NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Monday, September 24, 2007

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INCIDENTS

North Cascades Complex

Missing Hiker Found After Being Lost For Six Days

A missing hiker from Seattle was found on Friday, September 21st, after surviving on wild berries and stream water for six days. M.W., 31, left Seattle last weekend to do some solo hiking in the area east of Darrington, two-and-a-half hours northeast of Seattle. Authorities were notified of her absence when she did not arrive at work Monday morning. Her vehicle was found Wednesday in Diablo, another hour northeast of Darrington. M.W. said that road closures altered her original destination. She hiked the Stetattle Creek trail near Diablo Dam Sunday, but became disoriented and spent the next five days trying to get back to her car while surviving the elements without overnight or cold weather gear. M.W. said that she found shelter under trees and slept on fallen leaves and needles while covering herself with bark and branches. She was able to build a fire the first two nights, which helped her deal with the low evening temperatures and some rain. M.W. left several clues along the creek that helped direct searchers, including several handwritten notes and a grocery card. She made an effort to be visible and was located by helicopter searchers at 2:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon, five miles from the trailhead. A helicopter flew M.W. to Diablo, where she was treated for minor cuts, bruises, and exhaustion, then released. Approximately 40 searchers, four helicopters, and five dog teams were involved in the search over the three-day period from Wednesday through Friday. Searchers, half of whom were volunteers, were from Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish Counties, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the National Park Service. [Kinsey Shilling, Chief Ranger]

Lake Mead NRA

Missing Windsurfer Presumed To Have Drowned

Rangers are searching for a 39-year-old North Las Vegas man named E.M., who was last seen windsurfing without a lifejacket at 5:30 p.m. on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 19th. E.M. was windsurfing in extremely high wind conditions, with gusts of up to 40 mph, near the Boulder Islands. Witnesses on the beach saw the windsurfer go down near the islands at about 5:30 p.m. and never saw him again. This area is in the Boulder Basin on the Nevada side of Lake Mead. Rangers immediately began a search for E.M., dispatching two boats to the area. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Search and Rescue (Metro) helicopter was called in to assist. E.M.'s windsurfer was located at about 7 p.m. in between Sentinel and Saddle Islands, but there was no sign of him. The search was suspended for the night, then resumed the following morning. Rangers on three boats searched the water and an NPS fire crew searched the shoreline. Metro's helicopter again assisted with the search effort. The presumption is that E.M. drowned. [Roxanne Dey, Public Affairs Officer]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories (among others) can be read on either the InsideNPS web site (if you are within the National Park Service) or at the InsideNPS public ‘news digest' site (if you are outside of the NPS). The web sites are, respectively, HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/" http://inside.nps.gov/ and ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/).

* Servicewide - On Sunday evening, the seven-part Ken Burns series on World War II, entitled “The War,” premiered on public television. In 1990, Burns' series, “The Civil War,” dramatically increased interest in that event - and the parks commemorating the many facets of Civil War history. Today, InsideNPS looks at some of the main parks that commemorate World War II history.

* Mojave NP - Larry Whalon, who is currently the chief of the resource management division at Mojave National Preserve, is the park's new deputy superintendent.

* Alaska Region - After living successfully with cancer for more than six years, life ended mercifully at North Valley Hospital on September 11th for Marcellyn "Marcie" Dee Clogg.

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Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( Bill_Halainen@nps.gov, 570-686-3828).

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