Morning Report Excerpts
September 1 - 15, 2000
00-545 - Valley Forge NHP (PA) - Felony ARPA Arrest
While on foot patrol of the Wayne's Woods area of the park, ranger
Steve Demske saw Alfred Lucian of Port Chester, New York, digging in
an archeological site and in possession of a metal detector. A search
of Lucian's pockets and vehicle produced a number of artifacts,
including a Revolutionary War era buckle and a British 4th Regiment
button. A preliminary site assessment by archeologist Dave Orr put
site damage at as much as $25,000. The investigation continues. [Scott
Kalbach, CR, VAFO, 8/29]
00-546 - Olympic National Park (WA) - Rescue
On the afternoon of August 24th, the Kalaloch Ranger Station received
a phone call from a concession employee stating that there were two
people - later identified as Kelly Strahm, 13, and Sara Howatson,
37 - screaming for help in the ocean off the Kalaloch beach.
Subdistrict ranger Keith Flanery immediately responded to verify the
report and start organizing a rescue. Once on scene, Flanery called
ranger Tristan Smith, asked her to bring the surf rescue gear, and told
her to be prepared to swim. Strahm and Howatson were about 250 to 300
yards out in the ocean; the water temperature at the time was
approximately 58 degrees and swells were running to four feet. Strahm
had been in the water for an hour and was already hypothermic and
struggling to stay afloat; Howatson had gone out to save her, but had
been unable to get back to shore herself. A third person, Briana
Howatson, was on the beach and was hypothermic and coughing up
seawater. Flanery called for additional rescuers, kept the pair in the
water in sight, and began EMS on the girl on the beach. When ranger
Tristan Smith and maintenance employee Craig Smith arrived, they swam
into the ocean and were assisted in the surf by rangers Jeri Riley and
Carrie Boldosser. Park staff from the maintenance and resource
education divisions provided needed assistance on the beach. Smith
swam beyond the surf to the two victims and brought Strahm and Howatson
to shore against an out-going riptide with the help of other rescuers.
Riley and Flanery provided EMS to all three. Strahm, who had no radial
pulse by the time she reached the shore, was taken to Forks Hospital
along with Briana Howatson. Every summer, rangers, maintenance
employees, and resource educators participate in joint surf rescue
training in preparation for such rescues. [Curt Sauer, CR, OLYM, 8/25]
00-547 - Yosemite NP (CA) - Rescue
Rangers were notified of an injured climber approximately ten pitches
up the Regular Northwest Face route on Half Dome early on the morning
of August 4th. The climber, Young-Jin Kim of Korea, had taken a
ten-foot fall the previous afternoon and had an open fracture of his
lower right leg. Two of Kim's partners stayed with him while his
other two partners rappelled off of the route to seek assistance. Two
ranger/medics heli-rappelled from the park contract helicopter onto a
ledge approximately 20 feet below Kim. After upgrading his meager
anchor system, the rangers treated Kim and placed him in a litter.
Shortly after noon, Kim was short-hauled from the cliff under the park
helicopter. The two rangers and the remaining two climbers and all
their equipment were then hoisted off the wall by a Navy rescue
helicopter from LeMoore Naval Air Station. [Steve Yu, IC, YOSE, 8/29]
00-549 - Eugene O'Neill NHS (CA) - Body Found
On August 21st, a hiker found a body in a canyon immediately adjacent
to the park. A search warrant was obtained by local police for the
victim's house. They found and seized two M-16 rifles, two shotguns,
numerous handguns, marijuana growing supplies, dried marijuana plants,
and ten photos showing marijuana plants in the canyon adjacent to park
land. An autopsy revealed that the victim died of a heart attack.
Superintendent Glen Fuller and two regional Park Police officers
searched the canyon with the help of a regional park district
helicopter. They located and removed 24 plants that the victim was
growing. [Glen Fuller, Superintendent, EUON, 8/28]
00-550 - Glen Canyon NRA (UT/AZ) - Rescue
Rangers and Coconino SAR team members were dispatched to a motor
vehicle accident on Highway 89 in Blue Pools Canyon on August 18th.
Tricia Johnson had driven her car off the road around 5 a.m. on August
17th. The vehicle went down an embankment and slammed into a narrow
canyon about 60 feet down at a high rate of speed. The vehicle was not
visible from the highway. Johnson was able to extricate herself from
the vehicle, but was unable to get out of the canyon due to the nature
of her injuries and the high angle of the canyon walls. Friends looked
for her for two days and finally found her at 10 p.m. on the 18th.
Johnson had suffered two broken arms, a broken shoulder, a punctured
lung and broken ribs. Daytime temperatures reached into the high 90s,
causing her to also suffer from dehydration. She was evacuated from
the canyon via a high-angle rescue and flown to Flagstaff on a Classic
Lifeguard helicopter. [Brian O'Dea, PR, GLCA, 8/29]
00-553 - Great Sand Dunes NM (CO) - Assist; Rescue
On August 16th, Alamosa County SAR asked rangers to help rescue a
climber who had fallen 150 feet just below the summit of Little Bear
Peak (14,037 feet) in the nearby Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Attempts
to drop the rangers off by helicopter on the summit ridge were
thwarted by winds, so they were dropped off at a lake at the timber
line to the west. Rangers Jim McChristal and Matt Gilkey climbed the
standard route, including a fourth class couloir with loose rock and
running water, to the site of the accident. They were later joined by
two members of the county SAR team. Gilkey stabilized the climber's
injuries. All parties were forced to spend the night on the mountain
without adequate bivouac gear and were short-hauled off the peak by an
Army Blackhawk helicopter the following day. Weather conditions were
very unstable at the time, with unpredictable winds, dense storm
clouds and nearby lightning. Rescuers cleared the mountain just prior
to an intense storm. The climber had numerous cuts, abrasions, a
dislocated finger, and a C-7 fracture. [CRO, GRSA, 8/18]
00-389 - Cape Cod NS (MA) - Follow-up on Resource Damage
An investigation into the July 8th keg party that led to a brush fire
off Cahoon Hollow Road has resulted in the identification of 25 young
adult participants. Together, they will be paying approximately $7,500
in fines and restitution to the park, and will also contribute
community service time to various park resource management projects.
During interviews, the majority expressed affection for the park and
said that they regretted damaging park resources. [CRO, CACO, 8/30]
00-410 - Redwood N&SP (CA) - Follow-up on Area Closure Protests
On August 24th, approximately 120 people took part in a signing
ceremony at the picnic area north of Freshwater Lagoon associated with
an RS-2477 assertion (a statute regarding access to public lands).
This assertion claims a right-of-way to the areas recently gated to
close off vehicular access to the park's seashores. A small group
representing several organizations in Orick, California, and led by
the Blue Ribbon Coalition, an Idaho-based group that promotes access
to public lands, then delivered the assertion to park headquarters in
Crescent City. The park issued a special use permit for both First
Amendment activities. The gatherings were peaceful and without
incident. NPS staff and the field solicitor are reviewing the
assertion and preparing a response. [Bob Martin, CR, REDW, 8/30]
00-554 - Western Arctic National Parklands (AK) - Serious Employee
Illness
Pilot/ranger Richard "Shad" Dusseau suffered a heart attack at 4:45
p.m. on August 30th while piloting a park float plane with three park
staff and a child aboard. Dusseau, a registered EMT, recognized his
symptoms and managed to land and beach the aircraft in Kobuk Valley NP
before becoming incapacitated. Park education specialist Linda Jeschke
and administrative assistant Patty Christian attended to Dusseau while
Dan Stevenson secured the plane and constructed a bivouac shelter.
Stevenson used the aircraft's FM radio to continually broadcast
Dusseau's status and request emergency medical assistance from
Kotzebue, 130 miles away. A Bell Jet Ranger with a paramedic on board
and a Cessna 206 were dispatched and got Dusseau to the emergency care
unit in Kotzebue by 7:45 p.m. He was then flown by air ambulance to
Providence Hospital in Anchorage, where he is in stable condition.
[Greg Dudgeon, CR, WEAR, 9/1]
00-557 - Yellowstone NP (WY) - Visitor Injured by Bear
A park visitor received minor injuries during an encounter with a
grizzly bear in the Black Butte/Daly Creek area in the northwestern
portion of the park on the afternoon of Friday, September 1st. The
encounter occurred when Richard Romano of Belgrade, Montana, rode his
horse into the area and stopped along the trail near Black Butte Creek
along the cutoff between Daly Creek and Black Butte Trails for a lunch
break. Romano's horse snorted, alerting him that something was wrong.
When he turned to look, a grizzly bear was directly behind him. The
bear swatted him in the face and chest, knocking him into a tree. At
that point, Romano, who was face down, pulled out his bear spray,
rolled over, and gave the bear a full shot of spray in the mouth. The
bear reacted to the spray by rolling off Romano and coughing. Romano
caught his horse and immediately left the area via Black Butte Trail
and returned to his vehicle. Romano received lacerations to the right
side of his face and forehead. He was transported to Bozeman
Deaconess Hospital, where he was treated and released. Romano said
that the bear was definitely a grizzly and that it appeared to weigh
about 300 pounds. He saw no other bears in the area. The bear did
manage to make off with Romano's sandwich. The Daly Creek/Black Butte
trails, including the Skyrim loop, have been closed, and Skyrim trail
is closed beyond Shelf Lake. The lake itself and associated campsites
are still open and accessible. This closure will remain in effect for
approximately ten days, at which time the area will again be checked
for bear activity and evaluated for possible reopening. [Public
Affairs, YELL, 9/2]
OPERATIONAL NOTES
Water Use Regulations - Lake Mead NRA was recently challenged legally
be a neighboring county agency regarding the adoption of state water
use laws. Under 36 CFR 3.1, state laws govern water use and are
adopted by parks in conjunction with regulations in CFR. Water use has
been deemed to mean those activities pertaining to swimming and other
non-boating uses. Under Nevada state law, Lake Mead would be required
to provide lifeguards every 100 feet. To avoid this requirement, it
has been proposed that the words "water use" be removed from 3.1
through an emergency rule. Ranger Activities needs to hear from parks
regarding two pertinent questions: Have any parks faced similar
situations in which they've been required to implement undesirable
state laws? Would removing the provision about adopting state water
use laws have negative impacts on any parks? If either of these
pertain to your area, please contact Kym Hall in Ranger Activities as
soon as possible. [Kym Hall, RAD/WASO]
00-562 - Hawaii Volcanoes NP (HI) - Rescue; Thermal Burn
On September 6th, Kirk Newman, 50, sustained second degree burns to
his legs when he fell into a steam vent near park headquarters. Newman
was traveling off-trail in a signed area when he broke through the
crust over an active steam vent and fell in to his waist. He was able
to pull himself out and walk to the visitor center for help. Newman
was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Hilo. The ambient air
temperature at the vent site was measured at approximately 204 degrees
Fahrenheit. [Paul Ducasse, HAVO, 9/6]
00-563 - Zion NP (UT) - Rescue
Robert Wainwright, a 55-year-old visitor from England, was descending
a slope in Hidden Canyon around 3:30 p.m. on the afternoon of
September 4th when he lost control while sliding down a rock face and
sustained a compound fracture of his lower right leg. The accident was
reported to the park and initial responders were on scene by 5 p.m.
they found Wainwright in a small alcove at the base of a 30-foot rock
obstacle. Park medics treated him and prepared him for a
three-quarter-mile technical carryout down the canyon to the
Observation Point trail. The carryout team arrived at the Weeping Wall
parking lost at 8:30 p.m. and transferred Wainwright to an ambulance.
He was taken to a hospital in St. George. This was the third visitor
injury in a week requiring an evacuation from a slot canyon. [Chuck
Passek, Chief of Operations, ZION, 9/5]
CULTURAL/NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Grand Canyon NP (AZ) - California Condors
Sixteen California condors will be re-released this week following
treatment for lead poisoning. This past April and May, five condors
died from ingesting lead shot and fragments of various sizes after
feeding on carrion in the vicinity of the park. When the birds began
showing signs of poisoning, capture efforts were undertaken by the
park in order to conduct blood analyses and begin treatment. Each of
the condors had nearly lethal doses of lead in its system and had
suffered from extreme weight loss. An interagency meeting was held
with FWS, BLM, the Navajo Nation, the Peregrine Fund and the state
wildlife agency to come up with a strategy for re-release and
investigation into the poisoning. The investigation included aerial
detection of carcasses (organized by park pilot Mike Ebersol), land
observations, and inspections of carcasses within the park and on
adjacent land management areas. The park is also working closely with
the local power company to "raptor proof" power lines within the park
(for further information on this process, contact the park). The
condors have regained their former weight levels; blood analyses show
that lead levels are now low. Park biologists will be working closely
with FWS and the Peregrine Fund to monitor the birds' activities and
feeding locations. Although this has been a slight setback for the
recovery program, the re-release of 16 healthy birds provides hope and
encouragement that California condors will remain a permanent fixture
in the skies over the Colorado Plateau. [Elaine Leslie, Wildlife
Technician, GRCA]
00-573 - Western Arctic National Parklands (AK) - Bear Mauling
On Wednesday, September 6th, Gregg Fischer, a professional outfitter
from Alpine, Wyoming, and Donald Cribbens, his 65 year-old neighbor,
were hunting on foot near Poppie Creek in the northwest area of Noatak
NP. They had spotted caribou in the vicinity earlier that morning and
began stalking them from across the valley. As they walked out of a
dense stand of willow, they saw a large, dark brown grizzly bear about
25 yards ahead. The bear was standing on its hind legs, looking in
their direction. Fischer yelled a warning to Cribbens. The animal
immediately charged Fischer, who fired two shots with a 30.06 rifle,
one from point-blank range. The bear knocked him down and bit through
Fischer's lower left leg, fracturing both bones above the ankle. It
then began to bite and tear at his thigh. Cribbens took aim at the
bear and fired once with a 7mm rifle from close range. The bear then
fled. Cribbens helped Fischer move approximately 80 yards away to a
nearby clearing, attempted to make him comfortable, then left for
help. He arrived at the small lodge he and Fischer were staying at
around 7:30 p.m. Cribbens, local guide-outfitter James "Jake" Jacobson
and four others returned on foot, arriving around 9 p.m., and began
dragging Fischer back to camp on a tarp. The group returned to
Jacobson's lodge the following morning. After reaching Kotzebue on
Thursday afternoon via Jacobson's Super Cub airplane, Fischer flew to
Jackson Hole for additional treatment and reconstructive surgery. As
of this time, the grizzly bear that attacked Fischer has yet to be
located. Rangers will conduct aerial patrols in order to ascertain the
bear's location and condition. [Greg Dudgeon, CR, WEAR, 9/11]
00-577 - Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP (CO) - Rescue
On September 3rd, rangers were notified of an injured visitor
somewhere along the Rim Rock nature trail on the south rim of the
canyon. Adam Day, 21, of Arvada, Colorado, had scrambled and
free-climbed off trail into the canyon with a friend and had fallen an
unknown distance. Day was dazed and incoherent when rangers Marion
Parker, Kris Davis and Luis Aragon found him on a narrow shelf on the
west side of Amphitheater Draw several hundred feet below the rim. A
multi-agency rescue involving approximately 40 people was begun. Day
was raised 400 feet to the canyon rim, taken to Montrose Memorial
Hospital, then flown to St. Anthony's Central in Denver. Doctors
determined that he'd sustained a closed head injury along with severe
head and scalp lacerations and numerous other lacerations and
contusions. The incident remains under investigation. Alcohol and
drugs are believed to have been contributing factors. [Linda Alick,
CR, BLCA/CURE, 9/8]
00-583 - Yellowstone NP (WY) - Search in Progress
An intensive search is currently underway for a 22-year-old man who
has been missing since yesterday afternoon. Zhen Bao and his parents,
all from Wallingford, Connecticut, were touring the Canyon area when
his parents decided to take a short hike near Artist Point. Zhen did
not want to accompany the family and strongly insisted on remaining
behind. Zhen's parents left him near Artist Point while they took a
short, half-hour hike. When they returned, Zhen was no longer there.
The parents did an initial search of the area before requesting ranger
assistance around 3 p.m. Park staff immediately organized an air and
ground search. An area with a radius of nine miles was searched
yesterday, but no sign of Zhen was found. The search continued through
the night, with temperatures dropping into the mid-20s. It's possible
that he left the area, since he was upset with his parents. [Public
Affairs, YELL, 9/15]
