fatal, near fatal or close call incidents/accidents in camping, backpacking, climbing and mountaineeringThis page is a collection of some of the true stories I use in my wilderness first aid class to illustrate how the wilderness is not dangerous, it's the people who aren't prepared or who don't know what they are doing, or who take inordinate risks, that are the danger. (One major, but rare exception, could be unintentionally provoked attacks by, for example, grizzly bears, bison or elk.)
In June 1995, Backpacker magazine quoted a ranger on the subject of trip safety:
"The death certificate usually says 'killed by a fall' or 'died of exposure' or some such thing," says Butch Farabee, superintendent of Padre Island National Seashore, Texas, and the national Park Service's search and rescue expert. "But it should read 'killed by stupidity.' Most people just don't get it.
The number one cause of injury and death is unpreparedness. You must always ask yourself, 'What if?' What if it rains for three days straight? Is my tent waterproof? What if I lose my compass? What if the rescue party doesn't find me?"
The climbing rangers in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park agree. They've found that less than 1 percent of backcountry accidents are due to natural causes, like falling rocks, avalanches, and animal attacks. The rest are due to 'pilot error.' In other words, people don't die from unexpected snowstorms; they die from not expecting and preparing for unexpected snowstorms.
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As shown in the book Death, Daring and Disaster, Search and Rescue in the National Parks, a sign on a trail to the edge of cliffs above Yosemite Valley at Glacier Point, 1924:
It is 3,000 feet to the Bottom
And no undertaker to meet you
TAKE NO CHANCES.
There is a difference
Between bravery and Just plain
ORDINARY FOOLISHNESS.
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An excellent source is the series Accidents in North American Mountaineering, "an annual compendium of accident reports from climbing accidents in the United States and Canada. Through analyzing what went wrong in each situation, ANAM gives experienced and beginning mountaineers the opportunity to learn from other climbers' mistakes. From inadequate protection, clothing, or equipment to inexperience, errors in judgment, and exceeding abilities, the mistakes recorded in this book are invaluable safety lessons for all climbers."
info at: http://www.americanalpineclub.org
excerpts from 1998 Accidents in North American Mountaineering
("Belay saved my life, as did my helmet, because I hit my head enough to cause unconsciousness." "The inability to correct the problem was also the result of rappelling at night without headlamps." " They did not have any ropes, ice axes, gloves, or rain gear. Both men were clothed in all cotton, and had strap-on crampons which they wore over cloth boots." "There is no good reason for glissading with sharp spikes on our feet." "Cellular phones cannot take the place of good judgment." )
are at: http://www.americanalpineclub.org/pages/page/73
Canada: http://alpineclub-edm.org/accidents/index.asp
Below: National Park service photos of a helicopter short haul rescue of an injured climber in Grand Teton Park, June 2006.
  
The most recent costs of a helicopter rescue we've heard of were $11,000 to $20,000.
see also: You can't always expect a helicopter rescue
Below: a rescue off Half Dome in 2007:
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Most of the following are from the National Park Service Daily Report.
I've sorted the stories into these groups:
DROWNING / WATERFALLS / SLIPPED, FELL
RIVER RESCUE / BOATING / RAFTING
OTHER DROWNINGS
UNPREPARED HIKERS
UNPREPARED HIKERS / DEHYDRATION
LIGHTNING
  
    
BEARS
MOUNTAIN LION
BISON
ELK
MOOSE
YOU CAN DRINK TOO MUCH WATER
ALCOHOL WAS A FACTOR
IGNORE THE WARNING SIGNS, FENCES and BARRIERS, including Yellowstone thermal burns
(many visitors who drown or are swept over waterfalls do so because they ignore warning signs and barriers, see DROWNING / WATERFALLS / SLIPPED, FELL
)
IGNORE THE WEATHER REPORT
THEY DIDN'T STAY ON MAINTAINED TRAILS (see also the drowning / waterfalls /slipped, fell for some people who didn't stay on trail)
NO CLIMBING HELMET; EQUIPMENT FAILURE
LEFT EQUIPMENT BEHIND
RECKLESS PARKING
RECKLESS DAREDEVILS
DANGEROUS FIRE BUILDING
LEAVE THE RESCUE TO THE PROFESSIONALS
THESE PEOPLE WERE PREPARED AND KNEW WHAT TO DO
(including variations on HUG A TREE: when you realize you are lost ... stay put so you can be found more easily)
see also: Cell phones in the wilderness which has advice on how/when to use a cell phone to contact 911 in the wilderness
see also: GPS is not infallible
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DROWNING / WATERFALLS / SLIPPED, FELL
A victim describes going off trail at Yosemite Falls, falling in to the river, and his reaction to the rescuers:
"My foot lost its traction on the wet, slimy rock as I fall on all fours. On my hands and knees I slowly slide down a long stretch of wet, algae-covered rock. My mind cannot even respond. My speed quickly increases. My body is sliding out of control towards the base of the upper falls. Before I even let out a scream, I plunge into the roaring rapids that are heading for the lower falls of Yosemite's main attraction. My body now is part of the water, and I honestly couldn't tell you how I was feeling. I was basically waiting for the unexpected. Submerged in the water for no longer than a few seconds, I am tossed onto a rock that was right in the middle of the waterfall...
I regretted not staying on the main trail as I tearfully watched these people risk their most precious gift for me. Their courageous efforts are the reasons why I am here right now. I cannot express enough of my heartfelt appreciation. Man has destroyed much of Mother Nature and has polluted Her sacred land. I feel that by going off the main trail, I too had invaded Mother Nature's space. Maybe my accident was Her way of telling me to back off and respect Her territory. By staying on the main trail, we all can respect Her beauty and majesty without endangering our most precious gift - life."
This victim was found guilty by a U.S. Magistrate for creating a hazardous condition. His sentence was to pay restitution and submit an article to the National Park Service summarizing his experience so that others might learn. You can read the whole statement at:
http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/sar/hikesafe.htm#vs
click on Victim's Story.
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from the National Park Service Morning Report of Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River (NY,PA)
Fisherman Drowns In River Rapids
Peter Hardouin, 62, drowned in the Barryville-Shohola rapids on the Delaware River after his canoe capsized around 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 12th. Hardouin and a companion were paddling and fishing as they went through the rapids when the canoe capsized and both ended up in the river. There were no Coast Guard-approved life jackets on board, just Type IV seat cushions that don’t meet USCG requirements. Hardouin was submerged for about 20 minutes before bystanders recovered him and brought him to the New York shoreline. They then performed CPR on him for about 20 minutes. It took a further 20 minutes for rangers and local police officers and first responders to arrive on scene. Hardouin’s body was transported downstream to the park’s Barryville office. Rangers and state troopers are investigating. [Submitted by Al Henry, Chief Ranger]
Monday, June 04, 2007
Yosemite National Park (CA)
Visitor Falls Into River And Drowns
On May 19th, Kiran Yellajyosula, 27, of Santa Clara and India,
went hiking on the Vernal-Nevada Falls Trail with a group of friends.
Yellajyosula left the trail and walked about 10 yards to the edge
of the Merced River, where he slipped and fell in.
Witnesses reported that they’d seen him in the river
below the Vernal Falls footbridge, but that he’d then disappeared.
Search efforts began in earnest when the park received a call
for assistance. Search dogs alerted along the river downstream
from the footbridge the following day. Although past its peak spring
runoff, the river continues to run at a significant volume,
and its velocity near the footbridge made it too hazardous
for SAR personnel to enter the water. On Tuesday, May 29th,
Yellajyosula’s body was spotted by a park ranger. The recovery,
which entailed the use of a high line,
took about three-and-a-half hours.
Mike Foster and Jack Hoeflich were incident commanders
during the initial search and later recovery efforts.
[Submitted by Charles Cuvelier, Deputy Chief Ranger]
Yosemite National Park News Release
August 24, 2005
Two Fatalities Result From Water-Related Accidents in Yosemite National Park
Two visitors in Yosemite National Park have died in the last week due to water-related accidents.
Rachael Neil, 22, of Mesa. Arizona was hiking with friends on the John Muir Trail above Nevada Fall. Neil slipped while jumping from rock to rock about ¼ mile above the waterfall and was pulled down stream and underwater by the swift current. Despite attempts by search and rescue personnel, deep holes and high water conditions in the Merced River have prevented her body from being recovered. Recovery attempts will resume when water levels in the Merced River recede.
Shane Kinsella, 21, from Dublin, Ireland, fell over the top of Upper Yosemite Fall on Monday afternoon, August 23, 2005. He was posing for a photograph near the lip of the waterfall when he slipped, was unable to recover, and fell over the 1430 foot waterfall. Kinsella's body was recovered by Yosemite National Park rangers and rescue personnel in a pool at the bottom of Upper Yosemite Fall on Tuesday morning.
This is the fifth accidental death in Yosemite National Park this year.
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Yosemite National Park News Release
August 1, 2005
24-Year-Old Hiker Dies After Falling Over Vernal Fall
A 24-year-old hiker died Saturday in Yosemite National Park after falling over Vernal Fall. Chintan Chokshi, a San Francisco area resident, crossed the safety barrier at the top of the Fall to cool off after hiking, lost his footing, and was witnessed being swept over the fall. Rangers were called to the scene at approximately 11:15 am. Searchers will continue to look for Chokshi's body on foot and by helicopter through today.
Chokshi was hiking with friends on the popular Mist Trail in Yosemite National Park.
Signs at the bridge near Vernal Fall use strong language and international symbols to warn hikers of the dangers of entering the water in that area. High water levels, wet rocks, and strong currents make the area extremely dangerous. Swimming is not permitted in Emerald Pool or in river areas along the Mist Trail.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported:
"According to Ranger Adrianne Freeman, Chokshi went behind a barrier at the top of the falls to get near the river, apparently with the idea of cooling off in the icy river water. But he slipped and was swept away over the fall, which drops over a cliff 317 feet high.
The river was running swift and cold due to late runoff from a high snowpack in the Sierra. Authorities listed Chokshi as presumed dead.
Freeman said that bodies of persons swept over the falls are sometimes never recovered. The incident was the first fatal accident involving waterfalls or swift streams in Yosemite this year, though there have been several close calls, Freeman said.
"It was just a terrible accident,'' she said.
In recent years, she said, three or four people have been swept over Vernal or nearby Nevada falls to their deaths."
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Below, a warning sign above Vernal Fall in Yosemite National Park.
Galen Clark, guardian of Yosemite for 21 years, put up protective railings at both Vernal and Nevada Falls in 1892.
The first fatal accident recorded at Vernal Fall was August 22, 1924, a 16 year old girl wading with her father across the river just above the falls. In 1946 a boy 60 feet above the brink of the fall dropped his canteen and as he reached for it, slipped and fell in. Three sailors walking nearby leaped over the barrier railing and into the water. One got the boy and struggled to get him the shore but lost his grip on the slippery rocks and both were swept over the falls.
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from the National Park Service Morning Report
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Glacier National Park
Near Drowning After Fall into Avalanche Gorge
A woman employed by Lake McDonald Lodge fell into Avalanche Gorge on July 3rd. The park was alerted to the accident in the late afternoon. A companion told rangers that he’d witnessed her fall into the water and followed her downstream, where he found her face-down and unconscious. Other park visitors, including a physician’s assistant, were reported to have immediately begun rescue breathing and chest compressions. An A.L.E.R.T. helicopter responded and its flight nurse met rangers at the scene. The woman was stabilized, then transported by backboard via park vehicle to the helicopter at Red Rock Point. The helicopter took her to Kalispell Regional Medical Center, where she fully recovered from her brush with death.
[Submitted by Melissa Wilson, Public Affairs Specialist]
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from the National Park Service Morning Report
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (CA)
Man Drowns in Middle Fork of Kaweah River
The body of Bryan Coker, 21, of Naval Air Station Lemoore in California, was recovered May 29th five miles downstream and outside the boundary of Sequoia National Park. He had been reported as missing the previous afternoon after swift currents swept him downstream of where he and his friends were jumping into the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River inside the park. Although the river current was strong, several of the party decided to enter the water. The missing man was pulled into the middle of the river and was unable to get to shore. His friends tried to pull him out, but were unable to reach him due to the strong current. He was last seen with his head out of the water being swept down the river. Investigating rangers say that the cold, swift water and the possible use of alcohol were contributing factors in his death.
Participating in the search were rangers, one helicopter from Yosemite Search and Rescue and another from Intermountain Helicopters on contract to the NPS, and personnel from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department dive team, Tulare County Search and Rescue and Sequoia Mountain Rescue. While this search was taking place, a second call came in on the evening of May 28th reporting that two young children were struggling on the side of the Kaweah River below Pumpkin Hollow Bridge near the entrance to the park. Dive team members and the Yosemite helicopter responded to that incident, which was quickly resolved. This is the first drowning in the two parks this year.
[Submitted by Alexandra Picavet, Public Affairs Specialist]
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Yosemite National Park News Release
August 5, 2003
For Immediate Release
Young Man Drowns at Emerald Pool, Yosemite National Park
A young man drowned late yesterday, August 4, at Emerald Pool despite efforts by bystanders and rangers to resuscitate the man. Emerald Pool is at the top of Vernal Fall and accessed by the Mist Trail.
Melvin L. Paballa, 20, of Milpitas, CA, attempted to swim the segment of the river with friends, but went under at the bank. His friends pulled him out of the river and began CPR. Rangers received the initial report by cell phone, responded, and arrived on the scene in approximately 30 minutes. They continued CPR and advanced life saving efforts. Paballa was determined to be dead at the scene after one hour of resuscitation efforts.
Yosemite Search and Rescue responded with 30 personnel for this incident. Rangers had requested a CHP helicopter for quick evacuation. However, the helicopter was turned around after the fatality was called at the scene.
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from the National Park Service Morning Report of Friday, June 13, 2003
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (PA)
Recovery of Drowning Victim
On Thursday, June 12th, rangers recovered the body of a 19-year-old man who drowned in Raymondskill Creek on the afternoon of June 5th. Frank Migliano of New City, New York, was swimming in the creek above a 40-foot waterfall with three friends, despite signs stating that the area is closed to swimming and a split-rail fence barrier between the trail to a viewpoint of the falls and the creek itself. He was caught in the current and swept over the falls. Rangers had been trying to recover his body for a week, but the volume of water coming over the falls, which remained high due to intermittent rain, stymied repeated efforts to reach him by kayakers and divers. On June 11th, rangers completed the complicated setup required for the next phase of the recovery effort, which would have entailed running a boat along a line at the base of the falls between two fixed anchor points and probing for Migliano’s body. That operation was about to get underway, when arriving rangers found that Migliano’s body had surfaced in the pool at the bottom of the falls sometime during the previous night. The family, which had been on scene for much of the week, was present when he was brought to shore. An autopsy will be conducted. The family released a statement to the media, part of which read as follows: ""The family [remained] in constant contact [through the week] with Ranger Ed Whitaker [IC] and Ranger Sue Zoccola [family liaison], who provided updated information and an amazing sense of compassion and determination to returning the body of a young man to his family, whom they never had the privilege of meeting. The family would like to thank all the friends and family who have shown love and support during this tragedy. Furthermore, they would like to extend their extreme gratitude and thanks to Ranger Whitaker, Ranger Zoccola, the National Park Service, Northeast Search and Rescue, local fire and emergency services, and everyone else who has offered help, risking their lives to find Frank." Marigliano graduated from high school last year, where he was a varsity athlete in football and track and field, and had just finished his freshman year at the State University of New York in Albany. He was an avid outdoorsman and hunter and a eucharistic minister at St. Augustine Church in his hometown of New City, New York.
[Submitted by Bill Halainen, IO]
from the National Park Service Morning Report of Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (PA)
Fatal Fall Into Raymondskill Creek
Tatiana Culvert, 44, of Effort, Pennsylvania, was killed on Saturday afternoon when she slipped off a log and fell into Raymondskill Creek. According to friends who witnessed the accident, she was one of a group of six visitors who crossed the creek on a log that was about 30 feet above the water. Everyone else in the group crossed by straddling the log and sidling over, but Culvert attempted to walk across. She lost her balance, held onto the log for a moment with her hands, then lost her grip and fell into the creek below. The water was only about ten inches deep at that point and Culvert struck the rocks below the stream’s surface. Her friends immediately pulled her out of the creek and reported later that she remained conscious for a short time. One member of the party hiked out to the trailhead and called 911. Park rangers, paramedics, and the Milford Fire Department rescue team responded immediately, arriving with a few minutes of the initial call. By the time the rescuers arrived, Culvert was unconscious and had stopped breathing. CPR was begun and a defibrillator unit was used at the scene, but Culvert never regained consciousness. The cause of death is presumed to be traumatic injury associated with the fall. The accident occurred in an area where there are no established trails. Culvert is survived by her husband and five children. [Submitted by Doyle Nelson, Deputy Superintendent]
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Yosemite National Park (CA)
Drowning in Merced River
from the National Park Service Morning Report of Tuesday,
June 03, 2003
Late on the afternoon of May 22nd, Marcario Muniz, Jr., 22, of Riverside, California, drowned after falling into the Merced River below the Vernal Fall footbridge. The river is in spring run-off and flowing at a very high level. Muniz and three friends were on a large sloping granite boulder that extended out into the river. Witnesses reported that Muniz had gone to the river’s edge to take a photograph when he slipped and fell into the raging waters. He was visible in the water briefly, then disappeared down the cataract. A witness called 911 by cell phone and reported the incident to park dispatch. Search and rescue personnel searched the river corridor for several hours that evening but could not locate Muniz. Two dog teams and shore-based searchers continued the effort the following morning. A dog handler spotted Muniz’ body wrapped over a log near the river’s edge in an eddy about 400 yards downstream from the point where he slipped into the water. Rescue team members were able to recover the body from shore by staying on top of the log.
[Submitted by Doug Roe, Special Agent]
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Yosemite National Park News Release
May 23, 2003
For Immediate Release
Young Man Missing in Yosemite National Park After Falling into Merced River
Yosemite National Park Rangers will continue a search today for a young man who fell into the Merced River below Vernal Fall yesterday afternoon.
The young man slipped into the water while taking a photograph according to friends and witnesses to the accident.
Rangers conducted a search along the river corridor between the Vernal Fall footbridge and Happy Isles late yesterday. The search will continue today, with the focus remaining on the area just below the footbridge. Two scent dogs have been brought to assist in the search and swift water rescue teams will conduct more extensive search operations today.
Rescuers are being hampered by high water. Late rain and snows in April followed by the warm weather in May have created dangerously high waters.
Yosemite National Park News Release
May 23, 2003
For Immediate Release
River Fatality in Yosemite National Park
At approximately 11:00 am this morning, Yosemite National Park Rangers discovered the body of a young man who fell into the Merced River below Vernal Fall yesterday afternoon.
The young man slipped into the water while taking a photograph according to friends and witnesses to the accident.
Rangers conducted a search along the river corridor between the Vernal Fall footbridge and Happy Isles late yesterday and this morning with a 12-member ground search team and two dog teams, and the man was located in the water. Hazardous, high water conditions hampered the search efforts.
Late rain and snows in April followed by the warm weather in May have created dangerously high waters. Information regarding the identity of the man will be forthcoming upon notification of next of kin.
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June 19, 2001 Yosemite National Park news release
Yosemite Concession Services Employee Dies While Hiking In Yosemite National Park
Timothy M. Shirk, a Yosemite Concession Services employee, died while hiking the Yosemite Falls Trail on June 24, 2001. The 20-year-old employee, a native of Tahoe City, California, was a housekeeper at The Ahwahnee in Yosemite Valley. He had been working in the park for less than a month.
Shirk was hiking with four friends to the top of El Capitan, via the Yosemite Falls Trail. He and one other person got separated from the group, and stopped at the base of the Upper Yosemite Fall. The pair scrambled down into the basin at the bottom of the waterfall, when Shirk slipped and stumbled, falling 40 feet to his death. The National Park Service's Search and Rescue team responded by helicopter to the incident. Shirk was pronounced dead at the scene about 1:30 p.m., having suffered a head injury. No foul play is suspected.
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NEWS RELEASE
Yosemite National Park
June 20, 2000
HIKER DROWNS IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
A 34 year old woman from Toyota, Japan died on Monday afternoon when she accidentally fell into the Merced River above Vernal Fall. The victim, whose name is being withheld at the family's request, had hiked with friends on the Mist Trail. While stopped for lunch, she slipped on wet rocks and fell into the water above the Silver Apron which drains into Emerald Pool. Once in the swift moving water, witnesses say the victim was quickly swept past the Silver Apron and was briefly seen in Emerald Pool. Witnesses to the accident called park rangers by cell phone.
Park Rangers, using a helicopter, were lifted to the area and were able to recover the body from Emerald Pool an hour-and-a-half after the accident. Rescue personnel attempted to resuscitate the victim at the scene. The victim was then flown to Yosemite Medical Clinic, and pronounced dead just after 4:00 p.m.
Emerald Pool is immediately above Vernal Fall on the Mist Trail, and is a popular destination for summer hikers. Signs in the area use strong language to warn hikers of the dangers of the water in that area.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported:
Wednesday, June 21, 2000
The San Francisco Chronicle reported:
YOSEMITE PARK -- A 34-year-old Japanese tourist drowned Monday afternoon after falling into the Merced River in Yosemite National Park.
The woman apparently slipped on wet rocks while hiking and fell into the swift flowing river. The current carried her to the treacherous Emerald Pool, a deep and rough body of water near the popular Mist Trail, said park spokesman Marc Stevens.
Two rangers, lowered by helicopter, recovered the tourist's body. Family members, who asked authorities not to release her name, are making arrangements to have her body flown to her hometown.
The woman was one of five people to drown in the Emerald Pool in the past five years, Stevens said.
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NEWS RELEASE
Yosemite National Park
July 12, 1999
HIKER DIES IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK AFTER BEING SWEPT OVER NEVADA FALL
Siddiq Parekh, of Diamond Bar, California, died on Saturday when he was accidentally swept over Nevada Fall on the John Muir Trail. Parekh, 31, was hiking with three friends on a two-day trip to climb Half Dome. He stopped near the Nevada Fall Footbridge to soak his feet in the Merced River and slipped on algae-covered rocks into the swift current and was washed over the 594-feet waterfall.
Parekh was an experienced Yosemite hiker and had made several trips to the park. Parekh's fall was witnessed by one of his friends who called rangers on a cell phone. Rangers using a helicopter were able to recover Parekh's body a few hours later.
Signs at the bridge use strong language and international symbols to warn hikers of the dangers of entering the water in that area. This marks the fourth death at Nevada Fall in the last four years.
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August 10, 1998
Yosemite National Park news release
HIKER DIES IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
Richard "Ory" Benabou, a 23 year old man from Alameda, California, died yesterday while hiking on the Yosemite Falls trail. Benabou had been hiking off-trail with a group of friends when he fell into Yosemite Creek.
The accident, which occurred around 1 p.m., was reported to rangers by friends that hiked back down the 3.6 mile trail. Benabou, hiking alone, had apparently been trying to get to the edge of Yosemite Creek when he slipped and tumbled approximately 100' before landing in the creek.
Rangers recovered Benabou's body in a pool in the rough, middle section of the Yosemite Falls. The preliminary cause of death appears to be drowning.
This is the fourth confirmed, accidental death in Yosemite this year. There were nine fatal accidents in 1997.
8/11/98 The San Francisco Chronicle reported:
YOSEMITE -- An Alameda man died in Yosemite National Park on Sunday after he slipped and fell into Yosemite Creek, park officials said.
Richard ``Ory'' Benabou, 23, was hiking through the park with friends when he split off from the group and decided to explore a more rugged area of the park, park spokesman Kendall Thompson said yesterday. Thompson said Benabou apparently lost his footing, tumbled about 100 feet through a cascade and then landed in the creek, which is part of Yosemite Falls.
The preliminary cause of death is drowning, he said.
Friends reported Benabou missing about 2 p.m., but his body was not retrieved by a rescue crew until 5 p.m., Thompson said. About 20 rescue workers flew into the area by helicopter and then swam in a pool of water to recover Benabou's body.
It appears that Benabou was trying to get to the creek to cool off, Thompson said.
``He was off the trail in a rugged area, which is OK,'' Thompson said. ``But you need to be skilled in doing that. You always need to have a few extra skills when you leave the trail.'' This is the fourth confirmed accidental death at the park so far this year, he said.
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Monday, October 20, 1997
The San Francisco Chronicle reported:
YOSEMITE -- A 29-year-old Sri Lankan man died Saturday in Yosemite National Park while trying to save his drowning wife, park officials said.
Arjuna D.N. Babapulle of Sri Lanka and his wife, Juanita, were hiking in rough terrain along the Merced River above Vernal Falls about noon on Saturday, when Juanita Babapulle slipped and fell into Emerald Pool.
Arjuna Babapulle jumped into the water after his wife, who was thrown a line and helped to safety by other park visitors. Arjuna Babapulle, who could not swim, went under the water and drifted out of reach.
He was reportedly under water for about 15 minutes, when he floated close enough to the riverbank to be pulled from the water by other visitors. They performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and were able to restore an intermittent pulse by the time rescue workers arrived.
The victim was airlifted to Yosemite Valley, where he was pronounced dead at 3 p.m.
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Monday, July 7, 1997
The San Francisco Chronicle reported:
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK - Yosemite National Park officials say they have called off a search for a 35-year-old Mountain View man who is presumed dead after being swept over a 594-foot waterfall.
A park spokesman said Zhiming Li was swimming in a pool in a Merced River wading pool above Nevada Fall with 11 other hikers at about 5 p.m. Saturday when he lost his footing in chest-high water. He was swept downstream - under a foot bridge and over the edge of the fall.
Yosemite National Park news release
MAN SWEPT OVER NEVADA FALL PRESUMED DEAD
July 5, 1997
A 35 year old California man is missing and presumed dead after a late afternoon accident in Yosemite National Park.
Zhiming Li of Mountain View was with a group of 11 people who had hiked to the top of Nevada Fall Saturday afternoon. Some members of the party, including Li, were swimming and wading in a pool in the Merced River above the falls. Witnesses say the man was wading about chest high in the river about 5:00 p.m. when he lost his footing. One person on the riverbank unsuccessfully tried to rescue Li as he was swept downstream. Other witnesses saw the man swept under the footbridge and then over the brink of the 594 foot waterfall.
Member of the party immediately headed down the trail for help, notifying rangers at approximately 6:30 p.m. National Park Service personnel including rangers, Search and Rescue team members and a helicopter were called in to search for the missing man. The search was called off at approximately 9:00 p.m. because of nightfall.
The search for Li will resume at first light Sunday morning. The incident remains under investigation.
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RIVER RESCUE / BOATING / RAFTING
From the National Park Service Morning Report of Wednesday, June 21, 2006
New River Gorge National River (WV)
River Rafter Drowns in Iron Ring Rapid
The park received a call for help on June 14th from a commercial rafting company running trips on the Gauley River. According to reports, the raft trip was running Iron Ring Rapid on the Upper Gauley River when one of the passengers, Neville Williams, 67, of St. Michael's, Maryland, lost his balance and fell out of the raft and into the Class V rapid. Williams remained at the surface for a second and then disappeared into the turbulent water just above an undercut rock with a crack referred to as Woodstock Rock. Guides who had positioned themselves as safeties below the rapid rushed to the point last seen and immediately threw weighted ropes into the rapids above the rock. The guide for Williams’ raft ran upstream, jumped into the rapid, and positioned herself in the water to be flushed through an area called the Flume of Doom, where she searched for Williams. Another guide secured a line to his rescue vest and with the aid of others lowered himself into the rapid above Woodstock Rock. On the second lowering, the guide felt what he believed to be a life jacket at the base of the rock. Several attempts were made to free the item with paddles, poles and weighted drag ropes, but without success. One of the guides was able to climb to higher ground, where a radio call for assistance was made. Upon receiving the call, NPS rangers and two volunteer rescue squads responded to the scene. The Army Corps of Engineers was notified and the Summersville Dam, upstream of the rapid, reduced it’s discharge to minimum flow. Once on scene, rangers determined that rescue efforts would be suspended until the river flow was reduced. Upon nightfall, all personnel were called off the river. Recovery efforts began the following morning. River rangers were assisted by five experienced guides from the rafting company and members of the Anstead and Nuttall volunteer fire departments. After approximately five hours of working with grappling hooks, ropes, pulleys and a complex rigging system, Williams’ body was freed from under Woodstock Rock. Evidence indicated that his hand became entrapped in the rocks, causing him to be held underwater. The body was transported by Jan-Care ambulance to the West Virginia medical examiner. The follow-up investigation is being conducted by the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, which by legislation has jurisdiction over commercial rafting in the park. Ranger Peggy Brown served as IC throughout the incident. [Submitted by Gary Hartley, Chief Ranger]
From the National Park Service Morning Report of Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Buffalo National River (AR)
Successful SAR For Missing Kayakers
On the evening of Wednesday, May 18th, rangers met with a woman
at Pruitt Landing who’d reported that her 19-year-old son
and six-year-old granddaughter were missing from a kayaking trip
on the river. She told rangers that the two had last been seen
kayaking down the river from Pruitt sometime after noon and
that they were supposed to try out the kayak,
then return to Pruitt within the hour.
Her son had invited his niece to go along, and she sat in front of
him in the single-person kayak. The pair were dressed in swimwear
and lifejackets and had just one bottle of water with them. Rangers from the Upper and Middle Districts attempted to locate
the pair at various river access points downriver to Woolum Landing,
approximately 26 miles away from Pruitt, while a kayak was
launched from Pruitt to begin searching down the river.
Several campers along the river reported seeing the kayak
go by with the man paddling strongly and singing loudly,
showing no signs of stopping. By 10:30 p.m.,
fog rising off the river dramatically reduced visibility
and the river operation was halted until first light on Thursday.
The parents described their son, a college student, as a genius,
but very much lacking in common sense. They did offer some encouraging
information, though he had recently completed formal
survival training. Overnight lows along the river
dipped down below 40 degrees. An NPS johnboat was
immediately launched in the morning, and searchers
found the pair alive and well along the river approximately
23 miles from Pruitt. The man said that he was a 'paddling machine'
who didn’t think about turning around until it started getting dark,
despite numerous opportunities to stop and ask for help along the way.
He at least used his recently acquired survival skills
to stay warm overnight by building a large leaf pile and
huddling in it with his niece. They were boated three miles downriver
to the Woolum access, where they were reunited with other members
of their family. [Submitted by Lee Buschkowsky, Upper District Ranger]
From the National Park Service Morning Report of Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Gauley River National Recreation Area (WV)
Whitewater Rafting Season Concludes
The fall whitewater season on the Gauley River has concluded, with rangers logging responses to numerous EMS and search and rescue incidents. Ranger Charles Mitchum assisted in the evacuation of a rafter with a dislocated shoulder and broken nose and a rafter with head and neck injuries. Ranger Randy Fisher investigated a drowning and assisted with an elbow dislocation during the annual Gauley downriver race. River ranger Bryan Hunter provided EMS to a raft guide who suffered a mild heart attack during his trip. The raft guide was evacuated and transported to a hospital. River rangers conducted numerous rescues of accidental swimmers and visitors on pinned rafts and recovered an array of lost equipment. Summersville Reservoir is a center for powerboat recreation during the summer months and at the end of the season the Army Corp of Engineers must lower the lake by 75 feet to make room for next spring's floods. The dependable flows from this fall drawdown attract thousands of paddlers to one of the country's most popular runs on the Class V Gauley River. These scheduled releases begin on the first Friday after Labor Day and continue every weekend for five weeks. According to American Whitewater, a whitewater rafting organization, the rapids on the Gauley – Pillow Rock, Insignificant, Lost Paddle, Iron Ring, and Sweet's Falls – are world famous and deserve their notoriety. They are big, steep, demanding, and can have severe consequences for the paddler in the wrong place. [Submitted by Randy Fisher, Park Ranger]
From the National Park Service Morning Report of Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Grand Teton National Park (WY)
Three Drown in Snake River Boating Accident
A Grand Teton Lodge Company scenic float trip raft on the Snake River overturned a half mile south of the old Bar BC dude ranch on June 2nd, spilling 13 passengers into the river. The company reported the accident to Teton interagency dispatch at 11:05 a.m., and a response was immediately launched. Rangers, rescue personnel, ambulances and EMS personnel on an interagency helicopter all headed to the accident scene. CPR was begun on two of the victims, but neither could be revived; a third was submerged in a log jam on the river and was deceased when found. Several other people from the raft were rescued by other scenic raft trip companies and by a ranger in a rescue raft and were taken to the Moose boat landing, where rangers and emergency medical personnel provided care. The three victims were a 63-year-old man from South Carolina, his 58-year-old wife, and a 69-year-old woman from Louisiana. All 13 people on the raft were wearing lifejackets designed specifically for this use. An investigation into the accident is underway; a cause has not yet been determined. [Submitted by Jackie Skaggs, Public Affairs Specialist]
A GTNP park news release also said:
On average, approximately 63,000 people float the Snake River with commercially guided trips in Grand Teton National Park each summer. Guided float trips account for about two-thirds of the total number of people who float the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park every year.
and Update on Fatal Boating Accident
Additional details have been received about the accident on the Snake River that resulted in the deaths of three visitors on a commercial boating trip. The Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received a call from the Grand Teton Lodge Company just before 11 a.m. on June 2nd, reporting that one of their scenic raft trip boats had tipped over in the “Many Moose” area of the Snake River, one-half mile downstream of the historic Bar BC dude ranch. Twelve passengers were spilled out of the raft and into the Snake River as the boat became lodged against a root ball of a live tree that had recently flushed into that section of the river during spring run-off. The 15-passenger raft, carrying twelve people and one boatman, had launched earlier that morning to float a ten-mile stretch of river within the park. Boatmen from four commercial float trip raft companies, who were in the vicinity at the time of the accident, assisted in getting nine passengers out of the water and onto the riverbank. As previously reported, the remaining three people drowned in this accident. Park rangers, a Teton Interagency contract helicopter, Jackson Hole Fire/EMS, and Teton County Search and Rescue volunteers also assisted in the search and rescue operation. The section of the Snake River below Bar BC ranch braids into three narrow channels. The center channel, where the accident occurred, takes a slight curve to the right, making it challenging to get a clear downstream view until a boat has fully entered into the channel’s flow. A live tree had recently been uprooted and flushed into this channel, where it was temporarily snagged on a submerged gravel bar. The tree was swept away with the river’s flow by the following morning. The force of the river current pushed the raft toward the tree, where it bumped into the exposed root ball and became pinned by the current. The swift flowing water then pushed the boat up and into a vertical position, leaving the passenger compartment facing the upstream flow. As the boat tipped onto its side, the passengers fell into the water. The Snake River is a natural, multi-channeled river with woody debris deposits and gravel bars scattered across along the length of its route. Along the 25-mile river corridor from Jackson Lake Dam to the Moose Bridge, there are only four river landings, spaced several miles apart. Much of the river course lies remote from any road access. The river current can be strong enough to push debris and load debris at river bends or gravel bars. The investigation of this boating accident is continuing. It’s estimated that there have been 20 fatalities associated with recreation on the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park since record keeping began in the 1930s. [Submitted by Joan Anzelmo and Jackie Skaggs, Public Affairs Specialists]
from the NPS Daily Report
Lake Mead National Recreation Area (AZ,NV)
Boating Accident, Follow-up on Drownings
On the afternoon of Saturday, May 13th, (2006) an 18-year-old woman from California was critically injured when hit by a boat propeller. The woman was riding on the back of a personal watercraft (PWC) being driven by a 16-year-old girl when the PWC drove in front of a boat operated by a 16-year-old male. He tried to avoid the PWC, but was not able to miss it completely. The boat hit the rear end of the PWC and the passenger was hit several times by the boat’s propeller. A witness to the accident called for help at about 2:20 p.m. and brought the injured woman to the launch ramp. She was treated by rangers and EMS personnel, then flown to UMC Trauma in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, searches continued yesterday for the two people who drowned in the lake over the weekend. On Sunday morning, rangers and the park’s dive team recovered the body of the 16-year-old who drowned on Saturday night. They then resumed the search for the 39-year-old man who disappeared on Friday night in Overton Arm (not the Arizona side of the park as was previously reported). The search proved fruitless, though, and was called off at 5 p.m. [Submitted by Roxanne Dey, Public Affairs Specialist]
Lake Mead National Recreation Area (AZ,NV)
Two Drownings Reported Over Past Weekend
Two drownings occurred in the park this past weekend – the first on Friday afternoon, the second on Saturday evening. The first incident was reported just after 5 p.m. on Friday. A visitor notified park dispatch that a 39-year-old man had been swimming off a houseboat north of Echo Bay on the Arizona side of the lake when he went underwater and failed to resurface. The missing swimmer was part of a group of about 30 visitors from California on three houseboats. Rangers were on scene within a half hour and began dive operations in an effort to find his body; at the time of the report, the search was still underway. On Saturday evening, dispatch received another call reporting a possible drowning, this time a 16-year-old man from North Las Vegas. Rangers were told that he and a friend went swimming from the Government Wash area on the Nevada side of the lake out towards an island. The boy began having difficulty and called for help. Two other young men in the party swam out to him, but were unable to keep him from disappearing beneath the surface. Rangers searched the area for several hours on Saturday night, but were unable to find him. The park’s dive team is searching for his body. [Submitted by Roxanne Dey, Public Affairs Specialist]
from the NPS Daily Report
Grand Teton National Park (WY)
River Rescue
Four visitors floating the Snake River in a borrowed, 12-foot inflatable raft flipped the raft on the "Rookery" logjam below Deadman’s Bar Launch on July 5th. This was the second river accident the group experienced on the same trip. After the first accident, the group was cautioned on the complexity of the river, but they were determined to continue. A river ranger who was watching the group saw the second accident. When the raft flipped, Barbara Herman, 62, was swept under the logjam until only her head and shoulders were above water. Herman was just about to go underwater and was hanging on to a log with one arm when the ranger extricated her, narrowly escaping being swept under a sizeable logjam. The park had previously issued a press release to heighten the public’s awareness of river conditions and water temperatures following several river incidents this summer.
[Submitted by Bill Holda, Acting Chief Ranger]
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from the National Park Service Morning Report
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Lake Mead National Recreation Area (AZ,NV)
Man Dies in Boating Accident
Eddie Cortez, 26, of Pico Rivera, California, was fatally injured in a boating accident around 8 p.m. on Sunday, May 29th. Cortez and a group of friends were boating on Lake Mohave when he and several others jumped off the back of the boat to go swimming. Someone on the vessel accidentally turned on the engine and Cortez’s legs were cut off by the boat propeller. He was taken to Telephone Cove on the Arizona side of Lake Mohave, then transported by ambulance to the hospital in Bullhead City, where he was pronounced dead by the medical staff. This was the park’s ninth fatality so far this year. [Submitted by Roxanne Dey, Public Affairs Officer]
From the National Park Service Morning Report
Monday, August 09, 2004
Saint Croix National Scenic River (WI)
Two Drownings in St. Croix River
"... rangers responded to another drowning in the river, this time near the Osceola day use area. Ronald Butcher, 39, was floating on a raft on the river with his wife and 13-year-old son when a rope attached from an inner tube (with cooler) to his ankle snagged on a submerged log and pulled him under. Several other people also floating on rafts in the area tried to locate and assist Butcher, but the swift current prevented them for doing so. The Osceola (Wisconsin) Volunteer Fire Department and St. Croix District rangers managed to locate and bring Butcher to the surface within 15 minutes. CPR was immediately begun. Butcher was transported by boat and ambulance to the Osceola Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead after continued life saving efforts failed. Sergeant Butcher, known to many of the St. Croix District rangers, was a 13-year veteran of the Chisago County (Minnesota) Sheriffs Department."
[Submitted by Brian R. Adams, Chief Resource Protection]
OTHER DROWNINGS
From the National Park Service Morning Report of
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Haleakala National Park (HI)
Search Suspended For Missing Swimmer
On the afternoon of Saturday, October 6th, rangers received a report of a missing swimmer in a closed section of a river above Makahiku Falls in Kipahulu. Searches of the river began immediately with the assistance of the Coast Guard and local emergency service organizations, but proved completely fruitless and were suspended on Sunday afternoon. Edward Pedrick, 27, hiked up to a deep pool above the falls with two companions to do some jumping in the water even through the Kipahulu area has been under a month-long closure due to heavy rains and swift currents. Upon arrival, they talked about the high and swift water and determined that it was too dangerous to enter. When Pedrick’s companions turned around to return, they heard a splash behind them. Pedrick had either decided to jump in anyhow or slipped and fell into the water. He did not reappear. Investigation also revealed that rangers had talked to Pedrick early on Saturday morning and had emphasized that the stream was closed due to high water. Regular patrols of the area will continue and divers will look for Pedrick once the river level drops. [Submitted by Dominic Cardea, Public Information Officer]
From the National Park Service Morning Report of
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Colonial National Historical Park (VA)
Drowning At College Creek
The park received a 911 call from James City County police around midday on July 19th, reporting that a child was missing in the water at the College Creek beach along Colonial Parkway. Rangers responded along with county fire and police units. According to the mother of the five-year-old girl, she was last seen wading in the creek. The mother was distracted for a moment and the girl was gone when she looked back. A search was begun. About 30 minutes after the initial call and less than 10 minutes after rescue personnel arrived on scene, two county officers found the girl floating face down in the creek about 100 yards from the point last scene. She was pulled from the water and advanced resuscitation efforts were begun, but she did not survive. College Creek has a very strong current at this location and the area is posted with warning signs advising visitors not to swim or wade in the area. Rangers who patrol the area frequently stop to advise visitors of the danger. [Submitted by Tom Nash, Chief Ranger]
From the National Park Service Morning Report of
Friday, July 20, 2007
Lake Mead National Recreation Area (AZ,NV)
Drowning In Lake Mohave
The park received an emergency call via marine band radio on the afternoon of July 7th in which a woman reported that her husband had disappeared while swimming in Lake Mohave. Rangers were on scene in about six minutes. The operators of at least four private vessels who heard the emergency call over the radio also responded to the area to help locate the man. About an hour after the initial call for help came in, the victim’s body was located by one of the private citizens assisting with the search. Rangers on the NPS dive team and a diver from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department recovered his body at about 8 p.m. The man’s wife reported that a group of family members and their pet dog had been boating and were swimming in the water. The couple had brought along four nieces and nephews from Los Angeles on their trip. They decided to head back to shore when the wind increased, creating two- to three-foot waves. When she reached shore, her husband was no longer swimming behind her. Although the children were all wearing life jackets and made it safely to shore, he did not have one on. About 99 percent of the drownings that have occurred in the park could have been prevented if the victims had been wearing life jackets. [Submitted by Roxanne Dey, Public Affairs Officer]
UNPREPARED HIKERS
from the NPS daily report
Friday, March 21, 2008
Mount Rainier National Park (WA)
Hiker’s Body Found After Extended Search
A three-day search for a missing hiker culminated on Wednesday morning with the discovery of his body about a mile from the Kautz Creek trailhead. David Ossman, 45, of Mukilteo, Washington, evidently arrived in the park on Monday morning for a day hike. He was not planning to be out overnight and was dressed lightly in blue jeans, a flannel shirt and a jacket. Conditions were wet, with temperatures in the 30s and several feet of snow on the ground. Ranger Dan Camiccia found Ossman’s car parked at Kautz Creek late on Monday. When he investigated further, he found that his wife had reported him missing that afternoon. With daylight dwindling, there was time for only a cursory check of the area. A search was mounted the next day and by Wednesday morning had expanded to include more than 20 park staff and volunteers, with two dog teams assisting from German Shepherd Search Dogs of Washington. Rangers found and followed a single set of tracks to an elevation of 4,200 feet. The tracks then descended east of the trail to about 3,000 feet, where Ossman’s body was found. [Submitted by Lee Taylor, Information Officer]
from the NPS daily report
Zion National Park (UT)
Rescue of Injured Canyoneer
On August 20th, the park received word of a climbing accident requiring a rescue operation. A 32-year-old canyoneer was down-climbing a short drop in Englestead Canyon when a 100-pound rock peeled off and landed on his sandal-clad foot. The canyoneer suffered a mostly amputated big toe along with several foot fractures. The experienced members of his group completed the route and reported the injury to Zion dispatch, leaving three inexperienced and unprepared canyoneers with the victim.
The Englestead Canyon route begins in Kane County, outside Zion National Park, and is completed within the park boundary. The route involves about 10 rappels, including a 300-foot rappel to enter the canyon. The park consulted with the Kane County Sheriff’s Office and agreed to conduct the rescue.
The victim was found a quarter-mile outside the park during a recon flight. Rescuers were flown to the rim of the canyon and park medic Kevin Killian was lowered 600 feet to his location. Killian and the patient were raised to the rim during the night. The rim of the canyon was ledgy and choked with oak brush, so a short haul was completed with the Grand Canyon short haul team on the morning of August 21st. The patient was delivered to a hospital in late morning. Two rangers assisted the three unprepared canyoneers through the remainder of the canyon. [Submitted by Ray O’Neil, IC ]
from the NPS daily report of Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Mount Rainier National Park (WA)
Climbers Rescued
A group of seven military service members from Fort Lewis Army Base in Washington began a hike up Knapsack Pass in the Mowich Lake area at 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 2nd.
Two members of the party decided to reach the summit by climbing a rock face south of the pass. While on their way up, one of them fell about 60 feet to the talus slope below him and rolled another 100 feet down the slope. He sustained head, back and neck injuries. His partner became stranded on the rock face.
Another member of the group hiked back to Mowich Lake and called dispatch to summon help. Rangers joined him and were lead back to the scene of the incident. They stabilized the injured 19-year-old with the assistance of an Army medic who had been lowered to the scene; the victim was then flown to Harborview Hospital by a MAST helicopter from Fort Lewis.
Rangers next turned their attention to the stranded climber, who was perched on a small ledge/overhang, dressed in only a t-shirt, shorts and sneakers on a night when temperatures were forecast to drop into the high 30s or low 40s. Rangers climbed to his location, set up an anchor station, and lowered him to safety in the dark using headlamps. He and the rest of his party were escorted to Mowich Lake trailhead.
None of the members of the group was properly equipped for hiking or climbing they had no overnight provisions, no first aid kits, and no climbing gear and none had any climbing experience. The IC for the rescue was Paige Ritterbusch; participating were rangers Jim Hull, Molly Burns, Scott Bagocious, Geoff Walker and Uwe Nehring and VIP’s Tim Osburn, Cheryl Chillman, Tyler Chillman and Tyson Nehring. [Submitted by Uwe Nehring]
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Yosemite National Park (CA)
Search for Lost Hiker
from the NPS daily report Thursday, September 30, 2004
Judy Brower, 61, of Aptos, California, hiked to Half Dome on September 19th as part of a large, loosely organized group of sponsored hikers for a charity. While descending, she got off the trail somewhere below the shoulder of the dome and was last seen about 1:00 p.m. during an unseasonable early snow storm. Brower was not equipped to spend the night out in cold conditions. A large scale search was started in the late morning under clearing skies when Brower was reported overdue. Searchers found her in the Lost Lake area on the back (south) side of Half Dome within two hours of the initial report. When she was picked up by the park’s fire management helicopter, she was moderately hypothermic, tired and hungry. About 20 minutes after she was rescued, a second snow storm swept through the area. [Submitted by Leslie Reynolds, IC]
UNPREPARED HIKERS / DEHYDRATION
from a Grand Canyon press release
July 14, 2005
Man Collapses and Dies on Bright Angel Trail
"Grand Canyon, AZ – A 28-year old man collapsed and died on the Bright Angel Trail yesterday at approximately 5:00 p.m. Avik Chakravarty from England and a hiking companion started a rim to river to rim hike yesterday at approximately 7:30 a.m. The two started their hike on the South Kaibab Trail and had hiked to Phantom Ranch near the Colorado River. At Phantom Ranch they talked with a National Park Service (NPS) Interpretive Ranger and were advised not to begin their hike to the rim until later in the evening due to the extreme temperatures. The temperature at Phantom Ranch in the shade yesterday was reported to be 113 degrees.
Despite the advice the two hikers began hiking back to the South Rim on the Bright Angel Trail by mid to late-afternoon yesterday. They were approximately three miles north of Phantom Ranch in an area known as Devil’s Corkscrew when Mr. Chakravarty collapsed. His hiking partner then hiked up to Indian Garden, which is located approximately two miles north of where Chakravarty collapsed, to report the incident. He arrived at approximately 5:30 p.m.
National Park Service Search and Rescue Rangers arrived on scene at approximately 6:00 p.m. Mr. Chakravarty had already passed away...
Park Rangers suspect Mr. Chakravarty died from heat related illness."
_______________________
from a Grand Canyon press release
July 14 , 2004
Death of Canyon Runner Ruled Accidental
Grand Canyon, AZ - The death of Canyon runner Margaret L. Bradley, 24, has been determined by the Coconino Country Medical Examiner to be accidental - dehydration due to environmental heat exposure.
Ms. Bradley, a Chicago resident, and a companion began a 'day run' from the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park at the Grand View Trailhead on Thursday, July 8, 2004. The duo started their run sometime mid-morning and had planned on running from the Grand View Trailhead across the Tonto Plateau and back to the rim using the Kaibab Trail, a 27-mile trip. Sometime mid-afternoon on Thursday, the two ran low on water. At that point Ms. Bradley and her companion decided to separate - she then attempted to make it down to Phantom Ranch near the Colorado River to locate water. After spending the night in the canyon, Ms. Bradley's companion, who was suffering from dehydration and exhaustion, hiked back out of the canyon with assistance from a U.S. Geological Survey employee who had been working in the area. Believing Ms. Bradley had continued on to Phantom Ranch, her companion had left word at the Ranch that he had abandoned his hike, but would shuttle her car back to the South Kaibab Trailhead for her return trip to Flagstaff.
After failing to meet her family in Flagstaff on Friday, July 9, she was reported missing to the Flagstaff Police Department. The National Park Service began searching for Ms. Bradley after being contacted by the Flagstaff Police Department and the woman's family early Saturday morning. Park rangers located the body of Ms. Bradley in a drainage known as Cremation below the Tonto Trail shortly after launching an aerial search.
Temperatures at Phantom Ranch on July 8 were 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures in the Cremation drainage were likely in excess of 120 degrees Fahrenheit. "This is a tragic reminder that even the most physically fit person can run into trouble in the inner canyon during summer months when temperatures are extreme," stated Ken Phillips, Search and Rescue Coordinator for Grand Canyon National Park. He added, "It's important to know the environment, the hazards of that environment and to prepare for the unexpected." Ms. Bradley had been featured as an athlete of the month in a Chicago Athlete Magazine article recently and was in excellent physical condition.
"Backcountry users can easily get into trouble when the combination of distance traveled, elevation, temperature, and direct sunlight occurs. The combination can overwhelm your body’s ability to keep itself cool, fueled, and hydrated," stated Phillips, adding "the timing of a hike is one of the most important factors in avoiding the hazards of summer hiking. Hiking in the early morning or late afternoon shade will greatly enhance your enjoyment of your hike and dramatically reduce the danger of hiking in direct sunlight. Running in the inner canyon during the months of June, July and August is not recommended. A more sensible time to attempt an inner canyon run is in the fall months. It is also important to go equipped for the type of activity you are planning."
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from the National Park Service Morning Report Tuesday, October 01, 2002
Pinnacles National Monument (CA)
Dehydration Fatality
On the afternoon of September 23, park staff responded to a report of two people suffering from dehydration on the High Peaks trail on the park’s east side. Glenn Hannon, 83, and his wife, Betsy Hannon, 79, had begun their hike from the Moses Spring parking lot at 8:30 a.m. The hike brought them to the Scout Peak area, a trek that includes a 1,300-foot elevation gain over about two miles. The mid-day high temperature hit 106 degrees, and the Hannons had only a soda and a small snack over the course of the day. At 3:30 p.m., a visitor contacted rangers and told them that two elderly people were suffering heat problems on the High Peaks trail. Ranger Kyle Johnson accompanied him up the trail. They first encountered Glenn Hannon, who was in stable but serious condition, then continued another half mile up the trail to Betsy Hannon. Within a few minutes of their arrival, she went into cardiac arrest and Johnson began CPR. Ranger Eduardo Alfaro had meanwhile reached Glenn Hannon and begun treating him for severe heat exhaustion and preparing him for evacuation. California Division of Forestry personnel joined the rangers and began assisting with evacuation and medical care. After over an hour of no cardiac function, medics and life flight nurses were able to temporarily restore Betsy Hannon’s pulse, but she succumbed during her flight to the hospital. Glenn Hannon was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where he was treated and released in the evening. Nineteen park staff members from all divisions participated in the operation. This was the second major heat-related case in the park within three weeks.
[Submitted by Neal Labrie, DR, East District, PINN]
LIGHTNING
The description in the Jackson Hole News and Guide of lightning bolts hitting climbers
"I see this blue-green ball coming down the rope at me, it was the size of a beachball, then boom, it hit."
can be found at:
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/Archives/NewsArchive/2002/020828-News.html
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From the National Park Service Morning Report of
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (IN)
Three Visitors Injured In Lightning Strike
On the evening of July 18th, a line of severe thunderstorms moved across northern Indiana. In addition to heavy rainfall, the storms brought an average of 2300 lightning strikes per hour. One of these lightning strikes found a target in the Dunewood Campground and injured three Canadian visitors. The bolt left an impact crater one foot in diameter adjacent to their tent. From the evidence at the scene, the lightning moved from the crater to the nearest corner peg of the tent, which was about a foot away. Once inside the tent, the lightning sliced across the floor, through an umbrella and out the next tent peg, leaving a burned/melted path behind. The path of the lightning was less than two inches from the family of three inside the tent. The lightning exited the tent and apparently ended at the campers’ car, as all of the electrical components were found inoperable the next day. The bolt affected all three family members. The five-year-old child temporarily stopped breathing. While the mother started CPR, the father obtained help from other campers. After a short time, the child began breathing on his own. Rangers, county deputies and EMS personnel responded to the incident. All three family members were transported to a local hospital for observation. They were released the next day. [Submitted by Mike Bremer, Chief Ranger]
from the National Park Service Morning Report
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
Lightning Injures Several Visitors at Old Faithful
Several visitors were injured when a lightning strike hit the ground in front of Old Faithful Geyser on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 21st. Visitors were on the boardwalk in front of Old Faithful Geyser, waiting for an eruption, when the incident occurred. The lightning strike did not hit anyone directly, but did hit about 15 yards in front of the geyser’s boardwalk, located a short distance from the Old Faithful Visitor Center. A 12-year-old park visitor was seriously injured. Two physicians and a nurse practitioner, who were visiting the park and also waiting for the eruption, were able to immediately provide CPR and resuscitate the young boy. Park staff immediately responded to the area and were able to provide additional care. The boy was flown to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for additional care. Ten other visitors received immediate care and evaluation. Some of them went to Old Faithful Clinic for additional care. At the time of the incident, a very intense storm cell was moving through the area, producing rain and hail as well as additional lightning strikes in and out of the area. The incident is still under investigation, and there are no further details available at this time.
[Submitted by Public Affairs]
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from a Grand Canyon press release
June 16, 2005
California Man Dies After Being Struck By Lightning
Grand Canyon, AZ – A California man visiting the Grand Canyon on Saturday, June 11, was struck by lightning as he was walking along the west rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Ben Bernal a 55 year old man and another visitor, a 47 year old female also from California, were standing close to a tree when both were struck by lightning. Both received injuries and were treated at the scene by park rangers before being transported to Flagstaff Medical Center in Flagstaff, Arizona.
According to park rangers who responded to the scene, it appeared that lightning had hit the tree that both visitors were standing close to before the lightning struck them.The female victim suffered burns to her legs and chest and was transported by ground ambulance to the hospital. Bernal suffered critical injuries and was transported by ground ambulance to Valle, Arizona then by air ambulance to the Flagstaff Medical Center. Incoming storms prevented evacuation by air from the Park.
Bernal passed away early this morning from his injuries.
Lightning strikes are common on the South Rim of Grand Canyon. This is a tragic reminder that lightning strikes can be very dangerous. Visitors are reminded to stay away from exposed rim areas during thunderstorms. The safest place during a storm is inside a vehicle with the windows closed or inside a building. It is also important to remember that when in or near a storm avoid touching anything metal.
Hair standing on end is a sign that an electrical charge is building near you and a warning that lightning may strike. If this occurs, park rangers advise to move away from the rim immediately.
below, a NPS photo of the tree hit by ligthning:
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from the National Park Service Morning Report
Thursday, August 3, 2000
Yellowstone NP (WY) - Lightning Strike with Multiple Injuries
Park dispatch received a 911 call at 10:45 p.m. on August 1st reporting that lightning had hit a large lodgepole pine between two campsites at Bridge Bay and that 13 campers had been injured. A ranger in the area was on scene within minutes. Three of eight people in tents at the campsite located closest to the lightning strike were transported to Lake Hospital and treated for minor injuries; two of five campers who had been sitting by their campfire at a second site were treated at the scene and refused additional medical attention. One said that he was knocked off his feet by the strike. All 13 reported that they felt electricity from the lightning run through their bodies. The entire rear and side windows of a vehicle parked near one of the campsites were blown out, and a 40-foot section of the tree landed inches away from a tent occupied by three visitors. Additional debris from the strike was scattered in a 50-foot radius around the point where the lightning hit. [Public Affairs, YELL, 8/2]
you might want to read Thunderstorm and lightning safety
BEARS
   
   
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2007 Grand Teton National Park News Release
Food-Conditioned Black Bear Euthanized for Safety Concerns
Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott announced that park biologists euthanized a male black bear on Friday afternoon, June 22, out of concern for public safety. About 2 p.m. Friday, the three to four-year-old bear pushed against windows at Jenny Lake Lodge and peered into the building before scaling a six-foot fence to get near the kitchen door behind the lodge. The 150-pound bear exhibited little or no concern for nearby people and aggressively bluff charged park rangers who responded to the location after receiving a call about the bear’s unusual activities. In addition, this bear obtained a food reward at a backcountry campsite on Leigh Lake early Friday morning, and on more than one occasion followed people at close range while they were hiking trails around Leigh Lake. Habituation to people and bold behaviorcombined with repeated food rewardsprompted park officials to make the decision to remove this bear from the population and eliminate potential threats to visitors.
Since early spring, the male black bear has been frequenting the trails around Bearpaw, Trapper, and Leigh lakes. He was caught in a trap on June 5, 2007, and a radio-collar placed on him to track his movements; before that time, he was unmarked and uncollared. Previous to Friday’s incident, the bear tore up an unoccupied tent and scratched on a tent while people were sleeping inside. He also investigated a backcountry patrol cabin on Leigh Lake and boldly walked around the porch, showing little interest or unease about park staff who were inside the cabin.
Superintendent Scott said, “We never take the decision to euthanize a bear lightly. It is unfortunate and frustrating that food rewards and habituation to people have caused this bear to become food-conditioned and aggressive. Bears generally pose a safety concern only after they start to associate people and their activities with easily obtained food. It is imperative that all visitors and local residents heed the ‘bear aware’ information posted throughout the park, and take personal responsibility for securing food and other attractants at all times while traveling or camping in bear country.”
Park officials remind all visitors that bears, both black and
grizzly are active day and night throughout the park:
not only in the backcountry areas but also in high-use locations
such as the lodges and campgrounds.
For the safety of other visitors and the health of bears,
it is extremely important to properly store food in a vehicle
or food-storage boxes provided at campsites,
and always dispose of garbage in bear-resistant cans or dumpsters.
Never leave food or backpacks unattended, even for a minute.
Once a bear acquires human food,
it loses its fear of people and may become bold or aggressive.
NPS Thursday, June 14, 2007
Grand Teton National Park (WY)
Grizzly Attacks And Injures Visitor
Dennis Vandenbos, a 54-year-old resident of Lander, Wyoming, was injured by a grizzly bear around 6 a.m. on Wednesday, June 13th, while walking on the Wagon Road just below the corrals at Jackson Lake Lodge. Vandenbos surprised grizzly bear #399 and her three cubs, who were feeding on a freshly-killed elk carcass. The attack likely resulted from a defensive response by a bear, while protecting its food source. At this time, no adverse action will be taken against the bear involved in this incident. Vandenbos took an early morning walk at approximately 5:30 a.m. and was returning to his room at the lodge when the incident occurred. He reported watching an elk off to his right, then noticing the sow and her cubs approaching to his left, within ten feet of him. Vandenbos yelled, but one of the bears continued toward him; he yelled again, then jumped off the trail and laid on his stomach in a submissive posture. At this point, the bear inflicted puncture wounds and lacerations to Vandenbos before it was frightened off by the shouting of a Lodge Company wrangler who was nearby at the time. The wrangler administered emergency medical assistance to Vandenbos until park rangers arrived on the scene. A park ambulance then transported Vandenbos to St. John’s Medical Center in Jackson for treatment of his injuries. Park officials have posted closures for the Wagon Road and trails in the Willow Flats area below Jackson Lake Lodge. Signs state that the area is closed due to bears frequenting the vicinity. The Wagon Road and trail closures will likely be in effect until the end of June, during the remainder of the elk calving season. Sow grizzly #399 and her three yearling cubs have been utilizing habitat in and around the Willow Flats area since emerging from hibernation this spring. This bear family has frequently been visible along park roadsides between Colter Bay and the Oxbow Bend turnout of the Snake River, one mile east of Jackson Lake Junction. These are not the only bears in the area; several other bears – black and grizzly – are also utilizing habitat in this location.
This is the first bear incident involving injuries in Grand Teton National Park this year. The last time a grizzly injured a person in the park was in October of 2001, when a hunter from Minnesota surprised a bear on Schoolhouse Hill north of Moran Junction. That same year, a local resident was injured by a grizzly bear in March while backcountry skiing in the Upper Berry Creek area of the park. A previous grizzly-related injury in Grand Teton happened in August of 1994, when a jogger from Utah was attacked on the Emma Matilda Lake Trail. [Submitted by Jackie Skaggs, Public Affairs Officer]
from the National Park Service Morning Report of Friday, May 25, 2007
Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
Montana Man Mauled By Grizzly Bear
Jim Cole, 57, a photographer and author from Bozeman, was injured during an encounter with a bear on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 23rd. Cole was taking photographs of bears along Trout Creek in Hayden Valley when he had an encounter with a grizzly. After being injured, Cole hiked from two to three miles east to the Grand Loop Road, where he was found by visitors around 1 p.m. Rangers and emergency medical personnel responded to the scene and treated Cole’s severe facial injuries. He told rangers that he had been attacked by a sow bear with a cub. He was taken by ambulance to West Yellowstone, Montana, then transferred to an Air Idaho helicopter and transported to Eastern Idaho Medical Center in Idaho Falls. Cole has published books on the lives of grizzly bears in Montana, Wyoming and Alaska. This is the second time Cole has been seriously hurt in a bear encounter – he walked out of the backcountry and took himself to the hospital after being injured by a grizzly in Glacier National Park in September 1993.
There were no bear-caused human injuries in Yellowstone National Park during 2006, and there have been only eight minor injuries since 2000. The last bear-caused human fatality in the park occurred in 1986. [Submitted by Public Affairs, Yellowstone National Park]
from the National Park Service Morning Report
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
Aggressive Black Bear Captured, Removed From Canyon Area
Rangers trapped and removed a black bear late Saturday afternoon because its aggressive behavior posed a continuing threat to the safety of park visitors and employees. The bear charged a number of visitors while raiding campsites in Canyon campground on Saturday morning. The adult male bear broke into one vehicle and attempted to break in to several others. At one point, it was observed walking on top of several vehicles in an attempt to gain access to them. The bear was sprayed several times with pepper spray and was hazed repeatedly by park staff in an attempt to get him to move away from people in the campground. Although these efforts failed, the bear eventually left on its own and was seen grazing on clover in a meadow near Canyon Lodge for several hours. Based on the animal’s aggressive behavior, lack of fear of people, and its success at getting human food, the decision was made to capture and remove the bear. As capture operations were being set-up Saturday afternoon, the bear returned to the campground and began rummaging through campsites and acquiring human food from picnic tables, tents, coolers and fire grates. As he entered C Loop, the bear was attracted by an elk hind quarter used as bait and captured in a steel culvert-type trap. The bear was transported to park headquarters at Mammoth Hot Springs where, based on his aggressive and threatening behavior, the decision was made to euthanize the animal. His carcass was taken to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks lab in Bozeman, Montana for a necropsy.
from the National Park Service Morning Report
September, 2005
Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
Grizzly Attacks Two Hikers
On the afternoon of Wednesday, September 14th, two men hiking the North Shore Trail along Shoshone Lake in the southern portion of the park were attacked several times by a grizzly. Pat McDonald, 52 of Bismark, North Dakota, and Gerald Holzer, 51 of Northfield, Minnesota, were walking along an established trail toward a backcountry campsite when they noticed fresh bear scat. They decided to continue on to their campsite, but began making noise in an attempt to prevent a possible bear encounter. As they came over a knoll, approximately a quarter mile from where they saw the scat, they were charged by a grizzly at full stride. Holzer, who was walking in front of McDonald, was able to side-step the grizzly. McDonald stepped behind some trees and dropped to the ground. The bear ran by McDonald, but then returned and swatted at him. The bear continued on to Holzer, who had dropped to the ground and was on his stomach, and jumped on his back and swatted at him. The bear then retreated about 50 feet from the men, where they could hear it snorting. From his position on the ground, McDonald began removing the wrist straps from his hiking poles in order to retrieve his bear spray from his waist belt. The bear was apparently drawn back to the site by the noise. This time the bear attacked the hiker's leg. McDonald managed to retrieve the pepper spray from his waist belt and doused the bear's face, causing the bear to flee the area.
The men hiked the four miles back to their vehicle at the Delacy Creek trailhead and drove to the Old Faithful Clinic for treatment. Remarkably, neither man was seriously injured. McDonald sustained a puncture wound to his lower left leg and was treated and released; Holzer was not injured, as he was protected by his backpack during the attack. The Delacy Creek, North Shore and Howard Eaton Trails are closed to hiking. Backcountry campsites along the north shore to Shoshone Lake are open to boat access only. [Submitted by Public Affairs]
from the National Park Service Morning Report
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Glacier National Park
Visitors Injured in Surprise Encounter with Bears
Two park visitors, a man and a woman, were injured on the morning of August 25th in a surprise close-range encounter with a female grizzly and her two cubs. The hikers reported that they surprised the bear at a distance of approximately five feet. To avoid a continued attack, they apparently rolled off the trail, falling approximately 30 to 50 feet down a steep, rocky area below the trail. This fall may have aggravated their injuries. The incident occurred on the Grinnell Glacier Trail, approximately two miles above the head of Josephine Lake. Due to the nature of the injuries and the steep and difficult terrain, the victims were transported from the scene via helicopter to an area were the helicopter could land and further medical care could be provided. Both were later flown to Kalispell Regional Medical Center. The Grinnell Glacier Trail was closed immediately after the incident was reported. It will not be reopened until there are two patrols by rangers with no bear sightings, nor any evidence of bear in the area. Other area trails were also temporarily closed for safety concerns; they will be reopened as deemed appropriate. Park rangers, including bear management rangers, are investigating the incident. Park managers will review their findings in the context of the park’s bear management guidelines and determine if any further actions need to be taken. This is the first instance of a bear-related injury this year in the park. [Submitted by Public Affairs]
from the National Park Service Morning Report
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Glacier National Park
Aggressive Beak Killed Following Serious Visitor Threat
An aggressive male black bear was killed by park rangers on the morning of Sunday, May 29th, after it had exhibited predatory behavior towards a family on the previous evening. Around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, John Hayden and his three young sons traveled about a 100 yards into the woods at the pullout a half mile south of Avalanche and encountered a black bear. As the family tried to slowly back out of the area, the bear pursued them. The father tried to distract the bear by throwing a shirt towards it, but the bear shredded this shirt. Although Hayden then struck the bear repeatedly with another shirt, the bear continued its pursuit. After the young children hid under a vehicle, the bear began swiping under the car. Another visitor witnessed the bear’s aggressive behavior and used pepper spray to drive the bear back into the woods. Rangers responded and closed the immediate vicinity for investigation. After consultation with a wildlife biologist and bear management specialists, the bear was targeted for removal. Rangers had previously attempted to move the bear from the roadside by use of rubber bullets and bean bags, but without success. On Sunday, rangers returned to the area and shot and killed the 185-pound male bear. The area was then reopened. Although there is no evidence that the bear was conditioned to human food, the carcass will be sent to a state laboratory for a full forensic autopsy (necropsy).
The park’s bear management guideline states that a black bear will be removed and/or destroyed if it receives human food or garbage, displays conditioned and/or habituated behavior towards people, causes property damage, and/or acts overly familiar with humans. The goal of Glacier’s bear management policy is to ensure a natural and free-ranging population of both grizzly and black bears. “Given this bear’s conditioned, aggressive, and predatory behavior, especially exhibited by swiping under the car, the bear had to be destroyed,” said chief ranger Steve Frye.
[Submitted by Public Affairs Office]
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from the National Park Service Morning Report
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Denali National Park & Preserve (AK)
Hiker Sustains Minor Injuries in Bear Incident
Joanne Saunders, 52, of Poquoson, Virginia, was injured by a single, adult-sized grizzly bear on Monday, May 23rd, in an incident which took place in the early afternoon in an off-trail area west of the Savage River. She and her husband James, 54, had hiked up the slope along a ridge and were returning to the trail. They took a different route going back and found themselves in heavy brush with poor visibility. They had climbed up on an eight- to nine-foot rock outcropping to survey the area for a better route when they heard the bear as it ran downhill toward them through the six-foot-high vegetation. Snorting as it ran past them, the bear stopped about 20 to 30 feet below them, then turned and charged. The bear leapt up the rock and grabbed Joanne Saunders by the right ankle with its mouth, pulling her down to the ground. She immediately assumed a fetal position, and James Saunders shouted and jumped down to assist his wife. The bear looked up and moved quickly away, disappearing into the brush. The entire attack took place within just a few seconds. The couple made their way up to the ridge, then walked down to the Savage River Check Station, where they reported the incident to the rangers at approximately 3:30 p.m. They were assessed and treated on scene and taken by ambulance to Healy, where they were treated by the local clinic's physical assistant. Joanne Saunders sustained injuries to her right ankle, bruising on her left side and a broken nose due to the fall from the rock. She was taken to Fairbanks for additional treatment, but was released that night. James Saunders was treated for a sprain to his left ankle that he sustained from the jump off the rock. Wildlife technician Win Staples and rangers Dan Fangen-Gritis and Jeff Caulfield hiked into the area Monday evening to attempt to locate the bear. They did encounter two bears, but neither behaved in an unusual or aggressive manner. A sow grizzly with two yearling cubs has been frequenting the area, but she was not seen. Park managers have temporarily closed the Savage River drainage downstream of the park road to all access. The vehicle parking areas on both sides of the river are closed to use, and hiking trails into the area have been signed with warning notices to prevent entry. The area will remain closed for the next several days as rangers and wildlife management staff monitor the area. This is a popular area for picnicking and day hiking, as it is within the section of the park road that is accessible to private vehicles. [Submitted by Pat Navaille, IC and Kris Fister, IO]
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from the National Park Service Morning Report Monday, June 09, 2003
Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
Closures Due to Bear Incidents
Pebble Creek Campground and West Thumb Geyser Basin are temporarily closed due to bear activity, and bear warnings have been posted in Lamar and Slough Creek backcountry areas. Other restrictions could be implemented as necessary. The closures stem from a pair of incidents. A sub-adult grizzly bear (unknown sex) entered Pebble Creek Campground on Sunday, June 1st, and bounced on an unoccupied tent, crushing the tent to the ground and rolling around on it. The bear then left the area. Owners of the tent were not present during the incident, but the incident was witnessed and reported by other Pebble Creek campers. There were no injuries, and the bear did not obtain any human food. Video footage taken of the bear indicates it could be the same bear park staff unsuccessfully tried to capture last year after receiving several reports of a bear crushing tents and being chased out of backcountry campsites in the Lamar area. Park staff have temporarily closed Pebble Creek Campground (it was only partially open due to high water levels) and are attempting to capture the bear at this time. On the following evening, a woman on the West Thumb Geyser Basin boardwalk had an encounter with a probable grizzly bear (sex unknown). She and her family were touring the basin when they noticed another visitor taking photographs of something in a wooded area. A bear came out of the wooded area and stepped onto the boardwalk in front of the woman, who was in front of her family by a few feet. The woman told rangers that she didn’t see the bear until it was near her. The bear then approached her and stood on its hind legs (it appeared to be between six and seven feet tall) but did not touch her. The woman fell to the ground and kept still. As she was lying on the boardwalk, the bear bit her twice – neither bite breaking the skin – and stood over her for a moment. When the woman’s husband screamed at the bear, it departed the area. The woman declined medical treatment offered by the Park Service on Monday. The West Thumb Geyser Basin has been temporarily closed to evaluate the situation.
[Submitted by Public Affairs]
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from the National Park Service Morning Report November 5, 2001
Grand Teton NP (WY) - Bear Mauling
Conrad Smith, 40, of Champlin, Minnesota, was mauled by a sow grizzly bear around 5 p.m. on October 23rd while hunting for elk near Moran Junction. Smith and hunting partner Mark Roy, also from Minnesota, were hunting in the Schoolhouse Hill area when they split up. The two men were about 200 yards from each other when Smith heard a crashing noise and saw a young bear cub running away from him. Seconds later, he heard a louder crashing sound and was charged by an adult bear. Smith went into the fetal position and remained that way until after the attack. He sustained severe puncture wounds, lacerations, and bruising, but his most serious injuries were bite wounds to his head and scalp. After the attack, Smith contacted his hunting partner on a two-way radio, and the two walked out of the area together. He was treated at St. John's Hospital in Jackson, then flown to Wyoming Medical Center in Casper. Investigating rangers determined that this was an unintentionally provoked attack. No management action will be taken against the bear. This was the second grizzly bear mauling in the park this year. [Rich Spomer, Acting CR, GRTE, 11/4]
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from the National Park Service Morning Report Tuesday, June 4, 2002
Yellowstone NP (WY) - Bear Incident
A woman who was jogging by herself in the Lake area received minor injuries when she encountered a bear around 7 a.m. on Saturday, May 26th. Abigail Thomas, a 32-year-old U.S. Post Office employee at Lake, was jogging around the Lake Lodge cabin loop when she encountered a male sub-adult grizzly bear approximately 15 yards to her right. Thomas immediately stopped and stood perfectly still; she did not make eye contact with the bear, and continuously reassured the bear that she was not a threat. The bear stood up on its back legs and sniffed the air, then dropped to the ground and slowly approach Thomas on her right side. When it reached her, it began sniffing her from the waist down, then opened its mouth and - very gently - closed its mouth around Thomas’ right upper thigh. The bear applied a small amount of pressure, then released her leg. Thomas received no injuries, other than some very minor contusions; her skin was not broken from the bite. After Thomas felt the bear release her leg, she reached for her water bottle and squirted the bear between the eyes. The bear immediately ran from the area. Park officials praised Thomas for how well she handled the potentially life-threatening bear encounter, remaining calm and focused throughout the ordeal. [Public Affairs, YELL, 5/30]
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from the National Park Service Morning Report Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
... on the morning of September 26th. A 41-year-old visitor was backpacking along the Snake River trail south of Heart Lake when heard a “whoof” and looked up to see three bears about 30 yards above the trail. As the sow bluff charged, the man slowly and calmly began to leave. The bear hit him from behind, knocking him down, then ran off.
As he started to crawl away, the man heard the bear huffing and curled up into the fetal position with his back to the sow. The bear then batted him twice on the head and once in the shoulder with her paws and bit into the top of his pack several times before running off. He then hiked out to the trailhead.
The man received two small puncture wounds on his head and one on his right shoulder but did not seek medical treatment. Wildlife managers believe the backpacker avoided serious injury by acting passively and non-threateningly during the encounter, by going into the fetal position, and by keeping his pack on his back.
"Yellowstone’s
Bear Management
Office summaries
show that
human injuries
from black bears
have decreased
from averages of
45 per year during
1931–1969, to four
per year during the
1970s, and less
than one (0.2)
injury per year
from 1980–1999.
After 1970, 34 of
44 injuries caused by black bears resulted
from visitors getting too close while
attempting to feed, take pictures, or get
better views of bears."
To read the whole article go to:
http://www.nps.gov/yell/publications/yellsciweb/issues.htm and click on volumne 11 #1
Info about food storage from black bears, how black bears get into cars, what to do if you see a black bear and more is at: Bears
your safety in grizzly bear territory tells you what to do if you see a grizzly in the distance or if a bear charges you and has info about Bear Pepper Sprays.
Grand Tetons biking includes statistics about cyclist encounters with grizzly bears.
MOUNTAIN LION
From the National Park Service morning report, Friday, January 26, 2007
Redwood National and State Parks (CA)
Mountain Lion Attacks Hiker
On the afternoon of January 24th, a mountain lion attacked one of two adults hiking in the Prairie Creek area of Redwood National and State Parks. The man and his wife were able to fend off the lion after a protracted struggle which included stabbing the lion in the eye with a pen. They then walked out to the roadway where park staff discovered and assisted them. The man had significant wounds and can likely attribute his survival to the presence and actions of his wife. He was transported to the hospital were he underwent reconstructive surgery and is ICU doing well. The area was closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. California Department of Fish and Game responded and is investigating along with staff from the parks. [Submitted by Rosie White, Park Ranger]
Read more at:
http://origin.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes/localnews/ci_5092284
from the National Park Service Morning Report
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Lava Beds National Monument (CA)
Mountain Lion Stalking Incident
At 9 a.m. on May 10th, staff at the visitor center front desk received a cell phone call from Laura Goforth, who reported that she was being stalked by a mountain lion along the Three Sisters trail. The report was forwarded to chief ranger Terry Harris, who responded down the trail to Goforth’s location along with SCA intern Bill Davis. En route, Harris and Davis discovered lion tracks overlying recent hiker tracks. They then heard screaming from inside the wilderness area, came upon Goforth minutes later, and escorted her out of the area. Neither ranger saw the mountain lion, but tracks in the area supported Goforth’s account of what had happened. Goforth, an interpreter from Yellowstone National Park, had taken a day hike into the Lava Beds wilderness. Approximately two miles into the wilderness, she heard something hit the ground behind her. Turning around, she discovered a mountain lion six to ten feet behind her. Following her training, she slowly backed away from the lion down the trail, while using her jacket and day pack to look larger. She kept backing down the trail until the lion stopped following and moved under a large juniper tree. Keeping the lion in sight, she used her cell phone to call for help. Just before the arrival of the ranger staff, the lion moved into the brush out of sight. She kept yelling for the rangers and heard them calling out to her. Goforth then heard a noise behind her and turned to find the lion approximately ten feet behind her. At this point, she began screaming. She was uncertain whether that or the yelling of the rangers caused the lion to turn and run into the brush and lava field. The park has activated its mountain lion management plan and rangers are following up on the incident, attempting to determine if the lion has a den in the area or is possibly sick, which might explain the abnormal behavior. This is the first verified lion stalking incident in several years.
[Submitted by Terry Harris, Chief Ranger]
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from the National Park Service Morning Report Thursday, May 15, 2003
Big Bend National Park (TX)
Mountain Lion Attack
On May 13th, a 30-year-old hiker encountered a mountain lion in an open area while hiking the mile-long Chisos Basin Loop Trail. Over a 20-minute period, the lion approached him three times as he backed down the trail away from the animal. He threw stones and shouted at it, but it was not deterred. The lion subsequently attacked him and brought him to the ground. While on the ground, the hiker was able to strike the lion in the head with a rock, ending the attack. He suffered puncture wounds on one leg and one hand, but was able to hike to the Chisos Basin Visitor Center to report the attack. He was treated by a Park Medic and released. The injuries were not serious enough to require transportation to a hospital. Rangers closed the trail system in the Chisos Basin and began a search for the animal. A dog team trained for lion tracking has been brought into the park to assist in locating the animal.
[Submitted by Mark Spier, Chief Ranger]
BISON
 
from the National Park Service Morning Report Tuesday, July 16, 2002
Yellowstone NP (WY) - Visitor Gored by Bison
A bull bison gored 37-year-old Paul Jocelyn of Albertville, Minnesota, near Old Faithful Lodge on the afternoon of July 13th. Witnesses said that the bison was grazing near the boardwalk that connects the lodge with Old Faithful geyser. A group of visitors approached to within ten to fifteen feet to take pictures of the animal. Jocelyn stepped out from the group and walked around to the front of the bison to see if it would raise its head for a better picture. The bison chased Jocelyn into the trees, picked him up with his horns, and threw him three to four feet into the air. The bison then stared at Jocelyn and the other visitors for several minutes before walking off and resuming grazing. Jocelyn sustained a puncture wound to his inner right thigh and various scrapes and bruises. Rangers provided initial care; he was then taken to Old Faithful Clinic for treatment of his injuries. Criminal charges are pending against Jocelyn for harassing wildlife. No action will be taken against the bison. [Public Affairs, YELL, 7/15]
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from the National Park Service Morning Report
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Yellowstone National Park (ID,MT,WY)
... on the night of October 6th. A 24-year-old Michigan man who works for the park concessioner was walking back to his dorm at Old Faithful around 11:20 p.m. when he was surprised from behind by a bison. The bison gored him in the rear and lifted him into the air, landing him face down.
He was treated for a two-and-a-half inch puncture wound and received stitches in his face at the Old Faithful Clinic. [Submitted by Office of Public Affairs]
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"During the 20-
year period from 1980 to 1999, bison
injured more of Yellowstone’s visitors than
did any other animal. During this period,
bison charged and made contact with
humans 79 times...bison charged
but did not make contact with humans 16
times. For comparison, there were 24 bear inflicted
human injuries...
Between 1963 and 1974, seven people
were gored by bison, including one
human fatality in the Lower Geyser Basin
in 1971, when a man was killed instantly
while being photographed with a bison.
No bison-human incidents were reported
from 1966 through 1968, or in 1970, 1973,
or 1979 through 1981.
We compiled a detailed summary of
bison-human encounters that occurred
between 1990 and 1999. In that period, 11
people were thrown into the air by bison
for distances of up to 15 feet. One person
was thrown against a parked car; one was
thrown onto the bison’s back where he was
gored a second time as the bison twisted its
head; one man was thrown 15 feet into the
air, did a flip, and landed in a tree. A photographer
lying on the ground was trampled
by a charging bison, and told the
investigating ranger that the bison then
'sat' on him...
Thirty-four reports provided details on
what people were doing just before a bison
charged. In 10 cases, they had approached
to pose with or to photograph bison from
distances of from two to 51 feet. Six people
were within 10 feet of the bison when
it charged. Two people were approaching
within 20 feet to have a closer view, and
two others were either petting or feeding
the bison when it charged. In two other
cases, bison charged after sticks or stones
were thrown at them. |
