the men -
later identified as J.P. - became agitated and verbally
abusive. J.P. repeatedly refused to comply with Lopez and her request
to see identification. Lopez summoned backup. When J.P. attempted to
leave, she commanded him to stop. He kept on going, so she grabbed his
dog's leash. J.P. became enraged and began striking Lopez's arms. Park
Police officer William Battista arrived on scene first. J.P. stopped
striking Lopez, but continued to use profanity and refused to comply.
Battista and Lopez were finally able to handcuff J.P. after a
struggle. J.P. was taken into custody and charged with assault on a
federal officer and other offenses. This incident is the second assault
in two months for violation of the leash regulation. Enforcement of the
leash regulation in all areas of the park continues to be highly debated
by the visiting public during the negotiated rule-making process.
San Francisco PD received two anonymous bomb threats against the
Golden Gate Bridge on the morning of March 17th. The calls came in from
two different pay phones in the city's downtown area. The Park Police
were notified and sent a bomb detection dog and handler to assist Bridge
District personnel with a search. Protection rangers temporarily closed
nearby park lands until the search was concluded. No bombs were found.
The Coast Guard, California Highway Patrol and California National Guard
also assisted.
Rangers were on foot patrol of Ocean Beach on the night of April 13th
when they came upon a group of 20 people standing around an illegal
campfire in the beach dunes. Ranger Albert Faria attempted to stop three
of them as they walked away. One of the trio became verbally abusive,
shouting profanity; when Faria attempted to detain her and calm her
down, she instead became combative. While Faria attempted to handcuff
her, ranger Shannon Jay and field training ranger Jessie Jordan kept her
boyfriend from interfering by pulling their OC spray and ordering him to
sit down. The woman attacked Faria, clawing at his face, but was finally
subdued when Faria and field training ranger Jack Hoeflich grabbed her
arms and pulled her to the ground. She was arrested and charged with
interfering and assault on a federal officer. Her boyfriend was also
cited for interfering. Faria was treated for his injuries. The United
States Attorney's Office is handling the case.
On April 13th, dispatch was notified of a Coast Guard response to a
report of a man in the water who had jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge.
An off-duty emergency room physician who was surfing off of Fort Point
saw the man floating in the water and provided basic life support until
the Coast Guard arrived. The man was taken to Fort Baker, where he was
met by Presidio paramedics and rangers. The rangers established a
landing zone for the responding California Highway Patrol helicopter. He
was flown to a nearby trauma center and treated for injuries that
included two collapsed lungs and swelling in the brain. As of the
report, however, he was still alive, having survived a 220-foot
fall.
On Sunday, May 2nd, rangers Shannon Jay and Pat Norton, field
training ranger Jason Gaskin and lifeguard Mark Norman were involved in
13 rescues of swimmers at Stinson Beach who had been caught in unusually
strong rip currents. Two of the victims were semi-conscious when they
were brought to shore. One of them, a 17-year-old boy from Daly City,
had to be transported by helicopter to a local trauma center, where he
recovered. Rangers also secured an area in the county's portion of the
beach where the body of a 49-year-old San Francisco man washed ashore
until county deputies could arrive on scene. It was later learned that
he'd jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge four days previously.
On the afternoon of Friday, August 27th, park dispatch received a 911
call reporting that someone had fallen from a cliff near Bird Rock, a
prominent geologic coastal feature in the Marin Headlands. Ranger
Shannon Jay responded and found a girl sitting in a precarious position
on top of a sea stack between Bird Rock and the coastal cliffs. Jay
found that the injured victim, a 17-year-old boy from Watsonville,
California, was lying below the girl among the rock outcroppings and
surf. Jay and responding units determined a land rescue would be
extremely difficult to effect. Jay accordingly requested a rescue
helicopter and received assistance from Coast Guard air and water units.
Ranger Daniel Camiccia used a cell phone to contact a 47-foot USCG
cutter; the cutter in turn relayed information to a responding
helicopter. A rescue swimmer was lowered to the victim, who was packaged
and hoisted into the helicopter for transport to Stanford Medical
Center. The girl was also rescued via helicopter and flown to waiting
park personnel on Rodeo Beach. The boy succumbed to his injuries on
August 31st. During the rescue, a large wildland fire was burning at
nearby Fort Baker within Marin Headlands.
On the evening of October 9th, a bridge patrol officer stationed at the north anchorage of the Golden Gate Bridge saw a white Dodge van purposefully ram a closed metal gate underneath the bridge. The driver, later identified as C.P. of Sherman Oaks, refused to comply with the officer's order to stop and instead continued to ram the gate, causing the metal to bend enough to permit him to drive over it and directly towards the officer. The officer jumped back inside his patrol car to avoid being hit and put out a call for help. C.P. continued to drive at a high rate of speed until he lost control of the van and crashed into a fence post. He then got out and fled on foot. Ranger Bruce Phillips heard the radio traffic and responded, arriving within five minutes. Phillips took control of the scene as IC, directing Park Police, Golden Gate Bridge and California Highway Patrol officers and establishing a perimeter. Park Police and local PD dog teams, a California Highway Patrol
helicopter with infrared detection devices and a Coast Guard patrol
vessel joined the search. Due to extremely dense fog, officers on the
vessel employed flares to increase visibility for the search
team.
On October 26th, park dispatch received a 911 call that had been transferred from Marin County reporting a stranded woman on a cliff near a battery in the Marin Headlands. Park Police officers and rangers responded and found a 47-year-old Canadian woman on a narrow ledge about 50 feet from the top. The cliff, located near Battery Rathbone, falls another 200 feet into the Pacific Ocean. Six rangers and four Presidio firefighters made a technical cliff rescue and raised the woman to the top of the cliff. A Presidio paramedic examined the woman, who was physically uninjured. A Park Police officer and investigator found the woman's purse before the rescue was completed. Subsequent phone calls and questioning revealed probable suicidal intentions. Park Police transported the woman to Marin General Hospital for
observation.
On October 24th, park dispatch received a call from a visitor who reported that a man with a rope and noose was walking on the trails around Fort Scott overlook. Rangers and Park Police officers responded and began looking for him. They found an 18-year-old tied to a tree branch with a rope around his neck and waist about 150 feet down the cliff side. They cut him free and began EMS, but were unable to detect a pulse. Presidio paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene. A team of rangers and officers carried the body up a steep, muddy
slope using a hand line for safety.
On the morning of Sunday, March 6th, park dispatch received a call from a fisherman at Mussel Rock Beach in Pacifica, reporting the discovery of a body on the beach at the base of a cliff. Rangers, USPP officers and Daly City police and firefighters responded. The man was declared deceased at the scene by emergency medical personnel. Investigation revealed that he'd recently jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge. USPP detective Larry Morales led the investigation. [Submitted by Kim Coast, Supervisory Park Ranger]
On the afternoon of Monday, April 4th, rangers were summoned to Fort Point for a closure violation. A Golden Gate Bridge Authority officer had seen two people walk around two fences posted with closure signs. Rangers Eric Beckert and Aline Forbes contacted a 42-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman, both of whom admitted seeing the signs for the closure. Beckert conducted a wants and warrant check on both of them and found that the woman - identified as C.C. of San Francisco - had two outstanding felony warrants against her from Marin County for possession of controlled substances. A search incidental to the arrest yielded 22.5 grams of suspected methamphetamine, a small amount of marijuana, $2,255 in cash, assorted drug paraphernalia and a scale. C.C. was arrested on the outstanding warrants and also charged federally with entering a closed area and possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. The case is scheduled to go to federal court in May. [Submitted by Kim Coast, Acting Operations Supervisor]
On Sunday, October 23rd, a ranger was patrolling Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands when he came upon a young man with his car door open, vomiting onto the pavement. The ranger, suspecting that the man might be intoxicated, stopped and investigated. He asked the driver to get out of his vehicle and provide him with his driver's license. A Park Police officer, a field training officer, and a field training ranger soon arrived on scene to provide assistance and backup. The ranger ran a computer check on the driver, which yielded several restraining orders and a warrantless search as a condition of probation. The ranger began administering field sobriety tests while the Park Police officer searched the interior of the vehicle, finding nothing. The field training officer and field training ranger remained and continued the search of the vehicle. Upon opening the trunk, the latter discovered the body of a woman. At the same time, the driver jumped over a guardrail and began running down the cliff side with the ranger who made the stop in pursuit. When he caught up to the driver and placed him under arrest, he noticed several cuts on the driver's wrists. Presidio firefighters and paramedics responded and took the driver to Marin General Hospital, accompanied by rangers and a Park Police officer. The woman was pronounced dead by paramedics. Park Police criminal investigators and an identification technician were summoned to the scene. The driver was cleared and later taken to Park Police headquarters, where he was interviewed by investigators. He was to appear in federal court yesterday. The investigation is ongoing and charges are pending. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
A park maintenance worker contacted dispatch on the afternoon of December 12th and reported that he'd seen four men spray painting graffiti on the masonry of Battery East, a coastal military fortification constructed in 1870. A ranger assigned to a homeland security bridge patrol and Park Police officers responded. One of the four men saw the ranger approach, dropped his paint can, and fled on foot. He was later apprehended by the park maintenance employee and held until the ranger arrived. The other three men also fled and attempted to make their way back to their car, but were stopped by Park Police officers. All four were taken into custody and their vehicle was impounded and searched. During the inventory search, officers seized six to eight cans of spray paint and spray nozzles. One member of the group had also videotaped another in the process of spray painting the wall; that video tape was seized. One of the four, a 20-year-old college student from San Francisco, claimed responsibility for the vandalism. The park's historian has estimated the damage at $6,000. Since the building falls under the criteria for ARPA protection, the U.S. Attorney's Office was contacted. All four will be charged with ARPA violations, interfering with agency functions, and possession of controlled substances. Rangers and detectives from the park police are continuing the investigation. (Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor)
On the afternoon of Friday, January 13th, park dispatch received a call from the Marin County Sheriff's Department relaying a "be on the lookout" advisory for a missing Sausalito man. The man had been reported missing by his wife, who told officers that he was supposed to be hiking in Marin Headlands with his three-legged dog. A Park Police officer found his vehicle in a popular parking area in the Headlines, and a hasty search involving rangers and USPP officers was begun at 9 p.m. that evening. Heavy rain and wind, coupled with the man's medical condition (Parkinson's disease), prompted rangers and officers to summon additional assistance from Marin County SAR. On Saturday, a total of 167 people from several agencies - including dog teams and air searchers - were committed to the search effort. Search efforts were being scaled back that evening when the dog was found alive, prompting an intensified effort to search nearby lands. The man was found with his face down in a creek, surrounded by heavy vegetation. The coroner determined that he'd drowned. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
Rangers and Park Police officers responded to a call from San Francisco Fire Department of CPR in progress at Ocean Beach around 10 a.m. on January 22nd. Numerous beach-goers had seen a surfer floating in the water; several had pulled him from the water and begun resuscitation efforts. He was then transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 11 a.m. The probable cause of death was drowning. The surf was heavy, with strong rip currents that morning. It's not presently known whether or not the victim was an experienced swimmer or suffer. The park received heavy media attention, much of which centered on a strong safety message to the public warning them about the dangers of riptides and strong currents. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
On the evening of Sunday, May 14th, Ocean Beach patrol lifeguards responded to a report of several persons in distress in the water off of Stairwell 28 near Lincoln Way. Both lifeguards entered the water and found one adult and two juveniles in a strong rip current; all three were rescued and brought to safety with the assistance of local surfers. During the rescue, one of the victims reported that another adult was still in the water and had gone under. The lifeguards searched the area and found a man in three feet of water. He was pulled onto a surfboard and CPR was immediately begun. A supervisory ranger arrived on scene and asked that San Francisco Fire and Emergency Medical Services also respond. All four victims were taken to a local hospital. The man who was found underwater had entered the ocean after seeing the two juveniles in distress in a strong rip current. He later died at the hospital. The weather in San Francisco was hot, with temperatures in the upper 80's, attracting a large number of beachgoers. At the same time, lifeguards reported at least seven strong rip currents along the four mile stretch of beach. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
Park dispatch contacted rangers on the afternoon of May 19th and relayed a report of an unresponsive man in a vehicle at Muir Beach Overlook. Marin County fire and police units also responded. They found that the driver, a San Francisco resident, had succumbed to suspected carbon monoxide poisoning. He'd pulled his vehicle off the road and onto the Coastal Trail, lit a small charcoal fire in a metal bowl, then closed all the windows. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
On Wednesday, May 24th, a ranger was conducting a security check at the north anchorage of the Golden Gate Bridge when she heard radio traffic from an officer reporting a man in the water and asking for assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard. Two men from San Jose had been fishing along a rocky bluff at Fort Baker when a large wave knocked one of them off the rocks and into the bay. The other man immediately went for help. Rangers requested assistance from park lifeguards in personal watercraft. Lifeguards and U.S. Coast Guard air and marine units immediately began a search of the water, with additional assistance provided by the San Francisco Police Department's marine unit and a California Highway Patrol helicopter. An extensive search was conducted, but without results. The bay was at low tide at the time of the incident but strong currents and winds, coupled with a water temperature of 55 degrees, were impediments to anyone trying to swim to shore. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
Rangers, lifeguards, Park Police officers, and Presidio firefighters responded to several incidents in various locations throughout the park during the last week in July: July 28 - Lifeguards were dispatched to a call reporting an unresponsive person in the water off Ocean Beach. Lifeguards and rangers were joined by city firefighters in an effort to resuscitate a man found floating in the ocean by a park visitor. These efforts proved unsuccessful, however, and the man was pronounced dead at a local hospital. USPP criminal investigators are conducting an investigation. July 31 - Park dispatch received a report of a naked, combative man below the Fort Scott overlook. UPSS officers, rangers, lifeguards and Presidio firefighters responded. They subdued the man, then summoned a helicopter to lift him off the beach due to the fact that any other extrication would have to have been over unsafe, steep terrain. A Coast Guard helicopter picked him up and flew him to a waiting Presidio ambulance at the Fort Scott parade ground. August 1 - A woman and her Labrador retriever were reported stuck on a cliff edge at Fort Funston. Rangers, USPP officers and city firefighters worked together to reach them and bring them to safety. As this rescue was wrapping up, a visitor in Marin Headlands reported finding an unresponsive man in a military bunker. Responders found that the body was in fact a mannequin. Due to the suspicious nature of the call and location, though, a military bomb squad was called to the scene to check things out. While this incident was underway, dispatch received a call from the Marin County Sheriff's Office reporting that a man had fallen off a cliff ledge along the coastal bluffs in the headlands. A hasty search was begun and the man was found on Black Sands Beach. Rangers determined that he was suffering from a possible fracture to his lower leg and that he was mildly hypothermic. He was flown out by Coast Guard helicopter and taken to an ambulance at Fort Baker. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
A gunman shot two hang-gliding enthusiasts in the Fort Funston parking lot on the evening of August 21st, then committed suicide. W.S., 59, had been seen loitering for hours in the area before opening fire about 7 p.m. The shooting wounded two men, one of whom was fighting for his life late Tuesday at San Francisco General Hospital. The other man's injuries were not life-threatening. About ten people saw the shooting, including one who was soaring overhead on a hang glider. An off-duty San Francisco police officer had spotted the man in the late afternoon and had been watching him off and on because he seemed out of place. W.S.'s first victim had just finished hang gliding when he was shot in the head and chest. A second man who had been hang gliding fled and was shot in the leg before bystanders hustled him to safety. Following the second shooting, W.S.'s .22-caliber handgun either jammed or ran out of ammunition. He then pulled out another weapon from a bag he had left near a truck in the lot and shot himself. Police found dozens of rounds of ammunition in the bag. It appears that the shootings were random. W.S. had declared bankruptcy in 2004 and was evicted from his last known residence more than a year ago. [San Francisco Chronicle]
On the morning of Sunday, January 7th, ranger Eric LaSalle and USPP officer Ezra Savage responded to a dispatch report of a suicide attempt off a social trail at Fort Funston. The 82-year-old victim was found near the hang glider deck with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. City fire and EMS personnel transported him to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. That evening, Presidio fire personnel and rangers Bruce Phillips, Daniel Camiccia, Steve Cunningham and Pat Norton responded to the north anchorage of the Golden Gate Bridge to assist in the recovery of a body from the rocks at the base of the bridge. The victim, a man in his mid-40's, had jumped from the bridge and missed the water. A unified command was established to safely and discreetly remove the victim's remains for the Marin County coroner. [Submitted by Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
US Park Police dispatch received a 911 call from a woman around 1:15 a.m. on February 13th in which she reported that she'd been forced to have oral sex with a man on the Presidio. He then fled the area. An hour later, a Park Police officer on patrol stopped a vehicle near Ocean Beach matching the suspect vehicle's description. The victim positively identified the man, who is being held without bail on federal felony sex charges. He'd told the victim that he was a police officer, but that proved to be untrue. The man's description and his method of operation in this case matched a similar sexual assault that occurred on the Presidio last September. The investigation is continuing. [Detective/Sergeant Robert Jansing, San Francisco Field Office]
On the afternoon of Tuesday, May 16th, park dispatch received a 911 transfer call from San Francisco FD reporting a falling accident. Two beach-goers came upon an unresponsive man in his 30s lying on a coastal rock outcropping in front of Battery Crosby. The man had apparently tried to hike from the battery to the beach on a steep, unstable social trail and had slipped and fallen from 15 to 20 feet. Rangers, Park Police officers, Presidio and San Francisco FD firefighters, and Golden Gate Aquatic Rescue personnel responded. Land and water rescue efforts were hampered by the terrain. A Coast Guard helicopter was accordingly summoned to retrieve the man's body. The victim was hoisted to the helicopter on a litter, then flown to a landing zone at Fort Scott. Park Police investigators and staff from the city medical examiner's officer are conducting a follow-up investigation. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
Rangers and Park Police officers were notified of a serious injury to a hiker in the Marin Headlands around 9:30 p.m. on Friday, August 3rd. The caller reported that the person he'd been hiking with had fallen about 10 feet and struck his head on the concrete of a military coastal defense battery. He also said that he didn't know their location. Rangers and officers began scouring the areas of the Headlands with coastal batteries in an effort to find them. While they did so, the dispatcher worked with the caller to try to nail down their location. The hikers were found at Battery Mendel about 20 minutes after the call came in. While Presidio paramedics and fire personnel responded, ranger Matthew Harrison, who was first on scene, began administering first aid to the 22-year-old hiker. Paramedics provided advanced care and took the man to Marin General Hospital, where he remains in critical condition. [Submitted by Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
During the months since this past January, rangers and Park Police officers have taken 28 reports of car clouts in the Battery Spencer parking lot, a popular area for visitors to get a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the bay. Rangers Ron Heeren, Steve Cunningham, Bruce Phillips and Mike Hardin worked out a plan to watch the area over the last weekend in September in an effort to apprehend whoever was responsible for these break-ins. On the afternoon of September 29th, Cunningham saw a heavyset man engaging in suspicious activities in the lot. He drove to the lot several times over a period of 45 minutes, each time getting out of his car, walking around the lot, and peering into vehicle windows. On his last visit to the lot, he waited for a visitor to leave his vehicle, then reached inside and removed a wallet. Cunningham notified rangers Shannon Jay and John Goodwin and asked them to stop the man's vehicle. The rangers made a felony stop a quarter mile above the Battery Spencer lot. The driver, who was subsequently identified as Oscar L.M.-C., a Peruvian national, was taken into custody. The rangers found the wallet in his possession. USPP officer Ken Rawles and ranger Bob Del Secco searched L.M.-C.'s vehicle and found property that did not belong to him. Sergeant detective Bob Jansing placed calls to ICE and determined that Mendizabel-Cuya was in the country illegally. L.M.-C.remains under investigation by the Park Police Criminal Investigations Branch and by special agents with ICE. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
An outbound container ship, the Cosco Busan, struck a pier of the San Francisco Bay Bridge around 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 7th, and spilled about 58,000 gallons of fuel oil into the bay. Between 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., oil came ashore on Alcatraz Island and several park beaches. To protect the health and safety of visitors and staff, the park instituted emergency temporary closures at Fort Point, Crissy Field Beach, China Beach, Baker Beach, Rodeo Beach, Black Sand Beach and Kirby Cove Beach. Warning signs and barricades were posted to prevent vehicle and pedestrian access. US Park Police officers were assigned to fixed posts at several of the closures. On Thursday, the Tennessee Valley Beach and Horseshoe Cove Beach at Fort Baker were added to the list. At the same time, San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park instituted emergency temporary closures at Aquatic Park, halting the activities of swimming clubs there. Municipal Pier was also closed. Although no oil contamination has yet been reported at Point Reyes National Seashore, that park has joined Golden Gate and San Francisco Maritime in coordinating cleanup and response efforts with the unified command led by the Coast Guard, California Fish and Game, and a contract incident management team retained by the ship's owner. The spill's greatest impact at Golden Gate NRA so far has been at Rodeo Beach, where several contract cleanup crews were joined yesterday by the Marine Mammal Center, a park partner, in rescuing oiled wildlife and cleaning the beach. Alcatraz Island remained open to visitors, but some areas of the island were temporarily closed to visitors due to oil contamination. Golden Gate's Type 3 IMT is managing the NPS response to the incident, coordinating its efforts with the unified command led by the Coast Guard. This is the largest oil spill in the San Francisco Bay since the Cape Mohegan incident in 1996. [Rudy Evenson, PIO]
The response to last Wednesday's major oil spill in San Francisco Bay continues, with the Western incident management team now coordinating the NPS portion of the overall response. Many beaches within Golden Gate NRA, San Francisco Maritime NHP, and Point Reyes NS remained closed over Veterans Day weekend due to contamination by fuel oil that spilled from the container ship Cosco Busan when it collided with the San Francisco Bay Bridge. Here's the status of the beaches at the three parks as of early yesterday afternoon:
Oiled birds have washed up on the beaches at all three parks. Treatment of the birds is being managed by the Oiled Wildlife Care Network (www.owcn.org) in coordination with the unified command overseeing the comprehensive response. The NPS response to the incident is now being managed by the Western incident management team under Eddie Lopez, which assumed command from Golden Gate's Type 3 team at 6 p.m. on Sunday, November 11th. The team continues to coordinate efforts with the unified command, which is being led by California State Fish and Game, a contract incident management team retained by the ship owners, and the US Coast Guard. Public, media, and Congressional interest has been high. On Monday morning, Golden Gate hosted a press conference and tour of Crissy Field organized by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Other participants in the press conference included San Francisco Bay Area's other five Congressional delegates, the mayor of San Francisco and the commandant of the US Coast Guard. To manage the flood of volunteer interest, the City of San Francisco and the Environmental Protection Agency organized a mass training on Monday morning. Approximately 300 volunteers helped clean Ocean Beach later that day, working in teams of ten led by San Francisco Public Utilities Commission employees trained in hazardous material response. Another training will be held this morning in San Francisco. In addition to the environmental damage caused by the oil spill, a wide variety of recreational and visitor activities have also been affected. At Crissy Field and Fort Point, surfing, boardsailing, and outrigger canoe paddling have been curtailed. At San Francisco Maritime, two swim clubs and the park's maritime experiential education program have been suspended until the cleanup is complete. Meanwhile, other actions have been taking place in the Washington Office:
[Submitted by Compiled from reports by Rudy Evenson at Golden Gate and Dan Hamson in WASO]
On Thursday, November 15th, several additional beaches were closed at Point Reyes and Golden Gate as more oil washed ashore from the collision of the container ship Cosco Busan with the San Francisco Bay Bridge on November 7th. At Point Reyes, oil was found yesterday morning on Wildcat Beach and Limantour Beach, and the park closed both beaches to protect park visitors from contamination. In Golden Gate, the northern section of Ocean Beach (from Stairwell 28 to the Cliff House), which had been previously left open, was also closed yesterday due to oil washing ashore. Thursday's closures bring the total number of closed beaches to 19 in Golden Gate, two in San Francisco Maritime, and three in Point Reyes. The oil spill has affected 127 miles of NPS shoreline and 230 acres of beach. The National Park Service has 131 employees assigned to the incident. Through the NPS Western incident management team, currently led by Eddie Lopez, the parks continue to coordinate response and cleanup efforts with the unified command, which consists of the US Coast Guard, California State Fish and Game, and a contract incident management team retained by the responsible party. Interest in the incident remains high among media, visitors, and political representatives. Congressional subcommittee hearings about the oil spill are scheduled to begin on Monday. Among the general public, the volunteer spirit is overwhelming. On Wednesday, crowds packed an EPA-sponsored "short course" in hazardous materials cleanup in San Francisco. The Western IMT is working on a plan to integrate volunteers into cleanup activities on NPS beaches this weekend. Over 1,500 oiled birds have been collected - approximately two-thirds of them alive and the rest dead. In addition to the environmental damage caused by oil contamination, visitor activities have also been curtailed by the spill. Both swim clubs at Aquatic Park in San Francisco Maritime remain closed, although the park's educational program resumed activities in small boats on the water yesterday. Boardsailing, surfing, sea kayaking, and outrigger canoe paddling are currently prohibited at beaches in Golden Gate. [Rudy Evenson, Public Information Officer]
Crews have made significant headway in cleanup operations in and around San Francisco Bay. As of midday on Sunday, the following had reopened: Golden Gate NRA - Fort Funston Beach, Muir Beach, Tennessee Beach, Kirby Cove, China Beach, Baker Beach, Crissy Field Beach and portions of Ocean Beach and Rodeo Beach. While these beaches are considered safe at this time, conditions are constantly changing due to tides and closures may need to be reinstated. Golden Gate NRA closures are still in effect at Stinson Beach, Slide Ranch Beach, Pirates Cove Beach, Rodeo Beach, Black Sands Beach, Horseshoe Cove, Marshall's Beach, and Mile Rock Beach. Aquatic Park remains closed at San Francisco Maritime. Closures at Point Reyes include Santa Maria, Sculptured, Palomarin, and Wildcat Beaches. The parks, working with the Western incident management team, continue to coordinate response and cleanup efforts with the unified command overseeing the entire cleanup operation. [Patti Wold, Incident Information Officer]
On the afternoon of Tuesday, November 20th, management of the Cosco Busan oil spill incident reverted back to the three involved parks - Golden Gate, Point Reyes and San Francisco Maritime - and the Western Incident Management Team demobilized. The team had been managing the incident since November 17th. Some beaches still remain closed due to the need for additional cleanup, but may others reopened the weekend before last. Aquatic Park in San Francisco Maritime reopened on November 21st. Additional oil was expected on area beaches over the Thanksgiving holiday due to predicted high tides, so some closures may have been reinstated. [Adrienne Freeman, Park Ranger]
On the afternoon of Tuesday, November 20th, management of the Cosco Busan oil spill incident reverted back to the three involved parks — Golden Gate, Point Reyes and San Francisco Maritime. Six beach and/or water access areas in Golden Gate still remain closed due to the need for additional cleanup. Municipal Pier in San Francisco Maritime is the most recently reopened site (November 26th). Over the holiday weekend, Golden Gate hosted three volunteer cleanup days, co-sponsored by the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management at Ocean Beach (Thanksgiving Day) and by the Marin County Fire Department at Stinson Beach (Saturday and Sunday, November 24th and 25th). Additional oil is expected on area beaches over the next few weeks so some closures may have to be reinstated. Fishing in all park areas affected by the spill is prohibited until December 1st, by order of the governor of California. [Submitted by Rich Weideman, Public Affairs Officer]
A major storm hammered parks across the region last weekend. Stern travel advisories and public information about the storm and its impacts may have helped reduce significant incidents during this widespread event. Recovery continues, as many communities shovel out, attempt to restore utilities, or wait to dry out. Another storm system is expected to bring rain/snow beginning early today. Here's a wrap-up from Pacific West parks: Point Reyes (and parts of Golden Gate) - Power is out at the lighthouse and at a couple of other park residences. Many trees are reported down, including some on power or phone lines. All roads are open except for Bolinas-Fairfax Road (GOGA). Trails are open, though assessments are still being made to determine how many trees are down blocking the park's more remote trails. [Karen Newton, PWRO, with reports from Charles Cuvelier (YOSE), Craig Ackerman (ORCA), Ron Martin (LAVO), Nancy Wizner (REDW), and Colin Smith (PORE)]
The park has conducted an assessment of the damage caused by last weekend's storm and reports the following: Stinson Beach - The area was closed last Friday due to numerous trees and limbs down, but reopened on Saturday. Marin Headlands - The area was without power from Friday until midday on Saturday. Numerous trees were felled by a combination of high winds and saturated ground. About 200 feet of fencing was lost in the housing area. Conzelman Road was closed on Friday and Saturday morning due to rock debris falling from the hillsides. Numerous buildings suffered roof leaks due to high winds blowing shingles off. Fort Mason - Many trees fell in the area, including one large tree that fell on Van Ness Avenue and took out the power lines for Muni trains. The front glass door of the headquarters building was shattered by high winds and many buildings here also suffered from roof leaks due to lost shingles. Sutro Park - About 15 large cypress trees fell during the storm, one on a car. The total damage to date has been estimated at about $100,000. [Don Mannel, Chief of Maintenance]
Last week, the city of San Francisco hosted the only Olympic Torch relay that will be held in North America prior to this year's summer Olympics in China. A number of relay events had a significant impact on the park:
Park Police officers and protection rangers had eight goals for this incident: provide a highly visible uniformed presence maintain assigned security perimeters maintain law and order, protect life and property and natural and cultural resources manage crowds facilitate lawful First Amendment demonstrations deter and respond to any criminal or terrorist threat assist other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies facilitate vehicular and pedestrian traffic in areas of responsibility Although extremely frustrating for law enforcement personnel, the greatest challenge was to ensure safe traffic movement, with thousands of people chasing the entourage. Despite the potential for problems, only a minimal number of arrests were made by San Francisco PD officers. Park personnel remained flexible and communicated well with each other, anticipating possible route changes and redeploying personnel as needed. [Major Jerry McCarthy, Chief Ranger Yvette Ruan]
During the early morning hours on January 15th, a group of people who were having a bonfire on Ocean Beach found the body of a man partially buried in the sand and notified the Park Police. The victim, who could not be identified for several weeks, appeared to be in his mid-40s, overweight and very pale. He was found with only a pair of socks on, three cloth bracelets around his left wrist, and an abstract tattoo on his chest. When finally identified, he was found to be a homeless man who was living in San Francisco, with no apparent family or relations. The death was considered suspicious, as it was clear that the body had been deliberately buried in the sand. A witness reported seeing the man dancing naked around a beach fire several hours before his body was discovered. Park Police officers consulted with the FBI and San Francisco Police Department's Homicide Unit, but have served as the lead investigators in this case. A person of interest was identified near the scene and was arrested by Park Police officers once it was learned that he was wanted on a manslaughter parole violation warrant issued by the California Department of Corrections. The San Francisco medical examiner released a report on June 12th that provided additional information regarding the man's death. He had been severely beaten, with dozens of bruises and cuts about his head and body. At least one blow had cracked his skull and several of his ribs were broken. A toxicology report revealed that his blood alcohol content was about 0.25 percent, indicating significant intoxication. Traces of the active ingredient in Benadryl were also found in his blood. The two in combination multiply their respective effects, leading to delirium and drowsiness. DNA evidence was collected at the scene, and Park Police investigators are now awaiting the results of DNA tests to arrive from the San Francisco Police Department. Meanwhile, other investigative leads are being pursued. At least one additional person of interest has been identified in connection with the death. Homicides on park property are relatively rare. In 2006, one man was killed and another seriously injured when a man carrying a bag of weapons opened fire on a group of hang gliders at Fort Funston. The shooter ended up killing himself. [Lt. Jeff Wasserman, Operations Commander, San Francisco Field Office]
On June 18th, park dispatch broadcast a "be on the lookout" message for a man with a hammer who was threatening a school group at China Beach. Numerous Park Police officers responded. The first officer to arrive identified the man and attempted to arrest him, but the man evaded and resisted and it took additional officers to get him cuffed. A hammer was recovered from his person. Other officers spoke with the teacher and a chaperone accompanying the school group. They reported that the man, apparently homeless and mentally ill, had approached the group on the beach and made angry and inappropriate comments to them. He then picked up and threw rocks in a threatening manner and made additional angry and inappropriate comments to the school children. When the teachers asked him to move away, he pulled a hammer out of his bag and brandished it at them in an aggressive manner while walking away. The man was arrested and issued mandatory appearance citations for engaging in threatening behavior, committing physically threatening acts, and resisting a police officer. [Lt. Jeff Wasserman, San Francisco Field Office]
A 20-year-old man who was at a bonfire on Ocean Beach on the evening of June 21st was approached by a 15-year-old boy and stabbed five times in the stomach, neck, head, shoulder and hand. There was no apparent cause for the attack. The victim was taken to a hospital, where he was stabilized, then admitted in serious condition. Park Police officers responded and conducted a search for the assailant, but were unable to find him. Detective Robert O'Connor was assigned to the case and was able to identify the assailant after two days of investigation. The boy was contacted and agreed to come to the Park Police station and give a statement. He appeared with his mother and confessed to the attack. On June 30th, the San Francisco youth district attorney charged the boy with attempted murder as an adult. [Lt. Jeff Wasserman, San Francisco Field Office]
Park dispatch contacted supervisory rangers Ron Heeren and Pat Norton on the evening of June 25th and advised them that a person had been swept off the rocks into the water near Slide Ranch. The victim, identified as R.Z.-C., 34, had been fishing with three companions when a wave swept him off the rocks into the ocean. He spent approximately 20 minutes in the ocean before his companions were able to pull him from the water. They attempted to resuscitate him while a Coast Guard helicopter and boat responded, but without success. The helicopter hoisted R.Z.-C. up and brought him to a waiting ambulance, where he was pronounced dead. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
On the evening of July 9th, several beachgoers reported finding a body at the water's edge at the northern end of Stinson Beach. Supervisory ranger Aline Forbes was monitoring Marin County Sheriff's Office radio traffic at the time; she notified the park communications office, then headed to the beach. Protection rangers and volunteer firefighters from the Stinson Beach Fire Department also responded and secured the area until the Marin County coroner and a Park Police detective arrived on scene. The body appeared to have been in the water for some time. Determination of the cause of death and the victim's identification are pending. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
A hiker contacted park dispatch on Monday afternoon to report that she'd been assaulted by a man on the Oakwood Valley trail. She said that she'd seen him earlier on the trail, that he'd grabbed her from behind and dragged her into the brush, and that she'd fought him off and called for help. Rangers, Park Police officers and Marin County deputies responded and set up a containment area. Supervisory ranger Kurt Veeck drove his patrol car along a fire road close to the main trail and spotted the man, identified as 21-year-old S.V.I. Veeck detained him until ranger Annie Leone could arrive on scene with the woman. She positively identified S.V.I. as her attacker. S.V.I. was placed under arrest and taken to the Marin County Sheriff's Office substation, where he was interviewed by Leone and a Marin County detective. After a two-and-half-hour interview, S.V.I. confessed to the assault with the intent to commit rape. Bail has been set at $2,000,000. Additional charges are also pending. The incident is being jointly investigated by Golden Gate rangers and the Marin County Sheriff's Office. [Submitted by Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
Park dispatch received a call reporting a possible cardiac arrest along the coastline in the Muir Beach area of the park on the evening of August 4th. Rangers responded along with emergency crews from Marin County and found a man in his late 40s in a rugged area about a mile south of Muir Beach. He was unresponsive and bleeding from the head and could not be revived. A loaded handgun was found under his leg. Due to the onset of darkness and rough terrain, rescuers carried him out to the parking lot to a waiting ambulance. The man's car was located in the parking lot. The investigation is being conducted by the Marin County coroner's office and the Criminal Investigations Branch of U.S. Park Police, but all indications are that the death was a suicide. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
On the evening of September 27th, rangers Chad Marin and Annie Leone were on foot patrol of the picnic area of Stinson Beach when they came upon a large group of juveniles in possession of alcoholic beverages. While interviewing them, one of the juveniles became particularly defensive, loud and uncooperative and squared off with Marin. Marin attempted to place him in handcuffs and in doing so a struggle ensued and both went to the ground. Ranger Mike Hardin and Leone helped Marin gain control of the juvenile, who continued to resist and struggle with Marin and Hardin. Leone concluded that he was not going to stop fighting and announced that she was going to use her taser on him. When she did so, the juvenile stopped struggling and the rangers were able to handcuff him. He continued to be uncooperative, but was placed in an ambulance and taken to Marin General to have the barbs removed. While at the hospital, he finally provided the rangers with correct information about his parents and grandparents. His grandfather told Leone that this was the second time that an officer had used a taser on his grandson. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
Ranger John Goodwin was on patrol of the Navy Memorial on the morning of October 4th when he came upon numerous items dumped near the portable restrooms in the parking lot. Goodwin checked them and found that they included four overhead portable light fixtures, flexible duct hoses, planter boxes, several pounds of vermiculite, and several large black plastic bags containing marijuana leaves and stems. Park Police identification technician Rob Whalen and supervisory ranger Ron Heeren joined Goodwin in the parking lot and took photos of the scene. The marijuana was taken to Park Police headquarters to be weighed. The total wet weight came to 8.2 pounds. It was later taken to an evidence warehouse to be dried and reweighed. The criminal investigations branch was notified and is leading the investigation. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
Rangers were contacted by park dispatch around 11 p.m. on October 17th and advised that a man had fallen over a cliff edge near Point Bonita. Rangers and Presidio fire and EMS personnel responded from Marin Headlands and came upon a two men and woman along the cliff's edge. Rangers interviewed the three and determined that a friend who was with them had been walking along a social trail, stumbled, and fallen 200 feet to the bottom. Due to the extremely steep terrain and darkness, a Coast Guard helicopter and 47-foot motor lifeboat responded to the area. They found the man and a Coast Guard rescue swimmer determined that he'd died in the fall. Body recovery efforts took extra time because the vessel could not get close enough and the helicopter had to be refueled. The body was finally retrieved at 4:30 a.m. and transported to Fort Baker. The Marin County Coroner's Office and U.S. Park Police Criminal Investigations Branch are continuing the investigation. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor)
On October 25, 2005, Golden Gate protection rangers and Park Police officers arrested S.M. after they found the body of a woman in the trunk of his car. Ranger Matt Harrison first contacted S.M., who was vomiting out the door of his vehicle parked in the Marin Headlands. A check on him through the California Law Enforcement Teletype System (CLETS) and NCIC revealed that he had a warrantless search condition filed against him. Ranger Ken Barend and USPP officers responded to assist. Barend opened the trunk of the car and discovered the woman's body. S.M. attempted to flee on foot, but was quickly caught and arrested. A further CLETS check revealed that S.M. was wanted on a statewide lookout as a possible suspect in the murder of Anastasia Melnitchenko in Contra Costa County. USPP crime scene technician Ken Rawles and detective Larry Morales processed the scene and continued the investigation. Rangers and Park Police detectives worked with the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department and the Marin County Coroner's Office to investigate the case. After meetings between the U.S. Attorney, Marin County Prosecutor's Office, and Contra Costa County Prosecutor's Office, it was decided that the homicide most likely occurred in Contra Costa County and that S.M. would be tried there. On December 4th, S.M. was convicted of first degree murder in Contra Costa County. He could receive a sentence of 55 years to life because of a previous criminal history. Sentencing is scheduled for February 9th. [Lt. Jeff Wasserman U.S. Park Police]
Ranger Terry Swift was heading southbound in his patrol vehicle on Highway 1 between Stinson Beach and the Muir Beach overlook on the afternoon of January 3rd when he was struck head-on by a 16-year-old who was headed north in a sedan at a high rate of speed. The driver, who was operating on a provisional license and had three passengers in his car, failed to negotiate a sharp curve, slamming into Swift's cruiser and causing both vehicles' airbags to deploy. Swift was able to exit his pickup and summon assistance; the four occupants of the car were also able to get out of their vehicle. Swift was taken to a medical facility in Novato for observation and later released. The driver of the car suffered a broken ankle. The size and weight of Swift's Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup, together with airbags and seatbelts, played a significant role in his escaping without injury and in preventing both cars from going over the coastal cliffs along the highway. This was the 16-year-old's second accident. The investigation was done by the California Highway Patrol. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor] HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=4342"
The front desk manager at the Point Cavello Lodge in Fort Baker called park dispatch just after 7 a.m. on January 7th and reported that she'd received a bomb threat via email on the lodge's computer. Operations supervisor Kim Coast was notified and summoned US Park Police criminal investigators and bomb-sniffing dogs. Coast then contacted four on-duty protection rangers and met with them to develop a plan for closing roads and evacuating lodge guests and employees. USPP sergeant Tom Hart and another officer soon arrived on scene. All structures were vacated and Park Police and Marin County canine units began checking the facilities. Lodge guest were kept warm inside a park building. All buildings were deemed clear by 10 a.m. and normal operations resumed. Detectives are continuing the investigation. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
Presidio fire and EMS personnel responded to a report of a woman in distress on Rodeo Beach in the Marin Headlands just after 7 a.m. on Sunday, January 4th. A park maintenance worker who was emptying trash receptacles found a partially-clothed woman lying in the sand, beckoning for help. Paramedics began providing care when she went to cardiac arrest, and she was taken by ambulance to San Francisco General Hospital. Protection rangers were summoned to the scene because circumstances suggested that a crime may have been committed. The woman subsequently died, probably as a result of severe hypothermia due to temperatures in the 30s. An investigation was conducted by USPP detectives and the medical examiner's office. The victim was identified as J.E., 71, a retired nurse who lived alone in El Cerrito. She'd been seen leaving her rented home there on Saturday afternoon. Investigation revealed that she likely fell from the top of a nearby hill that evening, was injured, then suffered from exposure during the night. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
On the morning of Saturday, January 10th, ranger John Goodwin contacted J.B. about camping illegally on Ocean Beach. J.B. had been contacted by rangers the previous day for the same offense. During the first contact, J.B. had been belligerent and uncooperative and had made idle threats that he would shoot the rangers. As Goodwin was conducting a wants and warrants check on J.B., he saw him reach toward his waistband, where weapons are often secreted. Goodwin ordered J.B. to stop, but he declined to do so. When J.B. tensed up as if to fight, Goodwin drew his taser, again ordered J.B. to remove his hands from his waistband, and told him he would be tased if he failed to comply. J.B. refused to do so, shouted racial slurs at Goodwin, and continued to ignore commands from Goodwin. It took two taser jolts and assistance from backup to get J.B. handcuffed. Medics took him to a hospital to have the barbs removed. He was then arrested on a San Francisco warrant and will be charged for state violations. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
On the afternoon of January 24th, the Coast Guard contacted park dispatch and reported the discovery of a man's body floating about 40 yards offshore from Tennessee Beach. A USCG rescue swimmer was dropped from a helicopter and swam the body to land, where waiting rangers assisted in bringing it to shore. The man was identified from a driver's license on his person, and a check through dispatch revealed that he'd been reported missing in San Mateo County. Rangers later learned that his car had been recovered by state officers from a parking lot near the Golden Gate Bridge. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
A park maintenance employee contacted park dispatch on the morning of January 28th and reported a suspicious looking object that had been taped to the back of a park sign at the overlook of Battery Spencer. This overlook receives heavy visitation because of the magnificent views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the city of San Francisco. Four rangers and a Park Police identification technician responded. As a precaution, the area was closed to the public and a bomb dog was requested; due to a considerable delay in the dog's arrival, the San Francisco Bomb Squad was summoned and arrived a short time later. The device was eventually rendered safe by the squad. Further investigation revealed that it was actually a pinhole camera that was taped to the back of the sign to take a black and white image of the bridge. The individual responsible for the camera had left his business card taped to the can and the pieces were intact enough to be able to contact him. The USPP Criminal Investigations Branch will be conducting the follow-up investigation. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
A fire that broke out in a residential dormitory unit in the Presidio on the evening of January 30th was controlled by fire sprinklers before park firefighters arrived on scene. The firefighters extinguished the blaze and checked the condition of the room's occupant. The fire, which was contained in the room of origin, was started by an improperly discarded cigarette that landed in a pile of papers, trash and reading materials. NPS firefighter Paul Dahlen suffered a fractured ankle while picking up fire hose after the fire. The park's fire protection inspector investigated and determined that the loss to the structure and contents came to about $10,000. [Matt Kiolbassa, Fire Marshal/Assistant Fire Chief]
On the morning Sunday, February 8th, park dispatch received a report of a paragliding accident in an area of the park known as Mussel Rock. Responding rangers and Park Police officers determined that the paraglider had perished in the accident. Paragliding is a popular activity in the area, although the launch and landing of the gliders occurs off of park property. Ranger Eric LaSalle encountered numerous public safety personnel from local jurisdictions at the scene who were not clear on which agency was responsible for the rescue. LaSalle determined that the accident had occurred approximately 40 minutes or more before his arrival and that the victim had been seen floating in the water by a fisherman. LaSalle requested additional assistance and declared the area a crime scene. A Park Police sergeant also responded to assist. Ranger Xave Agnew donned his wetsuit and entered the water to recover the body of the 46-year-old Palo Alton man. He was assisted by state rangers from Half Moon Bay State Beach. The San Mateo County Coroner's Office and a detective from the Park Police led the investigation. The coroner's office determined the man had died from drowning in association with blunt force trauma to the body. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor, and Sgt. Thomas Hart, US Park Police]
Officer Scott Huther was heading south across the Golden Gate Bridge late on the morning of February 19th when he saw a vehicle in front of him stop in the midst of heavy traffic half way across the bridge. The driver got out, climbed over the guardrail and the pedestrian railing on the west side, and prepared to jump off the bridge. Huther stopped and followed her to the walkway railing, calling to her in attempt to stop her from jumping. He continued to talk to her as she leaned over the side of the bridge, but she told him that she'd jump if he came any closer. Huther radioed for assistance and was joined by sergeant Todd Roth, a trained hostage negotiator. Roth established rapport with the woman and worked his way to a closer but safe distance on the walkway above her. He got her to talk with him and found that she was distraught over her disabled son and pending divorce. After about 30 minutes, she accepted Roth's invitation to come back over the railing for a cigarette and further conversation. As she neared the railing, trained bridge personnel, who were secured by tethers to the bridge, grabbed the woman and pulled her to safety. Roth then took her to a state police satellite office in the bridge's east parking lot, where she was turned over to state officers and taken to Marin General Hospital for assistance. Thanks to the outstanding efforts of Roth and Huther, this potential suicide of a distraught young mother was prevented. [Lt. Constance A. Leonard, United States Park Police]
The park received a request for assistance from Pacifica Police Department on the afternoon of February 18th. A hiker had spotted a body floating in the water below the coastal cliffs at Mori Point and contacted police. Unsure of the jurisdiction in the area, a Pacifica police captain called the park. Mori Point trails have become very popular with the public due to improvements made on them and the impressive views of the Pacific Ocean along them. Four field rangers and a supervisor responded along with a Park Police detective. Supervisory ranger Pat Norton was IC and coordinated the recovery efforts. Indications were that the victim had fallen from the cliffs and had suffered severe head trauma. The body was packaged by rangers and extricated with the assistance of a California Highway Patrol helicopter. It was determined that the victim was not within NPS jurisdiction, so Pacifica PD will investigate. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
A smoke detector activation came into the park communications center from the fire alarm system at the Marine Mammal Center Hospital just after 6 p.m. on March 18th. Park fire department units responded and found moderate smoke issuing from the front door. Marin County units also responded. Firefighters found that the smoke was caused by a pot that had been left on a stove. They checked the building to see if the fire had spread, then began smoke removal efforts. Investigation revealed that a volunteer at the center had been distracted by a problem with her car, parked nearby, and had left a large stockpot with about seven rubber feeding tubes unattended on the stove. Once the water boiled off, the rubber feeding tubes began to melt and eventually caught fire. Slight charring and melted plastic veneer on the backsplash indicated significant heat from the burning pot. Thanks to fast notification via the fire alarm system, the fire did not have a chance to spread beyond the pot and stove top, potentially saving the building and many marine mammals in nearby recovery condos. Once the smoke was cleared from the building, park firefighters assisted center staff in returning the building to normal operations. Law enforcement rangers provided scene security and traffic control during the incident. [Matt Kiolbassa, Interim Fire Chief]
The park's communications center received a call from a man around 10 a.m. on March 19th reporting a body lying face down in the dunes at Ocean Beach. Park Police officers and Golden Gate rangers responded along with the city fire department units. When a USPP officer arrived on scene, he found several city medics performing CPR on a middle-aged man. They were not successful, and the man was declared dead. Detective Lawrence Morales led the ensuing investigation. No observable trauma was found on the man, but several bottles of prescription drugs and alcohol were found in the area and there was a letter with his belongings. A ranger assisting with the investigation found that there was an outstanding $10,000 warrant from San Francisco PD out against the reporting party, who was placed under arrest. The investigation into the death is continuing. [Lt. Constance Leonard, San Francisco Field Office]
On the morning of June 9th, ranger AJ Legault found an unoccupied vehicle in the Muir Beach overlook parking lot along Highway 1. The vehicle had been locked within the lot overnight and had a violation notice on its windshield from the previous evening. Legault searched the area to see if he could find the owner, but without success. When he got back, he checked the vehicle again and discovered what appeared to be a suicide note scrawled on a Parade magazine cover. Legault contacted park dispatch to report it and secured the area. Rangers then began searching along the cliff sides and the ocean waters below and discovered the body of a man lying face down on the jagged rock outcroppings approximately 450 feet below a trail. Park lifeguards, Muir Beach and Southern Marin fire personnel, Marin County SO officers, and U.S. Park Police criminal investigators arrived on scene to assist with the recovery. The Coast Guard conducted a risk assessment of the recovery operation and decided it was too dangerous to use a helicopter. The decision was made to have a ranger and paramedic from Southern Marin fire descend to the body and extricate it using a rope and picket system. The body was recovered and brought up to the parking lot; the medical examiner took possession of the victim and the suicide note. Empty vodka bottles and prescription medication were also found inside the vehicle. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
On the evening of Saturday, July 18th, park communications received an emergency call from a man who said that he was stranded on the face of the coastal cliffs below Battery Crosby. Park rangers, Park Police officers and Presidio Fire Department personnel were dispatched to the scene and determined that he was in fact stranded and in need of rescue. The man, identified as J.W. of Mission, Kansas, had entered an area of the beach that was closed due to its hazardous cliffs. Park personnel set up a high-angle rigging system and lowered a rescuer to his location. J.W. was placed in a harness and lowered to the beach without incident. Later that evening, dispatch received a call from the Coast Guard reporting that two people were stranded on a cliff below Bird Rock overlook in the Marin Headlands. Supervisory ranger Pat Norton assumed incident command and requested assistance from Presidio Fire and on-duty rangers. Once on scene, the Coast Guard reported that there were three people stranded on the cliff, one a two-year-old boy. Due to the high tide, impending darkness and heavy coastal fog, Norton requested air support from the Coast Guard. Personnel from the 47-foot rescue boat concurred and a Coast guard helicopter responded. All three were successfully rescued. On the next day, July 19th, Ocean Beach lifeguards heard radio traffic regarding a man being dragged out of the water onto the beach. Lifeguards, rangers and San Francisco emergency personnel responded to stairwell four on Ocean Beach. Lifeguards found an off-duty nurse performing CPR on the man. The guards continued CPR and provided other emergency care until additional emergency personnel arrived on scene. An AED was used, but a "no shock" was indicated. Witnesses saw the man standing on his surfboard, but said that he then collapsed and fell off the board and that waves began pushing him towards shore. The man was transported to a San Francisco hospital, where he was pronounced dead. USPP detectives are continuing the investigation; cause of death is unknown at this time. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
Rangers and a Park Police sergeant apprehended and arrested a man in the Marin Headlands last Saturday afternoon for a series of car clouts that had occurred throughout the day in Marin County and the park. Operations supervisor Kim Coast was leaving the park housing area when she saw the driver of a sport utility vehicle going faster than the posted speed limit and passing other cars on a solid double line. Coast was able to pull out in front of the driver and get him to slow down. Upon doing so, the driver shouted that his wife's purse had just been stolen and that the suspect was getting away. The driver actually witnessed the theft and was trying to get the man to stop on his own. The driver provided an accurate description of the suspect, his vehicle, and the vehicle's license plate. Coast immediately put a be on the lookout message out over the radio. Sergeant Todd Roth heard the traffic and responded from his residence. Roth obtained the information from Coast and was able to make it through the one-way tunnel that leads to the Headlands. Once on the other side, he watched until the suspect's vehicle appeared. Roth then conducted a traffic stop, assisted by ranger Anne Leone. During the course of the stop, Roth was able to get the man to admit that he had stolen a woman's purse. Coast drove the victim to the scene and he confirmed that Roth and Leone had stopped the correct person. The man was placed under arrest. During the search of his vehicle, it was determined that he'd broken into another vehicle in the Marin Headlands and five other vehicles in Marin County, all areas near the park. Working jointly with the Marin County Sheriff's Office and the District Attorney's Office, arrangements were made to assure that the man received enhanced bail and would accordingly remain in jail. A search warrant will be executed with assistance from Marin County deputies. Leone confirmed that inside the vehicle other property had been recovered from at least two prior clouting incidents (one in the park and one within the county). The investigation is ongoing. Leone is the case ranger working with the county. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
On the morning of Friday, October 23rd, USPP officer Stephen Smith responded to the Fort Mason Youth Hostel to investigate a report of a stolen credit card that had just been discovered by a guest there. When Smith arrived, he interviewed the victim about the theft, and in the process also learned that he'd been sexually assaulted by another guest while sleeping earlier that morning in one of the hostel's bunkhouses. The assault had been witnessed by a third person, who was a friend of the victim. The officer was provided with a description of the assailant. While this interview was underway, yet another hostel guest approached him and reported that his credit cards had also been stolen and used at several local businesses in San Francisco earlier that day. Smith asked hostel managers to contact him when the man returned, which they did. Smith then returned and talked to the man, who the victim and witness confirmed had been the assailant. Evidence also showed that he'd used the credit cards. An NCIC check revealed that there was a "no bail," extraditable felony warrant out against him for identity theft in New York. He was arrested. Further investigation revealed that he'd been traveling throughout Northern California and may have been involved in similar thefts in Sacramento. Detectives in USPP's San Francisco Criminal Branch are pursuing the investigation. Detective/sergeant Robert Jansing contacted the Assistant U.S. Attorney's Office, and the man was subsequently cited for sexual battery in the hostel incident. The AUSA will follow-up with New York officials on their charges and will also pursue additional identity theft changes in federal court for the hostel thefts. [Lt. Constance A. Leonard, Commander, Operations]
On the evening of Sunday, November 15th, park communications put out a "be on the lookout" message for a missing endangered person to rangers and U.S. Park Police officers. While conducting a patrol of the northern areas of the park, rangers Maya Seraphin and Sam Eddy found the missing 30-year-old man's parked and unoccupied vehicle in the parking lot at Slide Ranch. The rangers notified the on-duty supervisor, Pat Norton, who mobilized additional park staff to conduct a hasty search along the trails in that area. A California Highway Patrol helicopter was dispatched to the area and searched the shoreline with negative results. NPS staff met with the family of the missing person to gain additional information. The search was suspended around 1 a.m., but resumed the next morning with the assistance of a Marin County SAR team. As the team was assembling, the man's father and brother reported that they'd found him lying in the surf below the Slide Ranch compound. Park staff and lifeguards utilized inflatable watercraft to assist with the transport of his body to Stinson Beach. The incident is being investigated by Park Police detectives and the Marin County Medical Examiner's Office. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
A citizen called the Golden Gate/USPP dispatch center just before 10 p.m. on February 3rd to report that a person had just been shot near the youth hostel in Fort Mason. Park Police officer Tara McBride was dispatched; officer Scott Huther and sergeant David Williams responded to assist. When McBride arrived, she found a woman who'd been wounded in the head and a man who'd been shot in the mid-torso area. Presidio and San Francisco fire personnel responded, provided EMS care, and transported them to the hospital. A third victim was subsequently found - a man who'd been shot in the leg. Additional Park Police officers and investigators and Golden Gate protection rangers responded to secure the crime scene and conduct an investigation. They found that a fight had taken place between two groups in the Aquatic Park area. One of the groups then walked towards Fort Mason. An unidentified man followed the teenagers up the steps from Van Ness Avenue to Battery Black Point, pointed a handgun at them, and told them to empty their pockets. He then shot the three victims. The injured woman fled to the hostel and called in the shooting. Other teenagers attempted to overcome the man; although they were able to wrestle him to the ground, he was able to get away with assistance from a friend. A Park Police canine team was employed in a search for the shooter. An FBI Evidence Response Team was brought in to help with the investigation, and ten witnesses were interviewed by USPP detectives. Two of the injured victims were also interviewed at the hospital. The crime scene was secured and protected overnight, and the area was searched the next morning by the Park Police and the FBI team. Additional evidence was recovered. All three of the victims are in stable condition and expected to recover. The investigation is continuing; USPP Criminal Investigations Branch sergeant Robert Jansing is the lead investigator. [Lt. Constance A. Leonard, Commander, Operations]
An unidentified open carry enthusiast group recently contacted Golden Gate's special park uses office to discuss plans to volunteer for their own beach cleanup day on Baker Beach. They advised that during the event they intended to exercise their right to openly carry firearms, pursuant to California Penal Code 12025(f) and Public Law 111-23, Section 512, which now allow firearms in the park. Park Police and Golden Gate command staff met to organize a training and situational plan to address the possible scenarios associated with the organized demonstration. On the morning of February 27th, a joint briefing was held for assigned Park Police officers and rangers. At 11:30 a.m., a Park Police Officer reported seeing several people gathered together in the south parking lot of Baker Beach. Several members of the group displayed holstered, openly carried pistols. At the same time. a separate event was developing, as a tsunami warning was being broadcast for the bay area. The rangers who were assigned to the open carry demonstration were reassigned to the coastline areas to assist with emergency closures. Park Police officers contacted three separate groups that were actively engaged in cleaning the beach area. Several members within these groups were displaying open carry pistols. Pursuant to California Penal Code 12031(e), the weapons were only inspected to determine if they were loaded. Seven members within the groups were checked and were found to be in compliance with federal and state laws. The groups that were contacted were found to be extremely knowledgeable of the law and how it pertained to their constitutional rights. The contacts were filmed by multiple people within the groups and a local news reporter was present to document the event. No identification or further searches were conducted on any of the individuals during these brief contacts. There were no reports from the public and there was no significant impact on the park due to this specific incident. [Sergeant Todd Roth, US Park Police]
On the afternoon of Saturday, March 20th, ranger Terry Swift was conducting a patrol in Tennessee Valley when he was approached by a young woman in the parking lot who said that a friend of hers who had camped the previous night in the park had not returned home. After obtaining as much information as possible from the woman, Swift contacted supervisory ranger Kurt Veeck, who in turn contacted the Marin County Sheriff's Office and asked for assistance from the county's search and rescue team. Rangers, U.S. Park Police officers, Marin County Sheriff's Office deputies and search and rescue team personnel, U.S. Coast Guard personnel, and park lifeguard supervisors began an extensive ground and water search near the cliffs and coastline along Tennessee Beach. While the search was underway, U.S. Park Police criminal investigators began an investigation regarding the missing teenager. They determined through interviews with other teens who were present in the camp that night that there was a possibility that the teenager had fallen off the cliff into ocean - a fall of about 200 feet. The search ended at dark and resumed at 7 a.m. the next morning with over 100 volunteers from various Bay Area SAR teams, Marin County's urban search and rescue team, and Point Reyes rangers in their Safeboat. At approximately 11:30 a.m., ranger Xave Agnew and lifeguard supervisor John Ralph spotted the body of the missing teenager in a cove north of Muir Beach. The body was recovered via a long line extraction by a helicopter out of Sonoma County. It was transported to the Muir Beach parking lot, where the Marin County coroner and U.S. Park Police criminal investigators were waiting. The death is being investigated cooperatively with the coroner's office. No foul play is suspected; alcohol may have been a contributing factor. Media coverage was high. [Kim Coast, Operations Supervisor]
Lifeguards Sean Scallon, Marty Magnussen and James Matthews saw a kite surfer waving his arms in apparent distress near Stairwell 16 on Ocean Beach on the afternoon of May 23rd. Matthews and Magnussen entered the surf and paddled out approximately 100 yards to his location. When they got there, they found the surfer face down in the water, unresponsive and entangled in his kite surfing equipment. Winds at the time were over 25 miles per hour and waves were 8 to 10 feet high. This made the recue more difficult, but he was brought to shore with assistance from Scallon. CPR was begun and an AED was employed. San Francisco Fire Department's surf rescue vehicle was on the beach at the time, so paramedics were soon on scene. He was taken to a hospital, where succumbed to severe brain swelling several days later. [Kim Coast, Acting Chief Ranger]
Park dispatch broadcast a Coast Guard report of a sailboat near Cliff House with no occupants on board on the afternoon of May 23rd. Rangers and lifeguards responded and began searching the ocean from the land while the Coast Guard searched by air and water. Ranger John Goodwin soon found a man and woman on the rocky shore near Camelback Rocks. The woman was lying face down in the rocks, but Goodwin soon lost sight of the man. The Coast Guard helicopter lowered a rescue diver to the woman, and, with assistance from lifeguards and city fire department personnel, she was removed from the rocks. The man was eventually sighted again. Several efforts were made to extricate him from the rocks and pounding surf, but the retrieval effort became too dangerous and was called off. His body washed ashore on Ocean Beach the next day. The couple was from El Sobrante, California. Park Police detectives investigated the deaths. The weather and high seas at the time of the incident most likely were factors. [Kim Coast, Acting Chief Ranger]
On the afternoon of Saturday, May 29th, a park visitor reported that her car had been broken into at the Tennessee Valley parking area. Ranger Chad Marin responded and took the initial report of the incident. USPP detective-sergeant Robert Jansing continued the investigation and determined that two purses and two credit cards had been stolen from the car. Subsequent investigation revealed that the stolen credit cards had been used to purchase gas at two gas stations in San Rafael and to make small purchases at a local convenience store. The stolen card was then used at Golden State Wireless in San Rafael to purchase a wireless phone and to set up a Metro PCS account under a false name. Jansing obtained a search warrant for the Metro PCS records and subsequently identified a residence in Napa that had received calls from the phone. Jansing conducted interviews of the residents and developed a suspect for the crimes - a man who was on parole for burglary. The manager of the cell phone store identified him as the one using the stolen credit card to purchase the phone. Continued investigation revealed that he'd been arrested by San Rafael PD two days after this incident for attempted auto theft. The phone linking him to the crime was in his possession at the time. Jansing secured the phone as evidence. Further interviews and investigation resulted in the man's arrest for burglary and misuse of a credit card. His parole officer was notified and he will also face a parole violation. [Captain Constance A. Leonard, Assistant Commander, SFFO]
While closing up the Muir Beach overlook parking lot on the evening of June 29th, ranger Sarah Cavallaro came upon an unoccupied vehicle that had been locked in the previous night. Cavallaro searched the area in an effort to find the owner. After checking the trails and associated military bunkers, she went back to the vehicle and asked park dispatch to run the registered owner's name. The name came back as a missing person and Cavallaro also learned that the owner had attempted to purchase a handgun in Daly City the previous day. Supervisory ranger Pat Norton had Cavallaro open the vehicle; when she did so, she found a handwritten note that had been notarized, alluding to a possible suicide. Additional rangers and a United States Park Police canine officer arrived and continued to search the immediate area while a helicopter flew to the area to assist in the search. The dog led the rangers and officer to the end of the overlook, but the helicopter was unable to locate anyone in the area. The search continued until midnight. At approximately 6 a.m., members of the Marin County Search and Rescue Team and rangers began a search of the trails, cliff sides and the ocean waters below. Lifeguards launched a personal watercraft around 9:30 a.m. and began searching the water and coastline. Within an hour, they'd found a man's body face down on the jagged rock outcroppings approximately 850 feet below the end of the overlook. Park lifeguards and the Marin SAR team recovered the body. A detective from the U.S. Park Police criminal investigations branch is working with the coroner's office to positively identify the victim. [Kim Coast, Acting Chief Ranger]
On the afternoon of Saturday, July 10th, dispatch received a call reporting that a man had fallen off a cliff at Rodeo Beach in the Marin Headlands. Rangers and public safety personnel from the Presidio responded; patrol craft from the Coast Guard and Marin County Sheriff's Office were also dispatched. The reporting party, talking through a Spanish interpreter, said that her husband had been fishing on the rocky coast of Rodeo Beach when a large wave hit him and knocked him off the rocks, causing him to fall about 40 feet to the water below. County deputies found and retrieved the man and transferred him to the Coast Guard vessel, Coast Guard personnel conducted CPR while he was being transported to a waiting ambulance at Fort Baker. Southern Marin emergency responders pronounced him dead at the Coast Guard Station. U.S. Park Police criminal investigators conducted the follow up investigation. [Kim Coast, Acting Chief Ranger]
On the evening of Sunday, July 19th, rangers on patrol at Stinson Beach heard a call on the Marin County radio reporting a fight in progress involving two groups with baseball bats in the south parking lot. Rangers and Marin County deputies responded along with medics assigned to Stinson Beach for the summer. Ranger Sarah Cavallaro responded from the lifeguard tower and witnesses directed her to a sedan that was being driven out of the parking lot. Cavallaro conducted a traffic stop and was backed by a Marin County deputy. The driver of the sedan had blood on his face and said that he had been hit in the back of the head with a baseball bat; he in turn punched another male from the other group in the face with the assumption that he was the subject who hit him with the bat. The deputy stayed with the driver and occupants of the van while Cavallaro went to the south lot to meet with supervisory ranger Pat Norton and medics to determine what precipitated the fight. The group in the south lot was highly agitated, uncooperative and verbally abusive to rangers. One member of the group was so uncooperative that Cavallaro advised him he would be tasered if he did not respond to commands to sit down. It was determined that the fight started over inappropriate comments made towards one of the young women in the sedan. The man who was punched suffered a broken jaw but refused medical care. The man who was hit with the baseball bat also refused medical care. Deputies and rangers realized very quickly that neither group was providing credible information about who was responsible for using the baseball bat; everyone gave conflicting stories and refused to cooperate. A detective from U.S. Park Police was summoned and is conducting a follow up investigation. No charges or arrests were made at the scene. The baseball bat was seized and placed into evidence. [Kim Coast, Acting Chief Ranger]
A 17-year-old boy from Pennsylvania fell an estimated 400 to 500 feet to his death on July 19th while hiking near Muir Beach with his family. The teen, who was on vacation with his parents and several siblings, fell from the Coastal Trail about three quarters of a mile south of Muir Beach. Muir Beach volunteers firefighters arrived and tried to resuscitate the boy until NPS lifeguards from Stinson Beach could evacuate him on a rescue watercraft. He was pronounce dead on scene. Initial investigation indicated this was an accident. [Alexandra Picavet, Public Affairs Officer]
An incident unfolded in the Marin Headlands on December 31st that culminated in the arrest of a Fairfield, California, woman who had a revelation that the world was going to end as a result of an earthquake. Ranger Owen Simcoe was stopped at the traffic light at the Baker Barry Tunnel when he saw the driver of a large U-Haul truck enter the tunnel against the red light. Simcoe began following the truck and radioed for additional assistance, Ranger Xavier Agnew followed in behind and attempted to stop the truck, but without success. The driver of the truck exceeded speeds of 50 miles per hour along a two mile stretch of road and finally came to a stop at Bird Rock Overlook. A felony traffic stop was conducted, but the driver refused all commands to come out of the vehicle. Rangers discovered that three people were locked in the back of the U-Haul against their will. Additional law enforcement assistance was provided by rangers, U.S. Park Police officers, Marin County Sheriff's deputies and Sausalito Police Department officers. Lieutenant Todd Roth of the US Park Police made repeated attempts to negotiate with the driver, but she refused to cooperate. A man in the front seat of the truck decided to get out, and reported that he and the three others in the back of the vehicle were homeless and had been lured into the truck by the driver on the premise that she would pay them to help her move. Two tactical teams were deployed to remove the trio from the back of the van; the teams then successfully removed the driver and her 74-year-old aunt. The driver, L.A.F., 36, was charged with suspicion of kidnapping, false imprisonment, evading, and multiple traffic violations. The investigation continues; rangers are working with the Marin County District Attorney's Office. Additional details to follow. [Kim Coast, Acting Chief Ranger]
Ranger Justin Webster was preparing to close the Muir Beach parking lot late on the afternoon of January 13th when he noted that a vehicle was still parked in the lot. Webster hiked out to the beach and came upon a man, later identified as J.B. of Gurley, Alabama, smoking what appeared to be marijuana in a pipe. Webster called for backup and waited until ranger Ryan Wright arrived on scene. While interviewing J.B., another man, D.P. of Trussville, Alabama, came up from the beach. The two men were escorted off the beach and back to their vehicle. Wright detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from all compartments of the vehicle. A search was conducted, resulting in the seizure of 84.2 grams of hashish, 35.1 grams of marijuana, and 20 pounds of marijuana in a plastic bag. Additional items found included a vacuum sealer, food sealer bags, packaging tape, butane gas, razor blades, PVC pipe, and cellular phones. The men were arrested and taken to the Marin County jail. The Marin County Task Force and NPS special agent Matt Ehmann were notified. During the course of the investigation it was determined that both men were involved in the manufacture and sale of hashish. They were held on state charges on $500,000 bail. Federal charges are pending and the investigation continues. [Kim Coast, Acting Chief Ranger]
The body of A.H.M., 39, was discovered on January 22nd in the surf near Black Sands Beach by visitors hiking in the area. Rangers and USPP officers responded. The relatives of the man had reported him missing the day before. It appears that A.H.M. had been fishing in the high surf in a remote area along the coast and may have been hit by waves that knocked him into the water. The body was removed by a California Highway Patrol helicopter. USPP detectives and the Marin County coroner are investigating. [Kim Coast, Acting Chief Ranger]
A 92-year-old woman from Sausalito was found safe a day after she was reported missing by family members. Y.C. was last seen in Sausalito on January 24th, trying to get to her home after her daily walk. There were public safety vehicles and fire trucks in her neighborhood, though, which evidently caused her to take an unfamiliar route and become lost. A search for her was begun. Joggers in the Kirby Cove area of the park discovered her in the bushes the following morning and recognized her from a televised missing person story. They called 911, and rangers John Goodwin, Mike Yost and Sam Eddy responded. Goodwin and Yost found that the woman was in remarkably good shape, considering her age, the route she'd walked, and the cold, windy overnight conditions. Y.C. did not speak English. She was transported by the rangers to a waiting ambulance at Battery Spencer. [Kim Coast, Acting Chief Ranger]
Rangers John Goodwin and Mike Yost were on patrol in the Merrie Way parking lot on the morning of January 26th when they came upon a van with shades and blankets covering all of its windows. When they approached it, they could smell the odor of marijuana emanating from inside the vehicle. Contact was made with the occupants; the woman gave the rangers a New York license, but the man claimed he didn't have any identification. During the interview, he provided false information regarding his identity. Goodwin and Yost had them get out of the van, then searched it. Inside they found baggies of a black tar substance, marijuana roaches, marijuana buds, smoking devices and 3.2 pounds of marijuana and 9.2 grams of psilocybin. Both were placed under arrest and transported to a US Park Police holding facility. The man was found to have a no bail warrant against him out of San Diego, but it could not be confirmed because no photo identification could be obtained (San Francisco County detention facilities require photo documentation). Both were charged with several violations and released with a promise to appear in federal court. [Kim Coast, Acting Chief Ranger]
The 8.9 earthquake that struck Japan last Friday - the fifth largest quake in the world since 1900 and nearly 8,000 times stronger than the one that recently devastated Christchurch, New Zealand - produced a tsunami that crossed the open and came up on the shores of park beaches from Guam to the West Coast. No visitor or employee injuries have been reported. The following summarizes reports submitted from all affected areas: Golden Gate - There were closures throughout the park from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., at which point all beaches from Stinson to Rodeo were reopened. Closures continued for some time along all beaches in San Francisco County, including Fort Point, China Beach, Baker Beach, Ocean Beach and Fort Funston. Rangers and U.S. Park Police officers coordinated operations with San Francisco PD. Only slight surges occurred, due largely to the fact that they occurred during low tide. [Dean Ross, Deputy Chief of Emergency Services, WASO; Karen Gatewood, Acting Regional Chief Ranger, PWRO; Steve Chaney, Superintendent, REDW; Kim Coast, Acting Chief Ranger, GOGA; John Quinley, Public Affairs, ARO]
Members of Marin Search and Rescue were participating in a high angle recovery on the cliffs below Battery Spencer in Marin Headlands last September when they came upon what appeared to be a human skull about 20 feet above the ocean. Evidence was recovered by rangers, and Marin SAR helped join in a search for additional remains. Evidence collected allowed investigators to tentatively identify the man and confirm that identity via DNA samples from his family. He was identified as a man, reportedly despondent, who'd disappeared in December, 2002. His abandoned car was found at Battery Spencer and an air, water and ground search was conducted by 25 Marin SAR members, three CARDA dog teams, the Coast Guard and the California Highway Patrol. That search proved fruitless and the case remained open until the remains were found and identified. For additional details, click on the link below. [Kim Coast, Acting Chief Ranger] HYPERLINK "http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_17639841"
Early on the morning of May 6, 2011, a 38-year-old man was stabbed in the abdomen by an unknown male assailant while walking through Crissy Field, an area within Golden Gate NRA. On October, following a lengthy investigation, an arrest warrant was obtained from the United States District Court in San Francisco for a 33-year-old man for assault and attempted murder. He was arrested later that month and held in federal custody. On January 26th, on the advice of his defense counsel, the man pled guilty to assault with a deadly weapon. Based on the nature of this case and the man's past criminal history, he was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. This case was investigated by the Criminal Investigations Branch of the Park Police's San Francisco Field Office. The lead investigators were detective sergeant Robert Jansing, detective Robert Reidy, and investigator Steven Polianos. [Lt. Thomas Hart, United States Park Police]
A plainclothes ranger working in the Marin Headlands on the afternoon of June 7th spotted a stolen vehicle. The four people inside matched the general description of suspects in a series of auto larcenies that had been reported in the area. The car left the area and headed toward the Golden Gate Bridge. When the driver saw a parked, marked ranger patrol vehicle near the bridge's onramp, he panicked and tried to flee toward Sausalito. Within a mile, he lost control of the stolen vehicle and hit a light pole, sheering it off at its base; the car then rolled over and ended up on its roof. Rangers arrived on the scene and apprehended two people attempting to get out of the car. The other two had to be extracted from the totaled vehicle, one of them with a HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaws_of_Life" hydraulic rescue tool. Investigation revealed that the car had been stolen in Saint Helena, California, and that the three juveniles and one adult inside were from the Napa area. Two had life-threatening injuries and underwent surgery; the driver was arrested and booked for DUI with injuries and possession of a stolen auto; the fourth occupant was medically cleared and also taken into custody. [Alexandra Picavet, Public Affairs Specialist]
In order to improve safety for the thousands of annual users of park roads in the Marin Headlands, the park conducted a bicycle safety education initiative entitled "Operation Safe Cycle" on the afternoon of Saturday, September 15th. The operation focused on the popular roadways within Marin Headlands where serious accident are all too common, particularly Conzelman, Bunker and McCullough Roads. Bicycle accidents in the Marin Headlands are the most common cause of serious injury to park visitors in the entire 80,000-acre park. Rangers educated bicyclists and motorists about the rules of the road and how to prevent the conflicts between bikes and cars that frequently occur on the roads in the Headlands. Rangers made over 300 vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle contacts for infractions ranging from speeding to failing to yield to a pedestrian/bicyclist. They also wrote five citations for speeding and conducted 26 visitor assists. The safety initiative will continue in the future in partnership with local agencies. [Randy Lavasseur, Deputy Chief Ranger]
On Wednesday morning, September 19th, rangers responded to a report of a dead body on the shore lines of Rodeo Beach in the Marin Headlands. Rangers found a decomposing body, secured the area, and requested assistance from the investigative branch of the United Stated Park Police. The Marin County Coroner's Office transported the body to the Marin County morgue. A positive identification has not been made. The investigation in ongoing by the USPP and the Coroner's Office. [Randy Lavasseur]
On the evening of Wednesday, September 26th, rangers responded to a report of a drunken man who appeared to be in distress on the northern part of the beach at Fort Funston. Upon confirming a better location from a reporting party, rangers located a lone man sitting on the beach at the base of the nearby cliffs with nightfall and heavy fog quickly settling in. The man was obviously intoxicated and admitted to drinking vodka all day. Rangers escorted him off the beach and to their nearby patrol cars. While there, the man admitted to attempting suicide by getting drunk and hoping to be swept out to sea by the incoming tide. The rangers took him to San Francisco General Hospital for a psychological evaluation. While being admitted, he started to sober up and thanked rangers several times for saving his life and was "touched" that two different park users had reported him to law enforcement. Just before departing the psychological ward of the hospital, he told the rangers that he was going to kill himself that day. The man was taking prescription anti-depressants and told the intake nurse that he thinks about suicide every day of his life. [Randy Lavasseur, Deputy Chief Ranger]
On Thursday, October 4th, park maintenance workers located a backpack on a bench at Battery Rathbone. The backpack contained various items, including a wallet, iPhone, and prescription drug bottles. Investigators soon determined that the backpack belonged to a woman who was possibly suicidal. Rescue Vessel 29, a patrol vessel from Point Reyes that was assigned to a special event in the area, responded and found a body on the cliff side, approximately 80 feet above the shoreline and directly below Battery Rathbone. Rangers instituted ICS and requested assistance from the U.S. Park Police Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) and Southern Marin Fire Department. A lowering system was built and a ranger and a Southern Marin firefighter were lowered with a litter to the body. They recovered the victim, who matched the description of the suicidal woman. She was then lowered to waiting Golden Gate lifeguards on a jet ski, who in turn transferred the body to Rescue Vessel 29. The body was taken to the Coast Guard station at Fort Baker, where a positive ID was made by the coroner and next of kin were notified. Although it was an unfortunate event, the response was notable for excellent interdivisional coordination among park maintenance employees, rangers (from both Golden Gate and Point Reyes), Park Police officers, and Coast Guard and Southern Marin FD personnel. [Randy Lavasseur, Deputy Chief Ranger]
The park received a report of a woman climbing down the cliff face at Fort Funston yesterday afternoon, trying to retrieve her dog, which was off leash and not under voice control when it went over the edge of the cliff. The woman fell approximately 50 feet to the beach before rangers and San Francisco fire and rescue personnel were able to reach her. She was then flown to a medical facility by a California Highway Patrol helicopter. The dog, which was 75 feet below the cliff edge, was also rescued. This was the second such rescue this week. The park deals with seven or eight such dog rescues each year. [Alexandra Picavet, Public Affairs Officer]
Rangers on patrol at Stinson Beach last Saturday afternoon heard park visitors yelling for help. They'd discovered a man with a body board floating face down near the shore, pulled him up onto the beach, and then called for help. Rangers Scott Nash and Navin Chan found that he had no pulse and was not breathing, so began CPR, obtained an AED, and used it in an effort to resuscitate him. The man gasped after a few minutes and began breathing sporadically on his own. Personnel from Stinson Beach VFD soon arrived and took over. The man began to breathe on his own and opened his eyes several time. A medevac helicopter flew him to Doctors Hospital in San Pablo, where he remains in critical condition. [Alexandra Picavet, Public Affairs Officer]
During the month of February, Park Police Officer Stephen Smith recovered a large amount of methamphetamine (about a half pound) during a routine traffic stop in the Presidio of San Francisco. The driver was found to have a warrantless search clause as a condition of probation for a previous drug offense. He also was in possession of various drug paraphernalia, leading Smith to believe he might be selling the product. Park Police criminal investigators conducted a search of the man's residence, which led to the recovery of various items typically used to produce methamphetamine and a large amount of the product itself, approximately half a pound. The man was recently indicted by a federal grand jury in San Francisco and pled guilty to possession of narcotics with the intent to distribute. He is to be sentenced to 10 years in federal prison in September. [Lieutenant Todd Roth, United States Park Police]
On February 17th, the park's Problem Solving Unit, a specialized unit that focuses on long term enforcement issues in the park, organized a task force entitled Unified Unbroken. Participating in the operation along with park rangers were personnel from the California Highway Patrol, the Marin County Task Force, the Marin County Attorney's Office, and Sausalito Police Department's investigations division. The mission of the operation was to identify, detect, and arrest people committing vehicle burglaries in the park and surrounding areas. The operation lasted two weeks and resulted in the identification of several suspects who were "shopping" vehicles, the arrest of three people who committed a violent armed robbery, and an ongoing investigation into an assault on three law enforcement rangers, hit and run, felony eluding, possession of narcotics and vehicle burglary. The investigation is being conducted by the US Park Police Criminal Investigations Branch, assisted by the task force. This was the second task force created by the Problem Solving Unit in the last six months. The first task force, entitled Unified Vigilance, resulted in the arrests of four people for vehicle burglary, possession of narcotics, and outstanding felony warrants. [Randy Lavasseur, Deputy Chief, Law Enforcement & Emergency Services]
A father, his son and the boy's cousin were pulled out into a strong rip current off Ocean Beach on Wednesday, April 9th. A surfer, the 17-year-old son of a local fire captain, risked his life to rescue the man and the cousin, bringing them to shore, where arriving city paramedics began CPR on the man. They were able to restore his pulse. Park lifeguards and rangers joined Coast Guard and San Francisco Fire Department personnel in a multi-day search for the man's 14-year-old son. Despite an intensive search that begin within minutes of the incident and included numerous vessels and three helicopters, no sign of the boy was found. Click on this link to see an April 10th San Francisco Chronicle story on the rescue that includes a video and numerous images: HYPERLINK "http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Search-continues-for-boy-missing-off-Ocean-Beach-5390434.php"
It is rare to have a successful outcome to a medical incident requiring CPR and the use of an AED, but to have two such rescues in two days is highly unusual. Golden Gate park rangers had just that happen earlier this month. On the afternoon of Sunday, June 8th, lifeguards on busy Stinson Beach in Marin County responded to the report of an unconscious 70-year-old woman on the beach. A lifeguard called Stinson Beach Fire Department for assistance and headed to the scene. When he arrived, he found two off-duty Marin County Fire Department paramedics providing CPR. Park lifeguards arrived on scene and transferred the needed equipment, including an AED, to the paramedics. NPS rangers soon joined them and assisted with crowd control and setting up a helicopter landing zone. One took over chest compressions for one of the paramedics just before the AED advised to provide a shock. The woman's pulse returned after the AED administered one shock, and she was transferred to a medevac helicopter and flown to Doctor's Hospital in San Pablo. At last report, she was awake and speaking to doctors. It's expected that she will recover from this incident. Then, on Monday, June 9th, rangers responded to the Point Bonita YMCA to a report of a 46-year-old woman who was unconscious and not breathing. She was visiting Point Bonita Lighthouse with her husband when she slumped over in their vehicle and stopped breathing. YMCA staff called 911, attached an AED, and initiated "hands-only" CPR. Rangers arrived on scene and took over CPR. In addition to being in cardiac arrest, she had severe hemorrhaging from the mouth which complicated CPR efforts. During CPR, the AED advised and delivered five shocks. By the time Southern Marin Fire Department paramedics arrived on scene, she had regained a pulse. The woman was transported to Marin General Hospital, where she was admitted to the ICU. Doctors expected her to recover. [Alexandra Picavet, Public Affairs Specialist]
On August 10th, rangers received a call from a hotel concessioner within the park notifying them of suspicious activity regarding a U-Haul van and two people who were staying at the hotel. Rangers and Park Police officers arrived on scene and during a vehicle search discovered approximately $3,600 in suspected crystal methamphetamine. Rangers called out the park's Problem Solving Unit (PSU) to assist with the investigation. PSU responded to assist and the ensuing investigation and interviews culminated in the discovery of several fraudulent credit cards, a credit card embossing machine, a realistic looking BB gun, and a no-bail warrant. Two people were arrested on charges pertaining to drug trafficking, credit card fraud, identity theft, and false information. PSU continues to assist the case ranger with the follow-up investigation, which includes multiple search warrants and additional interviews. [Chad Marin, Acting Deputy Chief, Law Enforcement & Emergency Services]
Over the past two months, Golden Gate National Recreation Area has been visited by several dignitaries. Their security has been coordinated by the park's Problem Solving Unit (PSU). The park recently hosted President Obama, who utilized Crissy Field as a landing zone for Marine One and support aircraft, including three V-22 Ospreys. Security for his arrival was provided jointly by park rangers, PSU rangers, United States Park Police officers, Secret Service personnel, and San Francisco police. Shortly thereafter, Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey and his family visited Alcatraz. This visit was coordinated by the PSU in conjunction with the California Highway Patrol's dignitary protection unit and the New Jersey State Police Executive Protection Unit. This week, Alcatraz was visited by Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx and his family. The visit was coordinated by PSU rangers and special agents from the secretary's staff. All operations were successful because of interagency pre-planning and execution and the professional work of park rangers, USPP officers, and the park's PSU. [Chad Marin, Deputy Chief]
On Tuesday, August 12th, Cavallo Point Lodge security notified an investigator with the park's Problem Solving Unit (PSU) that a person checked into the hotel using a stolen credit card number. PSU members contacted a Chinese national who had visited the San Francisco area but was now in Arizona. She said she was informed by her bank of unusual activity and confirmed the credit card number on file at the lodge with PSU. Working in conjunction with shift rangers, PSU set up plainclothes surveillance, awaiting the suspect's return, and had the lodge deactivate the room access cards. Rangers and PSU investigators made contact with two women when they returned to the lodge. One was found to have a search clause as a condition of probation for previous violations of identity theft and credit card fraud. A search of her person produced several fraudulent credit cards, including the one fraudulently used at the lodge. A search of her hotel room revealed a suitcase which contained a credit card embossing machine, two credit card reader/writers, 42 fraudulently-made cards, additional blank cards, and a small amount of methamphetamine. The woman was arrested and is currently faces a violation of probation, numerous state charges, and possible federal charges. PSU has partnered with the Northern California Computer Crimes Taskforce, which will assist with the continuing investigation by forensically examining the seized computers and cell phones. [Chad Marin, Deputy Chief, Law Enforcement & Emergency Services]
US Park Police Officer Eric Cole was on foot patrol on Great Highway, looking for a man who was involved in a rape a few days previously, when he saw a man measuring what appeared to be narcotics on a scale. When Cole contacted him, he attempted to hide the narcotics in the sand. A search incident to arrest revealed that he was in possession of hash oil, methamphetamines , mushrooms, cocaine, heroin, and over-the-counter medications. The narcotics were field tested and revealed a positive result for each of the aforementioned narcotics and/or controlled substance. The weight and value of the seized drugs, confirmed by DEA, were as follows - $700 for an ounce of methedrine, $480 for six grams of cocaine, $100 for a gram of heroin, $100 for eight grams of mushrooms, and $21,720 for 1.2 pounds of hash oil. The total value came to $23,100. The man also had $1,322 in cash in his possession. The man was arrested and charged with possession of felony narcotics for sale, possession of controlled substances, and possession of drug paraphernalia (needle and scale). [Major Noreen T. Schirmer, Commander, San Francisco Field Office]
On the evening of August 24th, rangers received a report via 911 that a serious assault had just occurred on Muir Beach and that the assailant was still in the area and possibly armed with an ax. Rangers, Park Police officers, Marin County deputies, and EMS personnel responded. The victim was found, treated at the scene, and taken to a local hospital. A tactical ground team located and took the assailant into custody without incident on the southern end of Muir Beach. The ax was found immediately adjacent to him and collected as evidence. He was transported to the local county jail, where he was charged with attempted homicide. He remains at the local county jail with bail set at $500,000. Rangers and Golden Gate PSU members are conducting the investigation in cooperation with the Marin County District Attorney's Office. [Chad Marin, Deputy Chief, Law Enforcement and Emergency Services]
Park Police officers, park lifeguards and San Francisco Fire Department personnel responded to a report of two people stuck on the rocks near Painted Rock on the Coastal Trail on Thursday, October 30th. A man was found on the rocks about 150 to 200 feet below the trail; there was a woman below him, but she was not immediately visible. Park lifeguards swam to a spot below and found the woman's body on the beach there. Lifeguards and firefighters swam her body out to a waiting fireboat. Meanwhile, firefighters set up a long-haul rope system and brought the man back up to the Coastal Trail. Park Police detectives took a statement from the man and then transported him to his residence. The woman's body was taken to the San Francisco Medical Examiners' Office. The man and woman had hiked into a closed area that was posted with a sign stating that the area was dangerous and that people had fallen from that location, a fall of approximately 300 feet. The woman fell to her death; the man became stranded while trying to reach her. The case remains under investigation. [Major Noreen T. Schirmer, Commander, San Francisco Field Office]
Proactive ranger patrols and a vigilant public made this last week one of the more successful in apprehending vandals in the park. Rangers arrested five people and issued two more several citations on graffiti-related charges. Two of the vandals arrested attempted to flee when contacted by rangers. While fleeing, they became stuck on a cliff face and needed to be extracted by a helicopter and technical rope rescue system. Click on this link for a news video of the rescue: HYPERLINK "http://abc7news.com/536624/". Golden Gate NRA protects a large number of historic coastal defense structures that span the nation's military past. These structures date back as far as the mid-1800's and include red brick fortifications, concrete gun batteries, and cold war Nike missile sites. Graffiti at these sites has become an increasing and costly problem. In addition to historic military sites, vandals have defaced rock walls, trees, roadways, signs, fences, benches, and more. The cost to restore all historic structures to their pre-graffiti state would cost well over a million dollars. In addition to the financial cost of graffiti abatement, vandals frequently enter closed areas, which can be not only hazardous but also damaging to natural resources. Over the past two years, the park has conducted 20 operations focused on both the apprehension of vandals and graffiti abatement. During this two year period, 22 vandalism suspects have been arrested and 39 have been issued citations. State and federal charges are currently pending for $20,000 in damages performed by two vandals at various sites throughout the park. There are also four open investigations for similar damage amounts. Rangers have worked closely with the District Attorney's Office, Assistant US Attorney's Office, Facebook/Instagram, Google, and many others in these investigations. [Chad Marin, Deputy Chief, Law Enforcement & Emergency Services]
A car with three occupants went off Conzelman Road at Battery Spencer in the Marin Headlands around 9 p.m. on May 13th. Two of the occupants of the rolled over vehicle were able to escape without injuries with the assistance of other visitors, but the driver was pinned inside and had to be extricated by personnel from Southern Marin Fire Department. The California Highway Patrol and U.S. Park Police also assisted on the accident. The driver refused medical attention and was taken to Marin County Jail on DUI charges. His BAC was determined to be .151%. According to park visitors who witnessed the accident, the vehicle was traveling at speeds in excess of 80 mph when it rolled. [Matthew E. Wallat, Law Enforcement Specialist]
On the morning of June 4th, rangers responded to the report of a body washed ashore on the beaches below the Point Bonita Radar Station in the Marin Headlands. The first ranger on scene determined the body was that of a woman, about 20 to 25 years old. Rangers, NPS lifeguards and Coast Guard personnel coordinated a recovery of the body from the beach. The lifeguards utilized a jet ski to transfer the body to a waiting Coast Guard vessel. An investigation into the cause of death was undertaken by the Marin County Medical Examiner's Office and Golden Gate's Problem Solving Unit. [Matthew E. Wallat, Law Enforcement Specialist]
On the evening of Wednesday, June 24th, a motorcyclist from Oakland was killed in a crash on Bunker Road in the Marin Headlands. The motorcyclist was traveling at an estimated speed of 80+ mph, eastbound on Bunker Road through the Baker-Barry tunnel, when he lost control of motorcycle near the tunnel exit and crashed. Another motorcyclist was trailing behind and discovered the operator in the roadway with the motorcycle approximately 25 to 30 yards further down the road. Rangers were nearby on another call and responded quickly to 911 reports of the crash. The first ranger to arrive performed CPR; paramedics from the Southern Marin Fire Department arrived shortly thereafter and took over. They declared him dead at the scene. Investigators from the park's Problem Solving Unit (PSU) coordinated the death investigation with the Marin County coroner and the accident investigation with the reconstruction team from the United States Park Police. The California Highway Patrol and Golden Gate Bridge Patrol also assisted with the incident. [Matthew E. Wallat, Law Enforcement Specialist]
The National Park Service and local fire and emergency units responded to a report of a fall near the Lands End Painted Rock area on the evening of June 22nd. Park Police officers searched the area and spotted a girl lying on a rock about six feet from the water's edge. Officers tried to communicate with her, but she did not respond and remained immobile. Rescue rangers reached her by water and found that she'd suffered extensive trauma. Lifesaving efforts were begun, but proved unavailing. USPP criminal investigators determined that the girl and two other juveniles had parked their car along El Camino Del Mar, then walked down to a fence with a sign saying "Danger: Area Closed." They ignored the sign, made their way through the fence, and walked to the cliff's edge. At some point, the girl fell 150 to 200 feet and landed on the rock. The two survivors admitted to detectives that they knew the area was closed, but entered anyhow. Source: Press release, Golden Gate NRA.
A body found this past Sunday in the ocean waters near Stinson Beach has been identified as a hiker reported missing in early December near Muir Beach. T.S., 21, was on a hike with his girlfriend near Pirate's Cove Trail at Muir Beach on December 3rd when he ventured off trail and became separated from her. Crews from the National Park Service, Marin County Fire Department, Marin County Search and Rescue, Marin County Sheriff's Office and Southern Marin Fire Protection District searched roads, trails and the coastline between Muir Beach and Tennessee Valley, a small, undeveloped area near Mill Valley. The search for T.S. was suspended on December 5th. T.S.'s body was found in the ocean Sunday about two miles west of Stinson Beach. A post mortem examination and toxicology testing have been scheduled. Source: News story, Mill Valley Patch.
A "Pineapple Express" Pacific Ocean storm brought heavy rains to the West Coast last weekend, causing significant impacts to several NPS areas: Golden Gate NRA — Many areas in the park and around San Francisco were flooded due to rain that fell on Saturday; precipitation totals included 2.68 inches in Mill Valley, 2.26 inches in Novato, 1.23 inches in Kentfield and 1.12 inches in San Rafael. Muir Woods and Stinson Beach were closed to visitors and vehicles for public safety on Saturday because of the storm; the reopening date remains uncertain. Both Tennessee Valley Beach and the westernmost segment of the Tennessee Valley Trail were closed from Thursday through Sunday for public safety in anticipation of the storm. The Point Bonita Lighthouse was closed Saturday and Sunday. A river of water rushing through the Stinson Beach parking lot caused some water damage to the patio market and snack bar at the Parkside Cafe, but the main restaurant was spared because it is built on a higher level. For a video showing the "river" running through the Stinson Beach parking lot, check out this SFGate video. Sources: Yosemite National Park; Marin Independent Journal
An investigation is underway into a suspicious blaze that destroyed a historic park building that was once the site of a United States Army shooting range. About 30 firefighters from more than five local fire districts responded late on Halloween evening to the former indoor rifle range and target house, located in the Marin Headlands, and found the building fully engulfed in flame. It took them an hour to contain the fire and longer to mop up. Fire officials have ruled out all natural causes for the fire, such as ordinary electrical and gas failures. The preliminary estimate placed the loss at $267,000. The building was one of the last remaining structures associated with the historic Fort Barry rifle range. Source: San Francisco Chronicle.
Collecting (And Donating) Trash — Two Democratic House members from California — Representatives Jackie Speier and Jared Huffman — recently joined volunteers picking up trash at two sites in Golden Gate NRA. They planned on packaging it, then delivering it to the White House. Source: William Cummings, USA Today.
A mudslide that originated in the park's Marin Headlands unit during the early hours of Thursday, February 14th, struck a duplex in neighboring Sausalito and pushed it across Sausalito Boulevard and into a house on the other side of the highway. The slide also damaged four other homes and five vehicles. A woman who lived on the second floor of the collapsed duplex was trapped for 20 minutes before she could be extricated. She was taken to Marin General Hospital, treated for injuries and released. Four adults, a baby, a cat and a dog were rescued from a second home. Eighty public safety personnel were at the scene for several hours searching for anyone else trapped in the debris. Multiple gas leaks in the area were mitigated, and 25 people were evacuated from their homes until Thursday evening. The city is working with the National Park Service on efforts to stabilize the mudslide area upslope of Sausalito Boulevard. The National Weather Service said the Sausalito area received more than five inches of rain in the 24 hours before the mudslide. Source: KPIX News.
Two women who were walking a dog on the beach below Fort Funston last Friday were forced partway up an adjacent 200-foot sandstone cliff, which then collapsed and buried them. Bystanders freed the dog and one woman, who had been buried in sand up to her shoulders. She had minor injuries but was in shock. San Francisco Fire Department crews with shovels and tractors searched Friday and Saturday for the other woman, who remains missing and is now presumed to have died. Search dogs also assisted in the efforts. Source: Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter: Golden Gate NRA — The search for the woman who was buried in a landslide at Fort Funston last week has ended. Park staff reported that they'd "exhausted all possible actions" and said that there was a "high probability that the woman was taken out to sea by high tide." Source: Bay City News Service, San Francisco Chronicle.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter: Golden Gate NRA — A body found at Fort Funston on March 25th proved to be that of 22-year-old K.S.S., who disappeared in a landslide that occurred while she and a friend were walking on the beach on February 22nd. The family had this to say in a statement made after her body was recovered: "The family would like to thank the many public safety agencies that have worked tirelessly to help find Kyra Sunshine, watch over the site and the kindness they have shown the family." Source: Associated Press.
Articles and reports on coronavirus-related actions in the parks and NPS offices are beginning to come in, although only a few sites have made public statements, usually brief. The best overview to date has been by Kurt Repanshek in the March 15th edition of his National Parks Traveler. Rather than cite the few similar park press releases that have appeared, this first coronavirus report consists of excerpts from that article, with a link at bottom for more information: "Though a few more units of the National Park System were closing Sunday in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, and outwardly it was business as usual across the National Park System on Sunday, behind the scenes tensions were growing over the situation. The official list of closures Sunday included Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center, Lands End Lookout, the Nike Missile site, Point Bonita Lighthouse, and the Muir Woods National Monument bookstore and entrance station at Golden Gate National Recreation Area; Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument, Ford's Theatre National Historic Site, the Old Post Office Tower, and the Washington Monument. On Monday the list was to expand to include the Presidio Visitor Center, the Marin Headlands Visitor Center, and Fort Point National Historic Site, all at Golden Gate." "National Park Service officials in Washington, D.C., continued to point to the statement that their Office of Public Health was continuing to monitor the situation and was in contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as to how to move forward... "However, park superintendents were said to be growing frustrated by the situation and lack of control they have over their operations. David Vela, the Park Service's deputy director who is its de facto director, told the superintendents that they don't have discretion to close facilities if they deem them to be a health hazard to visitors or employees. Guidelines sent out to superintendents from Washington stated that 'all operational changes in parks (cancellations and closures) must be made through the proper NPS leadership channels.' "Against those realities, messaging on how to deal with the public coming down from Park Service headquarters was embarrassing to some field staff. 'There is widespread anger and frustration,' the Traveler was told. 'I'm just speculating, but I think over the next several days there's going to be some revolts.' "Lacking so far from the headquarters 'is any systematic guidance. It's totally up to how far the superintendent wants to stick his or her neck out. It's just ridiculous. I have never been so appalled at the lack of leadership. And I'm blaming this on the politicos' in the Interior Department who are calling the shots.'" Sources: Kurt Repanshek, National Parks Traveler.
A 20-year-old man nearly drowned while swimming at Stinson Beach last Wednesday and needed to be airlifted to John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek. The man was unresponsive after being pulled from the water, but was alert and speaking by the time the medevac helicopter reached a local hospital. Stinson Beach's parking lots are currently closed after crowds flooded the beach two weekends ago in defiance of Marin County's social distancing guidelines. The county then closed over 18,000 acres of federal, state and local parks, including the parking lots at Stinson. The beach itself is part of the park and is technically still open. Public health officials, however, are urging individuals not to congregate at the beach. Source: Eric Ting, SF Gate.
Five teenagers who were rescued from the water at Ocean Beach in San Francisco last Thursday afternoon are expected to recover. At least one victim was unconscious when he was pulled from the water, which is known for having dangerous rip currents. Rescue swimmers from the National Park Service and the city fire department responded to the scene after receiving reports around 1:30 p.m. that people in the water needed help. Source: NBC Bay Area.
A woman was hospitalized this week after a coyote bit her leg on Tennessee Beach in the Marin Headlands. The woman told rangers that the coyote was acting aggressively as it approached her last Tuesday afternoon on the remote beach. After the animal bit her, she walked the 1.7-mile trail back to Tennessee Valley Road and drove to a hospital, where she was treated for minor injuries. Using a piece of the woman's clothing, park staff are attempting to collect a sample of the coyote's DNA. The genetic information will be used to identify and track the animal as part of a new program that aims to address the growing problem of coyotes approaching people in search of food in the park. The program, which was launched this month, comes as the number of park visitors has skyrocketed during the coronavirus pandemic, resulting in increased interaction between humans and wildlife. Rangers have noted a large increase in reports of people feeding coyotes. As a result, food-conditioned coyotes are increasingly approaching visitors to beg for food. In response, park workers have begun trapping coyotes and outfitting them with GPS tracking collars. Roughly a half-dozen coyotes have been tagged and released since the program began. In the event that a coyote is found to repeatedly beg for food from park visitors, rangers will use "negative stimuli," including clapping, yelling and waving, to deter the animals from approaching humans. "Having visitors and food-conditioned coyotes in close proximity sets up a bad situation for both," said the park's PAO. "Coyotes are wild animals, and although they appear docile, they can react aggressively to different human cues." Source: Matthew Pera, Marin Independent Journal.
A father and his toddler son were out for a walk near Fort Funston last Saturday morning when they decided to hike down a cliff. Halfway down, they realized they were stuck. Firefighters arrived at 11:30 a.m. and spent the next hour conducting a three-rope rescue. As rescuers hauled the pair uphill, a National Park Service rescue team waited in the water below and a Highway Patrol helicopter hovered in the sky — contingency plans if the rope rescue failed. Said a San Francisco fire lieutenant: "We want to congratulate and commend [the father]," who knew exactly where they had gone astray. "He called 911 and knew exactly where he was at and was able to give us specific directions. This could have had a much worse ending." Source: Lizzie Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle.
Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in this newsletter. California Parks — The resurgence of the pandemic in California has directly affected at least three national parks. In support of the California regional stay-at-home order in the San Joaquin Valley region, which went into effect this past Monday, Yosemite National Park is open for day use activities only, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Lodging and campgrounds are currently closed. Some services and facilities are limited, and shuttles are not operating. Consistent with the state's regional stay at home order, day use limits will be in place until local conditions change. Click here for the full story. Two areas at Golden Gate NRA have also been closed — Alcatraz Island and Fort Point. Sources: Sierra Sun Times; KRON News.
Firefighters rescued a woman who "miraculously" survived after her vehicle plunged off a cliff on Christmas Day. Shortly before 8:40 a.m., firefighters responded to reports of the vehicle leaving the roadway near Ft. Funston off Skyline Boulevard. When they arrived, they found the wrecked vehicle about 200 feet below on Funston Beach, and rescued a woman who they found to be in "miraculously stable condition." They took her to an ambulance at a Noriega Street access point. She was taken to a trauma center, where at last notice she remained in serious condition. The fort's cliffs, which have been a popular hangout spot for hikers and hang-gliders, has also been a regular site of visitor rescues, with firefighters responding to the site to rescue a father and son in September and as recently as Wednesday to rescue a person with a dog. Source: Los Angeles Times.
A San Jose man in his 30s has been swept from the bluffs into the ocean in the Marin Headlands area off Point Bonita. The man and his friends were scrambling along the bluffs when the high surf caught him at about 2:30 p.m. last Sunday. Rangers, personnel from the Southern Marin Fire Protection District, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and lifeboat, and a California Highway Patrol helicopter were all part of the search for the man, which was hampered by extreme ocean conditions. The search was suspended after nightfall, but was to resume on Monday. Source: Bay Area News Service.
Rangers are investigating the death of L.V., 28, who fell off a cliff in the Marin Headlands in an attempt to help a friend who slipped. The park received a call around 4:30 p.m. on January 21st, reporting that three people were stranded while hiking on the bluffs below Conzelman Road near Battery Rathbone. A rescue team was dispatched. One of the survivors was able to climb to safety and the other required rescuing by helicopter. L.V. and his two friends are suspected of having being under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the fall. Source: Adrian Rodriguez, Marin Independent Journal.
On December 20, rangers found a vehicle abandoned in the road near the Point Bonita Lighthouse. Afterward, a body was spotted in the surf at the bottom of a cliff in the Marin Headlands. The victim was recovered by a Coast Guard helicopter crew and has been identified as a 26-year-old local resident. The death is under investigation by the NPS and Marin County Coroner. Source: The Mercury News
On February 7, a person fishing off a rock near Muir Beach with two others, was knocked into the ocean by a sneaker wave. One of the others in the party attempted to save him, but was unsuccessful. The two others were rescued by helicopter, as they became stranded on the rocks by the high tide. They were uninjured. The U.S. Coast Guard, Marin County Sheriff's Department, NPS, and California Highway Patrol responded, but were unable to find the victim after 18 hours of searching. The deceased victim washed up on shore on February 11 near the spot he was last seen. Source: NBC Bay Area
An individual fell 150 feet down a cliff at the former Battery Spencer, a popular overlook to view the Golden Gate Bridge. Personnel from the Southern Marin Fire District responded and were able to rescue the individual through a rope system. The individual was then flown by helicopter to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Source: The News & Observer
On January 4, many public lands managers preemptively closed due to the prediction of an atmospheric-river event likely to bring flooding and the potential for power outages. As of January 9, many parts of Golden Gate, Redwood, and Sequoia remain closed due to the impacts of winter storms and further incoming weather. Source: Outside, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Redwood National and State Parks, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
On December 24, two hikers climbed down a cliff in the Marin Headlands before they became stuck on the beach when the tide started to rise. California Highway Patrol's H-30 helicopter responded, extricating them via long line, then lowering them to the ground. El Cerrito Fire Department, Marin County Fire Department, Southern Marin Fire District, and the NPS were also on scene to support the rescue. Source: KRON4
On January 16, a World War II-era military observation post tumbled 200 feet from a saturated sand bluff onto the beach at Fort Funston. No one was injured in the incident. It will remain on the beach until further notice. Source: Sacramento Bee
At Stinson Beach, recent storms and sea level rise have caused flooding and erosion of large amounts of sand from the beach. The NPS parking lot got inundated with sand, wooden debris, plastic, and crumbled asphalt and concrete, and is currently closed. There is no current estimated time of reopening. Source: Marin Independent Journal
On April 4, a 44-year-old was struck by a car while riding a bicycle in the Presidio. The individual was immediately taken to the hospital but was later pronounced deceased. The driver of the vehicle was also hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The deceased individual held ten national championships for cycling. The United States Park Police is investigating the incident. Source: MENA FM
On May 6, two surfers were swept out to sea past the Mile Rocks Lighthouse near Lands End, a mile offshore southwest of the Golden Gate Bridge. The NPS deployed a rescue swimmer and three additional rescue swimmers from San Francisco Fire Department were deployed to assist. The swimmers were able to make contact with the surfers and help them onto a San Francisco Fire Department boat. They were transported to Hyde Street Pier and assessed and released by medics. Source: SF Gate
On November 12, 911 dispatchers in San Francisco received a call about a person lying in the parking lot of East Beach at Crissy Field. Responding paramedics found the individual deceased. The U.S. Park Police and San Francisco Fire Department also responded. The FBI is leading the investigation. Source: NBC Bay Area, San Francisco Chronicle
The week of January 21, due to heavy rainfall, a series of combined sewer overflows caused pipes to back up at overflow outfall points, bringing trash and partially-treated sewage onto Ocean Beach and Fort Funston. The NPS has asked that volunteers do not pick up trash because of the toxic nature of sewage. As of January 23, the maintenance team was "determining next steps." Source: SFist, SFGATE
On February 10, a 12-year-old was climbing on a bluff on Fort Funston when they got stuck. When firefighters arrived on scene, they were unable to see the individual from the top. They requested a California Highway Patrol helicopter, which flew down the cliff and found the individual about halfway down, still more than 100 feet off the ground. The helicopter picked up a firefighter and flew them close enough to rescue the individual off the cliff and transport them to the top. Paramedics examined the individual and did not find any injuries. Source: San Francisco Chronicle
On February 21, Hornblower Group, which runs Alcatraz City Cruises, the official tour and ferry concessioner for Alcatraz, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The CEO stated that the bankruptcy was related to substantial debt caused by the pandemic, particularly with cruises in other locations. A restructuring plan is underway to inject new capital into the company, and they expect to "emerge from bankruptcy in about four months." Despite the announcement, the company stated that operations at Alcatraz are "running normally and without interruption." The company's 15-year concession contract began in 2019. Source: The San Francisco Standard
On March 31, an individual tumbled down "50 to 60 feet" off a cliff near the Battery Alexander Trail. A helicopter was able to locate the individual with thermal-imaging cameras. The individual was "clinging to the gravel rock face." An officer from the Sonoma County (CA) Sheriff's Office was lowered by ropes and placed the individual into a harness, and the helicopter lifted both individuals into the air and dropped them at the top of the cliff. Staff from the Southern Marin Fire District evaluated the individual for injuries. A video of the incident showed the individual had cuts and abrasions on their feet and ankles. Source: KRON4
On May 25, about 100 Alcatraz City Cruises employees went on strike to push for higher wages and benefits and more dependable schedules. Negotiations have been underway for 18 months. According to employees, the strike will continue "until management decides to negotiate in good faith." The employees are unionized under the Inlandboatmen's Union of the Pacific. Alcatraz City Cruises is contracted by the NPS to transport visitors by ferry to and from Alcatraz Island. The company has said they will make sure the strike doesn't disrupt operations. Source: The San Francisco Standard
On August 1, two individuals took their three dogs to play at Baker Beach, when they were "suddenly surrounded by five coyotes." When one of the individuals attempted to grab one of the small dogs, the coyotes grabbed it from them and killed it. The other individual grabbed the other two dogs, and two coyotes jumped at them, attempting to loosen their grip on the dogs. The individuals swung sticks and yelled at the coyotes but they "appeared unafraid." The two individuals were unharmed in the incident. The individuals reported the incident to U.S. Park Police and spoke with a wildlife ecologist at the Presidio Land Trust. Coyotes are said to be particularly attracted to the encampments of unhoused individuals nearby. The NPS has stated they will "look for any encampments that need to be cleared up." Source: NBC Bay Area
On August 19, the park closed the swaying suspension bridge adjacent to the Point Bonita Lighthouse in the Marin Headlands. The bridge needs a thorough inspection. Previous inspections have revealed damage from weathering. It is unclear when the bridge will reopen. There is no access to the lighthouse until it is repaired. Source: SFGate
On August 30, an individual was paddleboarding off Ocean Beach near the intersection of Judah and Great Highway in San Francisco, CA, when they "didn't pop up after catching a wave." The individual was located facedown and unresponsive in the water. Three nearby surfers pulled them to shore, called 911, and began CPR. San Francisco (CA) Fire Department responded, and paramedics provided advanced life support while transporting the individual to a nearby hospital. The individual was said to be in "critical condition." Source: SFGate
In the month of September, three off-leash dogs were killed at Crissy Field. The park is investigating the situation and has posted signs to alert dog owners. They also stated that they were working to haze coyotes. Source: SFGate
On September 29, a boat with five passengers became inoperable off of Ocean Beach near intersection of the Great Highway and Quintara Street. They individuals were able to drop an anchor and stay stationary, but the breaking waves were quite turbulent. Personnel from San Francisco Fire Department, the NPS, and U.S. Coast Guard used jet skis to transfer the individuals to a Coast Guard boat, and they were transferred to the Coast Guard base in Marin, California. No injuries were reported in the incident. Source: ABC7
On October 10, the Presidio Trust and NPS announced that they had "lethally removed" a coyote that had been displaying "unusually bold behavior" toward both dogs and people unaccompanied by dogs (see 10/2/24 Coalition Report). Source: Presidio Trust
A 38-year-old who is well-known in the rock climbing community as an athlete, brand ambassador, and instructor has been charged with nine felony sexual assault charges with three victims. The incidents were said to take place between 2019 and 2023, in Pacifica, California, the Presidio (GGNRA), at Joshua Tree, and in Yosemite. On November 27, the individual pleaded "not guilty" to all charges and was released on $500,000 bail. The suspect will have their next court appearance on December 16. Source: ABC7 | |