Wind Cave |  |
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 | |
|
May 5, 1988 Location: Overlook on Highway 87 A park visitor found a stick of dynamite with a blasting cap on the ground in a park overlook. Emergency ordinance disposal technicians from Ellsworth Air Force Base were summoned to the scene. They found that the dynamite had a non-electric detonator, and that it had been lit but failed to go off when the fuse burned down. There are no suspects in the case. All area parks were put on the watch for similar devices, but there have been no further such incidents.
At 4:15 p.m. yesterday afternoon, a contract helicopter engaged in a bison roundup in the park crashed, seriously injuring park resource management specialist V.V. The pilot of the helicopter, who was the only other person on board, was not injured. The helicopter was hovering at about 70 feet when "something popped" and it dropped, to the ground, bouncing twice. There was no explosion or fire. V.V. was pinned inside the ship, and apparently suffered, a broken femur and injuries to the left hip and/or pelvis area. At the time of the report, there was an air evacuation helicopter and an ambulance at the scene and workers were still attempting to extricate V.V. from, the helicopter. (Telephone report from John Chapman, RAD/RMRO).
Park resource management specialist V.V., who was involved in Tuesday's helicopter crash in the park, is in the Rapid City Regional Hospital with a comminuted fracture of his upper left femur and a possible mild compressed fracture of a vertebra. Pilot C.T. is okay and will continue assisting with the bison roundup. The accident was caused by engine failure, and the helicopter fell between 30 and 40 feet. GAS is on scene and beginning an investigation into the incident. [Messages to Vic can be sent to him at Rapid City Regional Hospital, 353 Fairmont Blvd., Rapid City, SD 57701] (Telephone report from John Chapman, RAD/RMRO).
Around noon on the 22nd, R.C., 18, of Tallahassee, Florida, became separated from a group of National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) students who were participating in a mock search inside the cave as part of a training exercise. R.C. and a partner were working as part of a search team when she became separated from him. At that time, the NOLS group was in an undeveloped portion of the cave which has been partially explored and mapped. R.C. had about two hours of fuel left in her carbide lamp and no food or water. The NOLS groups searched for her, then notified rangers that she was lost around 2 p.m. The park set up operations under the incident command system and quickly conducted several hasty searches into adjoining passages of the cave. When these proved unsuccessful, a full-scale search was begun by four, four-person teams, and additional personnel, including cave specialists from Mammoth Cave and Minnesota State Parks who were familiar with Wind Cave, were summoned to provide further assistance. Although R.C. was wearing polypro undergarments, coveralls and boots, the cave's near 100 percent humidity and nearly constant 53 degree temperature led to serious concerns about the possibility that she might suffer from hypothermia. Late Monday evening, searchers heard tapping on a rock and soon made voice contact with R.C.. She was at a point about 1,000 feet from where she had last been seen. It took them until 2 a.m. to reach her and guide her out. R.C. was in good shape and was not hypothermic. A total of about 65 people participated in the search. (CompuServe message from John Chapman, RAD/RMRO).
This year is the 50th anniversary of the Black Hills' Sturgis Motorcycle Classic, and between 200,000 and 500,000 motorcyclists are expected to attend the event, which runs from August 6th to the 13th. On August 6th, 11,300 motorcycles with 16,000 riders showed up at Mount Rushmore, including representatives from the Hell's Angels, Sons of Silence, Bandits, Outlaws and Pagans. About a dozen small gangs were also present. Park staff and one SET team provided traffic and crowd control. Several motorcycle accidents occurred, two of them with injuries. There were numerous drug violations, a DOT arrest, and many incidents involving riders wearing knives. A bat and a cane sword were confiscated. No serious problems occurred, however. Rangers transmitted information to the South Dakota State Command Center, where warrants for serious violations were being formulated and executed. Several other area parks have also been peripherally involved in the event: * Wind Cave - The park reported heavy motorcycle traffic and full parking lots on the 6th. Numerous citations were issued, but there were no major problems. A "Southern Hills Run" scheduled for the 8th was expected to have a considerable impact on the park. (SEAdog report from RAD/RMRO, 8/7).
On October 16th, the sheriff's office for Converse County in Douglas, Wyoming, requested assistance from the park in the search for a lost hunter in the Deer Creek Canyon area east of Casper, Wyoming. Two rangers and a canine search unit from the park were sent to assist in the search. Since the hunter was 67 years old and in poor health and the weather was degenerating (temperatures dropped into the 20's on the second night of the search and three to five inches of snow fell), search efforts were propelled by a sense of urgency. The rangers arrived at 6 a.m. on the 17th and assisted the sheriff's department in organizing and planning the search and obtaining the needed resources. The dog team entered the canyon at 8 a.m. and by 11 a.m. had located several clues, including the hunter's rifle. At 2 p.m., the team found the man two miles from the point where he'd last been seen. He was hypothermic, but awake and oriented. No helicopter with a long line or hoist capacity was available to lift him out, so a supply drop was made to the search team and both searchers and victim spent the night in the canyon. The party hiked out of the steep canyon the next day. The hunter was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment and observation. It was determined that he had had a less than even chance of surviving at the time he was found. (CompuServe message from WICA, 10/26).
On November 11th, a visitor to the park reported he'd lost his two dogs at one of the park's trailheads. Rangers searched the area, but could not find either of them. They then had the owner leave his coat at the point where the dogs were last seen as a scent article. The next morning, both dogs were found lying on the owner's coat, and were returned to him. The scent article proved to be what kept the dogs at the point last seen. Other parks may want to keep this idea in mind when trying to locate lost animals with a minimum of time and a maximum of efficiency. (CompuServe message from Ed Pontbriand, WICA, 11/15).
On February 18th, the Keith County, Nebraska, sheriff's office asked the park's SAR canine team to assist in the search for the body of a child lost in a lake in Ogallala, Nebraska. Rangers Ed and Kelly Pontbriand and their dog worked with dog teams from Colorado in searching the area around the point where the victim was last seen floating in the water. Teams worked in boats and marked any area where the dogs alerted. Four areas were identified in the six-mile-long stretch of water and were rechecked with other dog teams. Divers then began a sweep of those areas. The body was recovered close to an alert site during the first week of March. [CompuServe message from Kathy Lee, WICA, 3/15]
A major search was initiated at 9:00 p.m. on the evening of the 18th when six-year-old S.B. wandered away from his campsite in the park's campground. Twenty hasty searchers, two air-scenting dogs and a bloodhound began looking for S.B. the first night; they were joined the following morning by aircraft and additional searchers. At about 8:00 a.m., the boy was found in excellent condition about three and a half miles from the campground. S.B. was wearing only a T-shirt, thongs and shorts, but the temperature never dropped below 55 degrees that night. S.B. had to cross two eight-foot-high barrier fences to reach the point where he was found. [Ed Pontbriand, WICA, via telefax from Jim Reilly, RAD/RMRO, 6/20]
During the seven-month period from May to November of 1993, M.D.E. and J.A.S.-E. are believed to have committed numerous car larcenies, check and credit card frauds, thefts from tents in campgrounds, and thefts of fees from campground pipe safes and association donation boxes on NPS, Forest Service, BLM, state park and private lands in Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, South Dakota and Nebraska. Among the areas the couple hit were Yellowstone, Wind Cave, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Grand Teton and Grand Canyon. On August 25th, they were indicted in Salt Lake City on from 10 to 13 counts of five 18 USC violations, including conspiracy, theft and property damage. The E.s were arrested separately in Akron, Ohio, and Seneca, South Carolina, earlier this week. They both admitted guilt during subsequent interviews and revealed many more violations, including theft of firearms, stolen money, pawning of stolen items, and a previously unknown and similar crime spree in 1992 which added many more parks to the list of areas which they'd struck, including sites in Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, California, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada and Mexico. The investigation into their activities continues. Many NPS rangers contributed information leading to these arrests. M.D.E. is being held on without bond due to the risk of flight; J.A.S.-E. may be released on a $25,000 surety bond with house arrest and electronic monitoring. They will be brought to Salt Lake City and likely tried there. [Erny Kuncl, SA, RMRO, 9/21]
During a seven-month period in 1993, M.E. and J.S.-E., his now ex-wife, stole money from donation pipe safes at NPS, USFS and BLM sites, passed fraudulent checks to agencies and businesses, and employed stolen credit cards and checks taken from cars and tents in campgrounds throughout the West. Among the areas the couple hit were Yellowstone, Wind Cave, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Grand Teton and Grand Canyon. The E.s were arrested separately in Akron, Ohio, and Seneca, South Carolina, last September. They both admitted guilt during subsequent interviews and revealed many more violations, including theft of firearms, stolen money, pawning of stolen items, and a previously unknown and similar crime spree in 1992 which added many more parks to the list of areas which they'd struck, including sites in Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, California, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada and Mexico. They subsequently pled guilty to charges of conspiracy and theft of government money. Under a plea agreement, M.E. was sentenced earlier this summer to six months in federal prison and three years' supervised probation; ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution to the NPS and a $1,000 fine; and required to undergo drug and alcohol rehabilitation. J.S.-E. is expected to receive similar sentencing. [Erny Kuncl, SA, IFAO]
A ranger at Wind Cave who was reconciling a federal IMPAC credit card statement last June came upon two unknown charges. He contacted the vendor and found that the IMPAC number had been used to access an adult entertainment site on the web. The case was handed over to another ranger for investigation. The webmaster for the adult entertainment site helped trace the origin of the user, but was stopped by a "firewall" at the local provider's site. A firewall is a device which shields the identity of a user from vendors outside the local net. Further investigation revealed that the local provider's access logs could only indicate which local users were on the Internet at the moment the IMPAC transaction was made and did not show which user made the transaction. Interviews led the investigation to focus on a male juvenile who had worked at a local electronics supply shop. An interview with the manager revealed that the juvenile had been caught stealing account numbers from credit card slips at the cash register. When confronted during an interview with the investigating ranger, the juvenile admitted having used at least five different stolen credit card numbers to access adult sites on the web. Since the site in question was in a different state, several interstate commerce laws also applied to the illegal activity. Other violations included false personation of a government employee, theft of government funds, wire fraud and bank fraud. Since the suspect is a juvenile, the case has been handed over to local authorities for consideration. The local U.S. attorney's office declined to investigate. Brad Merrill was the investigating ranger. [Glenn Yanagi, WICA, 9/8]
Ranger Brad Merrill saw a woman drinking beer in her parked car on Saturday, June 26th. Merrill and ranger Terry Spangler contacted the woman, identified as T.H., 35. T.H., who appeared to be intoxicated, complied with their request to get out of the vehicle. When Merrill reached into the car for the beer, however, T.H. kicked him in the groin. A struggle ensued, and the rangers had to bring T.H. to the ground in order to handcuff her. As she was led to their cruiser, T.H. began to kick at the rangers, spit in their faces, and otherwise resist. Merrill had to employ mace to get her under control and prevent her from injuring herself or the rangers. T.H.'s husband and two children returned from a visit to the cave as the arrest was taking place and witnessed the confrontation and assault. T.H. was jailed for the remainder of the weekend. The U.S. attorney is pursuing charges of felony assault on a federal officer (18 USC 111). Neither the rangers nor T.H. was injured or required medical attention. [Bruce Cunningham, MWRO, 6/28]
J.M., a park maintenance worker, and his nine-year-old son L.M. were killed in a small aircraft crash on August 17th. J.M., who had worked seasonally at Sequoia-Kings Canyon NP's and Yellowstone NP, had been at Wind Cave for about 20 years. He was attending a family reunion in the Newcastle area when the accident occurred. Family members were taking rides in the aircraft, and J.M. and his son were on board when it hit a power line, then crashed and burned. Also killed were J.M.'s cousin, who was flying the plane, and a nephew. J.M. is survived by his wife, D.M., and his daughter, S.M., age 11. An NPS CISD team and peer counselors have been sent to the park. [Jim Taylor, Superintendent, WICA, 8/18]
Seasonal interpretive ranger Kelly Henderson was heating oil on her electric stove in park quarters on the afternoon of September 7th when the oil ignited and was dropped on the floor. A small fire occurred, and Henderson suffered second degree burns on her right hand and wrist. Visitors saw smoke billowing from the house and contacted ranger Glenn Yanagi, who responded. The fire had been extinguished by the time he arrived. Yanagi treated Henderson on scene, then transported her to a local hospital, where she received additional treatment and was subsequently released. [Den Ziemann, WICA, 9/8]
Services for maintenance employee J.M. were held in Hot Springs, South Dakota, on August 21st. J.M. and his nine-year-old son, L.M., were killed in an airplane accident on August 17th. J.M. is survived by his wife, D.M., and daughter, S.M., age 11. Letters of condolence and remembrance may be sent to them c/o Wind Cave National Park, RR 1 - Box 190, Hot Springs, SD 57747. An education fund has been established for S.M. Contributions may be sent to M. Memorial Fund, Community First Bank, PO Box 999, Hot Springs, South Dakota 57747. D.M. extends her thanks to all of those who have donated to the fund and have responded with an outpouring of condolences and sympathy during these difficult times. [Denny Ziemann, WICA, 9/16]
E.L. and A.L. visited the park on August 6th while in the Black Hills for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. E.L. lost control of his motorcycle at the Highway 385 junction with Highway 87, causing it to fall on its side. Both fell onto the road. Although they were wearing helmets, both sustained head injuries and were taken to area hospitals. A.L. died from her injuries. E.L. was released after 48 hours of hospitalization. There's no indication that either alcohol or drugs were a factor. [Denny Ziemann, CR, WICA, 8/9]
On the evening of Sunday, July 29th, the park received a 911 complaint regarding an erratic driver. A ranger located the vehicle, saw that it was being operated in an unsafe manner, and attempted to stop it using lights and siren. The operator refused to comply and continued driving at the speed limit. The ranger followed the vehicle outside the park, where a sheriff's deputy unsuccessfully deployed spike strips in an effort to stop it. The vehicle left the roadway a short time later and struck a tree. The operator succumbed to injuries at the scene. Alcohol is believed to have been a factor. [Rick Mossman, Chief Ranger]
On Thursday afternoon, a Student Conservation Association (SCA) student assigned to Wind Cave was doing vegetation transects when he was bitten by a rattlesnake. The student was air evacuated to Rapid City Regional Hospital, placed on an anti-venom drip, and hospitalized overnight. At the time of the report late on Thursday, the student was doing well. He was expected to receive two more doses of anti-venom medication before being released on Friday afternoon. Ranger Jill Jaworski accompanied the student to the hospital to provide agency assistance and support. [Rick Mossman, Chief Ranger]
Rangers are investigating the killing of two elk in the park. Two mature bull elk were found dead on the morning of Tuesday, January 31st, along Red Valley Road in the northern part of the park. Both elk were found intact, with no attempt to take the meat or antlers. It appears that someone was driving along the road, saw the elk, and just shot them. Rangers are working with South Dakota Game, Fish and Park conservation officers on this investigation. The park is offering a thousand dollar reward for information leading to the conviction of whoever is responsible for this crime. People with information can call the Turn in Poachers (TIP) line at 888-683-7224 with information. [Tom Farrell, Public Affairs Specialist]
M.M., 49, was heading southbound on Highway 385 in the park on the morning of March 17th when he evidently drifted off the road onto its right hand shoulder. M.M. then over corrected and rolled the vehicle. He was thrown from it and killed. An investigation is underway, but it appears that speed may have been a contributing factor. The South Dakota Highway Patrol is the lead investigating agency. [Tom Farrell, Chief of Interpretation]
Rangers have increased their backcountry patrols to combat the illegal poaching of elk antlers. Each spring, antlers, some weighing as much as 25 pounds, drop off the elk in preparation of growing a new set. Poachers illegally collect and sell the antlers for use in western decorations and in furniture such as chairs and chandeliers. In mid-March, three people from Minnesota were apprehended after they attempted to take numerous rocks, skulls, and more than 35 antlers from Wind Cave. Elk antlers left in the wild eventually cycle back into the ecosystem where they provide a source of calcium and minerals for many animals such as mice, ground squirrels, bison, and even elk. [Tom Farrell, Public Affairs Officer]
On May 2, a horse escaped its tether at a backcountry campsite and was separated from its owner. Staff from the NPS, Custer State Park, Custer County (SD) Sheriff's Office, Custer County Search and Rescue, and South Dakota Wing of the Civil Air Patrol conducted a search for the animal, utilizing UTVs, hikers, horseback riders, and an infrared drone. On May 9, the horse was found walking along Highway 385 near the Wind Cave Canyon Trailhead. The horse was reunited with its owner. An evaluation by the Fall River Veterinary Clinic found the horse was dehydrated and had a "slightly scraped up leg," but is otherwise healthy. Source: Wind Cave National Park (5/5, 5/9)
On August 8, the park suspended all cave tours due to a broken elevator. Replacement parts are on order, and tours "could resume in early September." In addition to this temporary repair, the park also has funding in place to do a total replacement of the elevator system in 2024. Source: Wind Cave National Park
On July 25, a wildfire was reported in the central section of the park. Crews were immediately dispatched, including the NPS, U.S. Forest Service, Hot Springs Volunteer Fire Department, South Dakota Wildland Fire, and two Single Engine Airtankers from Hot Springs Airport. The fire was contained at 1.5 acres. Source: Wind Cave National Park
On July 27, lightning caused the Limestone Fire, located about two miles northeast of the park's visitor center. Personnel from the NPS, South Dakota Wildland Fire, Sioux Falls Fire Rescue, Black Hawk Fire Department, Black Hills National Forest, and a SEAT single engine airtanker responded to the scene. The fire was contained at 13.4 acres on July 28. Source: Wind Cave National Park
On July 27, lightning caused the Limestone Fire, located about two miles northeast of the park's visitor center. Personnel from the NPS, South Dakota Wildland Fire, Sioux Falls Fire Rescue, Black Hawk Fire Department, Black Hills National Forest, and a SEAT single engine airtanker responded to the scene. The fire was contained at 13.4 acres on July 28. Source: Wind Cave National Park | |