Park News July 10,2008

Denali National Park & Preserve

For the second time in a week, a mountaineer has collapsed and died while climbing Mt. McKinley. Pungkas Tri Baruno, 20, of Jakarta, Indonesia, was descending the West Buttress route on the night of July 7th when he collapsed about a quarter mile from the 17,200-foot high camp. Baruno’s guides began CPR and immediately called for assistance from another guided team at the high camp via family band radio. CPR was performed for over one hour, but efforts to revive Baruno were unsuccessful. Baruno was a client on a Mountain Trip expedition that began a West Buttress ascent on June 22nd.  The team’s three clients were all members of a scouting group from Indonesia.  Baruno, one of his teammates, and their two guides had reached the summit late in the afternoon of July 7th.  The cause of death is unknown at this time. Baruno’s remains are currently in a protected and generally flat area outside of the 17,200-foot high camp. The National Park Service plans to recover the remains with the high altitude Lama helicopter when weather permits.

 

Olympic National Park

On the afternoon of July 4th, a backcountry ranger on patrol on the rugged east side of the park received a report that a 17-year-old boy had fallen approximately 100 feet while descending Mount Deception and had sustained serious head injuries. The ranger enlisted assistance from a nearby mountaineering group in order to reach the victim’s position while a US Coast Guard rescue helicopter was launched from Air Station Port Angeles. The USCG helicopter located the boy just as the backcountry ranger was arriving at the scene of the accident, which was in a narrow chute on the south side of Mount Deception. The helicopter was forced to divert for additional fuel prior to attempting the hoist, so the ranger, one of the Good Samaritan mountaineers and the injured climber’s partner treated and stabilized him. The Coast Guard helicopter returned a second time, but again had to abandon its rescue effort because the helicopter’s hoist cable was not long enough to reach the victim, who was at the bottom of the chute. A Navy rescue helicopter from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station with longer hoist capability was dispatched to the park and reached the scene as darkness fell.  Faced with the probability that the boy would not survive the night, the Navy continued operations until well after dark, performing a night hoist in the steep canyon. The boy was successfully hoisted aboard the helicopter just before 11 p.m. and flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.  At last report, he was in serious but stable condition.

 

Yellowstone National Park

On July 14, 2006, an Old Faithful ranger stopped the driver of an older model Dodge van for several traffic violations. A check on the man – Virgil Meyers, 49 – showed that his Montana driver’s license had been suspended due to a number of DUI convictions, failures to appear in court, and driving without insurance. Meyers was arrested. During the search incident to the arrest, the ranger found two pieces of Yellowstone obsidian on his person and a quantity of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, an opened container of alcohol, and a .38 caliber Charter Arms hand gun with five rounds of ammunition within his reach in the van. Meyers entered into a plea agreement and was sentenced on the misdemeanor charges to six months in prison and a $1400 fine. Based on Meyer’s prior conviction for homicide, park special agents opened an investigation into his being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm (18 USC 922g). The US Attorney’s Office agreed to prosecute and Meyers was indicted on the felony charge by a grand jury in January, 2007. By the time a felony arrest warrant had been issued and a detainer filed, Meyers had served his misdemeanor sentence and been released from prison. The felony warrant was entered into NCIC. A year-and-a-half long investigation and search for Meyers by the special agents, the US Marshal’s Service and detectives from Kalispell PD proved fruitless. On June 28th, however, Meyers was involved in a vehicle accident and hospitalized in northern Montana. Montana Highway Patrol officers ran a routine NCIC check on Meyers and came across the felony warrant. Meyers fled from the hospital, though, before officers could be sent over to arrest him. On the morning of July 1st, two NPS agents following up on a lead found him in the front yard of his residence near Kalispell. They arrested him without incident and transported him to Missoula, where he appeared before a federal magistrate and was remanded to the custody of a US marshal pending removal to the Wyoming judicial district and a trial on the felony charge.

 

Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area

Jordan Redmon, 16, of Pine Knot, Kentucky, drowned while swimming in the Big South Fork River around 4 p.m. on Monday, July 7th. The accident occurred just below the Leatherwood Ford parking area. According to witnesses, Redmon was swimming with several other youths and was attempting to cross the river when the accident occurred. Due to the location, it was necessary for members of the group to drive to the top of the gorge in order to contact rangers. Park staff and local EMS personnel responded. Initial efforts to find him through snorkeling and boat and bank searches were unsuccessful, so a diver was summoned to aid in the effort.  He found Redmon’s body within a few minutes of entering the water.

 

Hot Springs National Park

Rangers were notified of the discovery of a body on park land in the woods at the end of Holly Street on the afternoon of July 7th. They secured the scene, then contacted the FBI and asked for assistance. The local FBI evidence response team was dispatched. Preliminary findings indicate that the man was a suicide victim and that he’d been dead for several days. Efforts are underway to identify him, and his body has been sent to the state crime lab for an autopsy. Ranger Amanda DeFriese is the case officer.

 

New River Gorge National River

New River Gorge National River is seeking qualified candidates for a lateral transfer into a permanent full-time GL-9 protection ranger position. A Level 1 commission is required. This position is located in the Fayetteville area and is in the park’s Canyon District. Duties will include:

• Engaging in a broad variety and full range of protection activities, including full-performance criminal investigations, law enforcement, wildland fire, EMS, search and rescue, and natural and cultural resources management.


• 
  Conducting park patrols by vehicle, foot, bicycle, both motorized and non-motorized watercraft, and cross-country skis as weather allows.


• 
  Monitoring nearly 200 special use permits per year, special events, endurance races and competitions.


• 
  Providing support and collateral patrols and assistance to the newly staffed Gauley River National Recreation Area.


• 
  Resolving land issues with private and adjacent landowners and conducting encroachment investigations (there are seven unincorporated communities and approximately 1000 separate parcels of private land within park boundaries).

The Canyon District is the cornerstone to a regional recreation industry which includes world-class whitewater rafting, rock climbing, mountain biking, camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, and more. Every October, the district is host to the annual Bridge Day festival, which has over 100,000 visitors and is the largest gathering of BASE jumpers in the world. The New River Gorge Bridge is adjacent to the ranger station.

The park is a FLETC field training evaluation program (FTEP) park and opportunities exist to be a field training ranger (FTR).

The duty station is Burnwood Ranger Station near Fayetteville. There is no park housing. Housing prices are low to moderate. The town of Beckley is 15 miles to the south.

This is a great opportunity for a problem solver desiring work in a developing park full of complexities and challenges.

This is a drug tested position and is 6(c) covered. Moving expenses will be paid.

For more information, contact Canyon District DR Frank Sellers by e-mail or at 304-574-0165 ext 104 (office). Those interested in a lateral transfer may submit a current resume reflecting knowledge, skills, and abilities electronically to Frank_Sellers@nps.gov or by mail to Frank Sellers, 104 Main Street, Glen Jean, WV 25846 by July 20th.

 

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is currently seeking qualified applicants for a GS-11/12 budget analyst position. The person in this position serves as a consultant and advisor on budget and related financial matters and provides leadership to program managers in budget formulation and execution. 

San Francisco offers panoramic views and cultural diversity as well as a wide selection of activities, restaurants, sightseeing, shopping, entertainment and recreation.  Located at the west end of Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park includes a fleet of national historic landmark vessels at Hyde Street Pier, a visitor center, and a library/research facility.  Visitors board turn-of-the-century ships, learn traditional arts like boatbuilding, woodworking and knot-tying, and learn more about the nation's maritime heritage.  San Francisco is a high cost of living area, with an abundance of rental properties ( www.craigslist.org) and public transportation ( http://transit.511.org/index.asp) available. 

Please contact Naomi Gillespie at 415-561-7039 for more information about this position.  For application information, please contact PWR Human Resources at 206-220-4053 or click on the following link.



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