Great Falls |  |
The following Incident Reports were extracted from the NPS Morning Reports/Coalition Reports from 1989-current. They are not a complete record of all incidents which occurred in this park during this timeframe. INCIDENTS | |
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June 15, 1987 Location: Aid Box Route at Canal Cut along Potomac River B.O. was being lowered by his belayer from the top of the route he had just finished climbing. The bowline knot that supposedly was to secure him while being lowered to the ground, became untied. B.O. fell 35', broke both arms, and one patella. He was evacuated by boat by NPS rangers on the scene, and transported to nearby hospital where he stayed overnight.
On October 1st, a 73-year-old man fell into the Potomac River just below the main falls and was washed downstream. Park rangers, assisted by two kayakers, were able to reach the man after he'd been drawn a half mile down river through two sets of rapids; efforts to resuscitate him were successful, and he was transported to Fairfax Hospital by the local fire department. (CompuServe message from GWMP).
A visitor to the park discovered a man slumped over on the ground in a parking lot at 7:00 a.m. on the morning of February 2nd. Fairfax County police were summoned, as rangers do not come on duty until 8:00 a.m. They found a 79-year-old man with a fatal gunshot wound in his right temple. A note was found taped to the inside of a car nearby which stated that the man, who was later found to be a Great Falls resident, had committed suicide. Park Police detectives are investigating. [CompuServe message from Steve Pittleman, GRFA, 2/4]
Just after dusk on March 2nd, C&O Canal rangers spotted a ground fire across the Potomac in the north section of Great Falls. Rangers from both parks responded along with Park Police and Fairfax fire and rescue units. The fire was about an acre in size and was located on a knoll overlooking the river and aqueduct dam. Rangers Tom Nash, Mike Sabatini and Steve Pittleman joined Park Police officers in gathering evidence at the suspected ignition point, which was at the base of a large tree. They found what are believed to be the remains of some form of religious or cult ritual. There were two pie plates filled with what appeared to be cornmeal topped with a piece of red meat and an onion. Adjacent to the plates was a half-filled bag of more cornmeal. On the opposite side of the tree, they found a half-filled jar of honey and a small bowl with four ears of corn standing on end. Another plate with five paper cups that had been filled with liquid and an empty green bottle were found about 25 feet south of the tree and at the base of another large tree. The fire was apparently started by several cigarettes which were set on the ground. An investigation into the incident continues. [Telefax from Jane Anderson, GRFA, 3/3]
An estimated 350,000 gallons of number two fuel oil were released from a ruptured 36-inch pipe in Herndon, Virginia, on March 28th. Despite containment efforts, significant quantities of oil flowed overland into Sugarland Run, then into the Potomac River. The Great Falls area of George Washington Memorial Parkway was closed yesterday morning, the Tidal Basin near Jefferson Memorial was boomed off, and additional booms were requested for the Boundary Channel, Theodore Roosevelt Island and Dyke Marsh areas - all administered by the NPS. Impacts of the spill have not yet been ascertained. [Jake Hoogland, EQD/WASO, 3/29]
As of yesterday afternoon, the oil sheen from last Sunday's spill into the Potomac River extended 55 miles south from Sugarland Run, where the fuel entered the river. Oil has spread over vegetation, wetlands and wildlife all along the Virginia, Maryland and District of Columbia shorelines, including George Washington Memorial Parkway, Great Falls, C&O Canal, and National Capital Parks. No closures are currently reported in any of these areas. Colonial Pipeline contractors have begun initial cleanup of areas within Great Falls and the parkway. Park resource management staffs are presently conducting the pre-assessment phase of the overall natural resource damage assessment process. [John Howard, NCRO, 4/1]
As of last weekend, clean-up efforts were being limited to surface cleaning and removal of retrievable pockets of oil due to high water in the Potomac River. All clean-up operations are being handled by Clean Harbors, the contractor hired by Colonial Pipeline, and consist of removal of logs and woody debris which has become supersaturated with oil. Areas which have been cleaned include Great Falls and portions of the shoreline along George Washington Memorial Parkway, Piscataway Park, and Oxon Cove. Efforts have been frustrated by the continuing flow of saturated materials during periods of high water. Wildlife impacts are being monitored. Initial evaluations of bald eagle nesting sites were completed late last week, and a few other animals - including turtles, a beaver and a Canada goose - have been removed for cleaning. Several small fish kills have also been reported; these kills may not have been caused by the spill, though, since mortality is normal for several species of fish who spawn at this time of the year. Long-term impacts of the spill are being evaluated, as concern has been expressed regarding the extended exposure of riparian, flood plain and tidal marsh vegetation to the oil. Concerns have also been raised regarding several migratory species which are moving through the area at this time. Monitoring of sensitive locations by park resource management staffs is on- going. Costs to date have been limited. Planning is underway for fishery monitoring programs and vegetative inventories. [John Howard, NCRO, 4/2]
Rangers from Great Falls and the C&O Canal and a Park Police helicopter responded to the report of a rock climbing injury in the Splinter area of the park on July 29th. D.B., 23, had fallen approximately 15 feet to a rock scree area while free climbing and had suffered severe injuries to his right leg and ankle. Rangers and Fairfax County EMS personnel stabilized the injury and carried D.B. to a point where he could be airlifted by helicopter to a local hospital. He is in good condition. This is the fifth climbing incident of the year at the park. [John Howard, RAD/NCRO, 7/30]
On Saturday, April 2nd, S.H. was making a technical climb on the Aid Box route when he fell approximately 40 feet from a point near the top of the climb to a rock ledge, landing on his climbing partner. The incident was reported to park staff by on-duty members of the Fairfax County fire and rescue department, who were engaged in physical fitness training nearby at the time. Park staff and additional fire and rescue personnel responded, stabilized S.H., and evacuated him to the main parking lot, where he was picked up by Eagle I, the US Park Police helicopter, and taken to a hospital. S.H. experienced some loss of sensation to his lower extremities, but retained motor functions. The cause of the accident has not yet been determined. Director Kennedy and his family were in the park at the time and observed most of the operation. [Gary Pollock, Acting Site Manager, GRFA, 4/3]
On July 22nd, J.W., 24, fell into the Potomac River just above the area known as the Virginia Chute or the Spout. J.W. and his wife, T., who were married last Saturday, were scrambling on the rocks near the water's edge when J.W. slipped and fell directly into the river. A Fairfax County fire and rescue company was in the park and about to begin a training exercise with their boat when they heard T.W. scream. They responded immediately, as did park staff. A full scale search and rescue effort was initiated which employed rangers from both Great Falls and C&O Canal, Park Police officers, and members of other local agencies. Attempts to find him proved fruitless, however, and he is presumed to have drowned. [Jane Anderson, Site Manager, GRFA, 7/23]
On July 22nd, J.W., 24, fell into the Potomac River just above the area known as the Virginia Chute or the Spout. Efforts to find him proved fruitless, however, and he was presumed to have drowned. On July 24th, two visitors saw his body wash down through O-Deck Rapids and lodge in the rocks below the observation deck. It was subsequently recovered. [Jane Anderson, Site Manager, GRFA, 7/26]
On the afternoon of June 19th, a 16-year-old girl lost her balance while climbing on the rocks near Difficult Run and fell into the Potomac River, striking her head on submerged rocks. She was rescued from the river and taken by Park Police helicopter to a local hospital, where she's reported to be in stable condition with injuries to her head, jaw and mouth. [Bill Lynch, Acting RLES, RAD/NCRO, 6/21]
Just before 7 p.m. on August 24th, a park visitor reported that two people had been seen in the treacherous Great Falls area of the Potomac River. K.N., 15, of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, had fallen into the river, and her companion, S.A., 14, of Annandale, Virginia, had entered the river in an attempt to save her. S.A.'s attempts were unsuccessful, and he in turn had to be rescued by a ranger and kayakers. A major multi-agency search for K.N. was begun, but was suspended due to darkness. The search was to resume the following day. [Einar Olsen, CR, RSD/NCAO]
On the evening of September 23rd, a distraught woman in her mid-40s attempted to take her life by jumping into the Potomac River near the falls. When rescuers arrived on scene, she was seen clinging to rocks in the river. Park Police officers and members of a local volunteer fire department were able to reach and rescue her. She was taken to a local hospital, where she was treated for hypothermia and admitted for mental observation. [Bill Lynch, RLES, NCAO]
Additional reports have been received regarding the impacts of last week's floods: * C&O Canal, Harpers Ferry, Great Falls - On January 26th, Secretary Babbitt visited the three park areas to examine flood damage to grounds and facilities. The full-day visit consisted of both on-ground inspections and aerial overflights. Damage assessment teams and cleanup crews continue their work in these and other areas within National Capital Field Area. C&O Canal is closed; portions of the park will remain closed for months, while other areas will open in the near future. Portions of other parks are also closed. Preliminary damage assessments from these areas indicate that restoration costs will run into the millions of dollars. An SSO task force is assisting the parks with their efforts. Media coverage has been extensive. [Einar Olsen, CR, RAD/NCFA; Bill Halainen, DEWA]
On the morning of May 25th, rangers and Park Police officers rescued a juvenile who had fallen while climbing rocks at Sandy Landing. The victim suffered a broken leg, three broken teeth and internal injuries. He was transported to the hospital by a Park Police helicopter. [Bill Lynch, LES, NCFDO]
Additional reports have been received regarding on-going hurricane and flood recovery efforts: o Great Falls - The park, which is on the Virginia side of the river, did not suffer as much as it did in the January floods, but the Potomac Canal was extensively damaged. Park managers fear that this historic resource may be lost without immediate attention. Many park trails also remain closed. [Greg Stiles, SHEN; Ann Childress, CVS, FOSU Group; Don Boucher, FMO, NCSO; Kevin FitzGerald, DR, CHOH]
A kayak capsized in the rain swollen Potomac River on the afternoon of October 20th after it struck a submerged log near Olmstead Island. The occupant, B.G., managed to reach and cling to a rock in the river. Park, fire and Park Police personnel responded. A Park Police helicopter with a rope basket was employed to lift B.G. from the rock and bring him to shore. He was uninjured. [Bill Lynch, LES, NCSO]
The body of H.S., 52, of Reston, Virginia, was discovered by a kayaker in the Potomac River near the second overlook at Great Falls on the afternoon of November 6th. Investigators noted that H.S. had slashed his wrists and discovered traces of fresh blood on a rock ledge above the point where his body was found. Park Police officers are investigating. [Bill Lynch, LES, NCSO]
Ranger Kimberly Love saw two men floating in the Potomac River below
Great Falls on the afternoon of June 14th - both wearing life
jackets, one holding a canoe paddle. Love reported the situation to
other rangers, who quickly responded. One of the men was seen getting
out of the river on the Maryland shore, but the other was swept to the
Virginia shoreline, where he was eventually contacted by visitor use
assistant Kevin Butler. Butler determined that he wasn't injured and
helped him to the visitor center. The two men had rented a canoe
upstream from Great Falls and paddled down the Potomac with the
intention of reaching a point several miles below the falls. They
intentionally went over the low-head Aqueduct Dam at the park's north
boundary without being injured, and continued downstream with the intent
of taking out above Great Falls. Due to the very high water, though,
they were trapped in a fast, forceful current and swept over the central
section of Great Falls. They evidently survived the passage because the
high water pushed them through and over numerous obstacles. One of the
men suffered minor injuries; the other was okay. Their canoe was
destroyed. Rescue units from jurisdictions on both sides of the river
and USPP officers responded along with park staff. The next morning,
county emergency units and a USPP helicopter arrived at the park in
response to a report of people in trouble below the Aqueduct Dam.
Rangers joined them and determined that the reporting party had mistaken
debris caught in the backwash of the dam for people in the water. This
was the fourth incident in ten days involving "emergency" reports
dealing with the dam.
On the afternoon of Tuesday, October 19th, a visitor reported that a kayaker who was attempting to run Great Falls was in trouble. Within seconds of this notification, another kayaker arrived at the ranger office to report that he and his friend were running the falls and that his friend had disappeared after having to exit his boat, then being pushed over the last drop of the falls. Rangers immediately notified county rescue personnel and organized a response. Park Police officers from Great Falls also responded. Boats from Fairfax County and Montgomery County rescue units conducted searched, but the swift current and high waves kept them from getting near the base of the falls and foggy conditions grounded helicopters. The two kayakers had evidently run the falls at least three times
earlier that day. The victim reportedly had difficulties in several of
the smaller, upper level drops before eventually being pushed over the
falls in a very dangerous area.
On Sunday, August 12th, the United States Park Police "Eagle" helicopter responded to Great Falls Park to assist in the rescue of an injured person. Officer Chad Gordon, NPS rangers Sheryl Bresee and Robert Mocko, and local fire/rescue personnel evacuated a teenage boy who had suffered injuries to his pelvis, back, abdomen, and head from a significant fall from a rock ledge of about 25 to 30 feet. Rescuers carried the injured teen over difficult terrain to a rescue boat that transported him to the helicopter. "Eagle," flown by sergeant Ken Burchell and rescue technician sergeant Mark Varanelli, made a landing in a confined space within a quarry to medevac the patient to a local hospital. This coordinated effort was made possible by the extensive interagency training conducted by the United States Park Police, National Park Service, and Fairfax County Department of Fire and Rescue Services. [Sergeant Robert Lachance, Public Information Officer]
"Eagle," the US Park Police helicopter, flew to Great Falls on the Potomac River last Saturday afternoon to assist with the rescue of an 18-year-old man who'd fallen into the river's swift-flowing waters. Although he managed to get to a rock in the rapids, he was unable to return to the shoreline. Fairfax County firefighters threw him a life vest and helmet, but decided that hazardous river conditions precluded a rescue by boat. The only alternative, therefore, was to extract him via a helicopter hoist. Pilot Keaton Wright brought "Eagle" to a hover 60 feet above the falls and rescue technician Chris Perkins lowered a Billy Pugh rescue device to the man. He was hoisted safely in the helicopter and brought to shore. [Submitted by Sergeant Robert Lachance, Public Information Officer]
On the afternoon of Saturday, October 6th, the crew of "Eagle," the Park Police helicopter, flew to Great Falls to find and rescue an injured hiker from the Billy Goat trail. An aerial search was conducted and he was located on the trail opposite Sanding Landing. Rescuers on the ground were directed to his location. The hiker was found to have suffered a fracture of the right arm. Due to the danger posed to the injured hiker and rescuers by a carryout, the crew of "Eagle" elected to hoist him out. Pilot/sergeant Ken Burchell bought "Eagle" to a 40-foot hover just above the tree line. Rescue technician/officer Eric Haapapuro cleared the aircraft from the cliffs and rocks on the left side of the aircraft, while the hoist operator, rescue technician/sergeant Chris Perkins, lowered the Billy Pugh rescue device to the ground. The hiker was then loaded on board and flown to a local hospital for treatment. [Sergeant Robert Lachance, US Park Police]
Around 7:30 a.m. on Monday, March 9th, Park Police officers investigated an incident in which a vehicle left the road and became stuck in the mud near the C&O Canal. Initial reports were that it had been involved in an accident; although that proved not to be true, officers found that the vehicle was unoccupied and the owner was not on scene. Other officers went to the registered owner's address in the District of Columbia. They didn't find her there, but met with her granddaughter, who reported that the driver was an elderly woman who had memory problems and might be disoriented. Officers conducted a search of the area, and, with the assistance of a tip provided by a passerby, found the disoriented woman wandering along a trail later that morning. She was reunited with her granddaughter at the USPP George Washington Memorial Parkway Station. The woman was uninjured and her granddaughter brought her home. [Sergeant David Schlosser, Public Information Officer]
Two local residents had a rocky start to their future together. While hiking the Billy Goat trail in Great Falls Park on September 6th, the couple paused to admire the scenery. The setting was perfect - a late summer day with the sun glinting off the Potomac River below, the breeze pushing through the thick tree canopy, and the grey rocky trail weaving up and down with steep crevasses and a long drop to the water. The setting was perfect for a hike, but also for more romantic purposes - a marriage proposal. Although many couples have become engaged in this area, this one also engaged the services of the Montgomery County Department of Fire and Rescue Services and the United States Park Police Aviation Section. The bride to be was swept off her feet - but after the magic moment, she slipped on the rocks and fell a short distance, leaving her with head and chest injuries. Montgomery County Fire medics could only reach her by boat, followed by a scramble up a steep rock face. After the medics evaluated the patient and packaged her on a backboard and stokes basket, they realized that she would either need to be lowered down the steep rocks or carried over a mile of rough terrain. Neither option was good considering her injuries, so the Park Police were asked for assistance. Eagle 2, with Sgt. Kevin Chittick in command, Sgt. Ken Burchell as co-pilot, and Sgt. Chris Perkins working the medic/rescue technician position, responded to perform a hoist rescue. The woman was hoisted aboard Eagle 2 and transported to Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, where she was treated for head and chest injuries and later released. Oh, yes - prior to her fall, she said 'yes' to the question posed to her. [Sergeant David Schlosser, Public Information Officer]
Park staff mobilized quickly to protect park resources and visitors during the mid-March flooding along the Potomac River. Great Falls Park in Virginia and Theodore Roosevelt Island in D.C. (and adjacent parking in Virginia) were closed to address visitor safety concerns for several days starting on Saturday, March 13th. Park staff used sandbags to mitigate potential flooding at Great Falls Visitor Center and monitored trail and site conditions while on foot patrols. Staff informed the public about how flooding might affect recreational visits/commutes, asked people to respect closed areas, and suggested visitors remain observant for standing water, mud and obstructions on trails in the park. Flooding was expected due to heavy rainfall combined with snowmelt in the upper watershed of the Potomac River. Rising water carried extremely hazardous debris, trees, and man-made objects. High winds associated with the moving storm and water-logged soils caused concerns about the uprooting of trees and falling branches. Here's the current status of park facilities: Great Falls Park, Virginia - The park is open, but some trails are still closed due to fallen trees and flood debris. Fisherman's Eddy is closed until further notice due to flood debris. Theodore Roosevelt Island, Washington, D.C. (and adjacent parking near Arlington, Virginia) - Open. Mount Vernon Trail - Open, but some sections of the 18.5-mile trail may still be covered by flood debris. Potomac Heritage Trail - This 10-mile trail is open, but sections may be muddy. For more information, call 703-289-2500. [Dana Dierkes, Public Affairs Officer] | |