NPS Incident Reports - Olympic National Park (2024)

March 25, 1987
87-34 - Olympic - Suicide

Location: Part of the Hills Parkway

An unknown male committed suicide by connecting a vacuum hose to hiscar's exhaust. County will handle investigation.

August 20, 1987
87-204 - Olympic - Weapon Drawn

Location: Sledgehammer Point Hwy #101

A non-commissioned fire control aid stopped his government vehicle to assist avisitor whose vehicle had a flat tire. The aid noticed the driver and hispassenger appeared to be intoxicated. He radioed for assistance from a roadpatrol ranger who was in the vicinity. The visitors drove away (with flattire). The patrol ranger pursued the vehicle for a distance. The vehiclefinally stopped outside of the park because the axle had worn to a "nubbin"and could no longer be driven. The ranger drew his weapon and asked theindividuals to get out of the car. The driver stated he had a bomb in thevehicle and would detonate it if he was forced to leave the vehicle. At thistime additional rangers and Clallam County sheriff's deputies arrived on thescene and blocked off the highway. The passenger of the vehicle got out andwas arrested. The driver still refused to exit. A trained police dog wasbrought to the scene and lead to the passenger side of the vehicle. Thedriver exited the vehicle immediately and was arrested. No bomb was found.The vehicle was stolen from the Tacoma area.

February 16, 1988
88-24 - Olympic - Drug Incident/Motel Fire

Location: Lake Quinault Motel

During the evening of the 28th, a fire destroyed three rooms in the LakeQuinault Motel on the park's North Shore Road. On the following day, rangersreturned to the fire scene and discovered evidence of an illegalmethamphetamine laboratory. They then arrested the two men who'd been stayingthere, both of whom had been housed in a park bunkhouse until their car keyscould be located. The two were apparently working with chemicals in theirmotel room when some spilled on an open flame, which then spread to theadjacent rooms. They were both charged with manufacturing illicit drugs, andhave been released from jail pending a grand jury hearing.

February 16, 1988
88-25 - Olympic - Barge Grounding

Location: 12 miles south of Mora

A barge owned by Seaspan Corporation went aground on the beach early on themorning of the 13th. The 2001 by 40' barge was carrying a load of generators,which in turn were filled with about 400 gallons of diesel fuel. So far,there is no indication of leakage. The barge has a 20" hole in its side.Seaspan will attempt to weld the hatches shut, then fill the barge with airand pull it off the beach.

April 18, 1988
88-58 - Olympic - Visitor Fatality

Location: Klalaloch Beach

S.H. and her family were on a birthday outing. They'd intended togo to Ruby Beach, but decided not to enter the area due to the number oflogs crashing in the surf. They went instead to Klalaloch Beach, about 10miles further south, where conditions were a little calmer. All accesses tothe beach were posted with warning signs about the danger of wave-drivenlogs. S.H. was standing on a log on the drift line with her parents andfour other girls when a large wave hit, floated the log, and knocked themall off. One of the logs hit S.H., crushing her. A ranger was called;he responded and gave her CPR. An ambulance was summoned from Forks,Washington, and the victim was transported to the hospital there, where shedied.

May 2, 1988
88-67 - Olympic - Search

Location: Parkwide

C.P., a 32-year-old Seattle resident, told friends that he wasgoing to hike in Olympic on April 24th. When he did not return, friendsreported him overdue to the park. Despite an extensive search by parkrangers and numerous city and county law enforcement agencies, neitherC.P. nor his car were found. On May 1st, C.P. returned home andcalled the park to say he was back. He had not gone to the park, but hadinstead taken a ski trip into the Cascades. He'd fallen through asnowbridge and was only able to get out after two or three days - he wasunclear as to how long he was stuck due to the cold and the "fuzziness" ofhis memory. He had hidden his car to provide more security for items he'dleft inside it.

May 23, 1988
88-89 - Olympic - Search in Progress

Location: Dosewallips River

A car was found half submerged in the Dosewallips River on the morning ofthe 21st; park and Jefferson County authorities are currently looking for35-year-old S.N.L. of Lacey, Washington, the driver of the vehicle.S.N.L. dropped his wife and friends off at a trailhead on Friday and was tohave returned home thereafter. He has not been seen since. His wife waslocated on Sunday, and she reported that her husband had been drinkingbefore dropping her off.

June 2, 1988
88-89 - Olympic - Follow-up on Search

Location: Dosewallips River

The body of S.N.L., 35, of Lacey, Washington, was found on the 1st,about 1 mile below where his car had gone off the road into the DosewallipsRiver on May 21st.

June 22, 1988
88-114 = Olympic - Injury to Park VIP

Location: Duckabush River Trail

On Sunday, June 19th, VIP C.E., age 51, was kicked in the head byher horse while working on trail cleanup projects on the Duckabush RiverTrail. She had a park radio with her and was able to call for help. Shewas evacuated by helicopter from the 10 Mile Shelter on the trail. Hercondition is not known at this time.

June 24, 1988
88-120 - Olympic - Drowning

Location: The Staircase on the Skokomish River

P.B., 55, of Lake Cushman, WA, was fishing with her grandson(age 3) and granddaughter (age 6), when the grandson caught a fish and fellinto the 45 degree water. P.B. jumped in to save the boy and both wereswept away. The granddaughter ran for assistance and met a party of 2doctors and 2 nurses. One doctor went to notify NPS staff members stationednearby. The other doctor pulled the boy from the river and began treatmentfor shock and hypothermia; the boy had been in the water approximately 3minutes. NPS fire crew members recovered P.B. after she had been in thewater about 5 minutes. She was not breathing and had no vital signs; CPRwas initiated by the doctors at the scene with no results. P.B. waspronounced dead by the doctors at the scene.

July 6, 1988
88-114A - Olympic - Follow-up on Injury to Park VIP

Location: Duckabush River

C.E., age 51, sustained a concussion after being kicked in the headby her horse during a trail cleanup project on the Duckabush River Trail.C.E. was released from the hospital the evening of June 19th and iscurrently back at work.

July 19, 1988
88-148 - Olympic - Arson

Location: Elwah

Early on the morning of the 16th, a fire destroyed an entrance station kioskat Elwah. Damage is estimated at $15,000. A cash register with no money init was also destroyed, but the safe within held up well. County firedepartment investigators have determined that a window to the kiosk wasbroken, and that flammable liquid was poured in and ignited. There are nosuspects so far. The park will erect a temporary kiosk, which should beoperating by Thursday or Friday.

July 21, 1988
88-151 - Olympic - Fatality: Fall

Location: Bogachiel Peak

R.M., 44, of Bainbridge Island, WA, was hiking with her threechildren, ages 10, 14 and 17, when she slipped and fell into a crevasse onBogachiel Peak and became wedged between some rocks and snow. Her childrenwere unable to extricate her, and reported the incident to rangers at theLunch Lake Ranger Station at about 5 p.m. They were able to make it back tothe scene of the incident at 7:15 p.m. R.M., who had been lightlydressed, was semi-conscious and unreactive to stimuli. It took 70 minutesto extricate her, and she stopped breathing before she was finally freed.CPR was begun and continued during a medevac flight, but R.M. neverregained pulse or respiration. Her core body temperature was 68 degreeswhen she reached the hospital. Hypothermia has been ruled as the probablecause of death.

August 1, 1988
88-163 - Olympic - Body Found

Location: Ruby Beach

The body of 13 year old C.J., of La Push, Washington was found bypark visitors on Ruby Beach Saturday morning. Investigation by rangers andthe FBI reveal that C.J. and other juveniles had been drinking theprevious evening on the Hoh Indian Reservation adjacent to Ruby Beach. Atsome point during the evening C.J. and another juvenile engaged in afight and C.J. was left on the beach by himself. The conclusion at this...

Wednesday, January 4, 1989
88-287 - Olympic - Oil Spill

Just before Christmas a barge containing crude bunker oil was struck by atug boat near Grays Harbor, Washington, approximately 50 miles north of theOregon border. The collision resulted in the release of what was initiallyestimated as 70,000 gallons of crude oil. On December 30, oil began to comeashore along the Olympic Peninsula. The entire 60 mile coastline of Olympichas been affected to varying degrees. It currently appears thatapproximately 230,000 gallons of oil were released in the spill. NPS staffare working with the State of Washington and the U.S. Coast Guard on cleanupefforts. The bulk of the spill appears to be moving north into Canadianwaters along Vancouver Island.

Friday, January 13, 1989
88-287 - Olympic - Follow-up on Oil Spill

Officials estimate that about 230,000 gallons of bunker oil spilled into theocean following the December 22nd collision of a tug and the barge it wastowing. The oil has come ashore as far south as Newport, Oregon, but theworst damage has been to wilderness beaches in Olympic and to the west coastof Vancouver Island, including parts of Canada's Pacific Rim National Park.About 5,000 birds are known to have died along the Washington coast, themost from any oil spill in state history. Bird cleaning operations willcontinue for at least two more weeks. (Associated Press).

Tuesday, June 6, 1989
89-118 - Olympic - Search in Progress

J.D. and K.E., both of Sequim, Washington, were last seenaround 1 p.m. on the afternoon of 3rd sitting in a car parked along theDosewallips River. The vehicle contained innertubes. The vehicle was againfound at that location on the next day with a dog inside. A preliminarysearch led to the recovery of an innertube downstream from this point andthe discovery of a vehicle thought to belong to one of the two men. Becauseof the steep terrain along the river, searchers are unable to effectivelywalk along the banks; a helicopter is being utilized to search the area,however, and divers are working in the river. (Paul Crawford, OLYM, viaCompuServe message from RAD/PNRO).

Friday, June 23, 1989
89-152 - Olympic - Motor Vehicle Accident with Fatality

On the 21st, M.R., 28, of Del Ray Beach, Florida, was attemptingto enter the westbound lane of Highway 101 near Soleduck when she was hit byan empty, eastbound log truck. The truck hit her rental vehicle broadside,causing it to spin twice before coming to a stop. The log truck traveled160 feet before stopping. M.R. was the sole occupant of the vehicle. Shewas taken to the hospital in Forks, but was pronounced dead on arrival. Thedriver of the truck was not injured. Indications are that M.R. did notsee the truck before she pulled onto the highway. (Chuck Janda, CR, GLYM,via CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO).

Monday, July 3, 1989
89-163 - Olympic - Missing Person

W.V., 20, of Buffalo, New York, was registered at the LochaerieResort at Lake Quinault and was due to check out on the 29th. When hefailed to do so, the resort removed his belongings from his room; when hefailed to claim them by late afternoon, the resort reported his absence torangers. A search was begun, and rangers were able to follow a trail of hisclothing to the lake. They also found wine bottles along the way, andlearned that W.V. had been drinking heavily the night before in severalarea bars. Rangers also have reason to believe that W.V. had consumed anunknown quantity of drugs. The park's dive team was to search the lake forhim. (Chuck Janda, CR, GLYM, via CompuServe message from Mark Forbes,RAD/PNRO).

Thursday, July 6, 1989
89-164 - Olympic - Follow-up on Missing Person

On June 30th, park divers found the body of 20-year-old W.V. in25 feet of water in Lake Quinault, not far from the beach where his clotheswere found on the 29th. There were indications that he had been drinkingheavily prior to leaving his room on that date. (Chuck Janda, CR, OLYM, viaCompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO).

Wednesday, August 2, 1989
89-203 - Olympic - Helicopter Crash

On July 30th, a helicopter piloted by C.B., a disk jockey onSeattle radio station KUBE, crashed in Scout Lake and sank in 80 feet ofwater. Both C.B. and his brother, R.B., were able to get out and swim toshore. The accident apparently occurred when one of the helicopter's skidsh*t the surface of the lake. C.B. later claimed that he wasn't in thehelicopter, but it is registered to him and C.B. gave his name and numberto several people who assisted him on the shore. The NPS, FAA and NTSB areconducting a joint investigation of the incident. C.B. will be required toremove the helicopter from the lake. (Telephone report from. Mark Forbes,RAD/PNRO).

Monday, August 7, 1989
89-211 - Olympic - Drug Seizure

At 6 a.m. on August 3rd, seven park rangers and two DEA agents served asearch warrant for drugs at a trailer in the Lake Quinault area of the park.Among the items subsequently seized were 62 sensimilla plants, valued at$62,000, a 36.06 rifle and a pickup truck. Two suspects were arrested, andwere arraigned last Friday in Seattle. One of the two has admitted toselling the marijuana for $120 per ounce. (CompuServe message from BillFrazier, RAD/PNRO).

Friday, August 11, 1989
89-218 - Olympic - MVA with Fatality

W.L., 67, of Forks, Washington, was driving along Highway 101 on the8th when her vehicle went off the road several miles from Lake Crescent andstruck a tree. She was not wearing seatbelts, and apparently died onimpact. (Chuck Janda, OLYM, via CompuServe message from RAD/PNRO).

Wednesday, August 23, 1989
89-239 - Olympic (Washington) - Structural Fire

At 6 a.m. on August 22nd, a fire broke out in a shorted fan motor in the barof the Kalaloch Lodge. Rangers responded and were able to extinguish thefire with three fire extinguishers. Estimated damage to the building wasput at $1,000. No injuries were reported, nor is there any estimate as tohow long that section of the lodge may be out of operation. The lodge isnot a government structure. (Chuck Janda, CR, OLYM, via CompuServe messagefrom Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO).

Thursday, August 24, 1989
89-242 - Olympic (Washington) - Structural Fire

A fire of suspicious origin gutted an inholders house in the Lake Quinaultarea just before midnight on the 22nd. The owners, Mark and Salina O'Neil,were in Alaska at the time, but a stepbrother had been in the building until6 p.m. that evening. Public utilities to the building had been turned offdue to lack of payment. The state fire marshall's office will investigate.Damage is estimated at from $35,000 to $40,000. (Chuck Janda, CR, OLYM, viaCompuServe report from Mark Forbes, RAD/PMRO).

Friday, January 12, 1990
89-211 - Olympic (Washington) — Follow-up on Drug Seizure and Arrests

On August 3, 1989, seven park rangers and two DEA agents served a search warrantfor drugs at a trailer on a private inholding in the Lake Quinault area of thepark. Among the items subsequently seized were 62 sensimilla plants, valued at$62,000, a 30.06 rifle and a pickup truck. On January 4th, the defendantentered a plea of guilty to "manufacturing a controlled substance" in U.S.District Court in Tacoma, Washington. She was sentenced to serve ten months ina correctional institution and three years supervised probation upon release. The defendant's property and vehicle have been seized and civil forfeiture ispending court action. (CompuServe message from Capt. Bill Frazier, LES,RAD/PNRO, 2 p.m. EST, 1/11/90).

Wednesday, March 7, 1990
90-28 - Olympic (Washington) - Motor Vehicle Fatality

At 5:30 a.m. on the 6th, D.T. of Ketchikan, Alaska, was drivingeastbound on Highway 101 near Sledgehammer Point on Lake Crescent when hecrossed the centerline and hit an empty westbound logging truck head on.The truck cab rolled over, and the trailer landed on top of D.T.'s vehicle,killing him. The truck driver received minor injuries. Portions of Highway101 were closed for over six hours in order to extract the victim and removethe vehicles. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.(Chuck Janda, CR, OLYM, via CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO,5:30 EST, 3/6/90).

Monday, June 4, 1990
90-120 - Olympic (Washington) - Search for Missing Ranger

Early on the afternoon of May 30th, seasonal ranger Michelle Dunham, 30,went for a three-mile hike from the trailhead along the Elwah Road toHappy Lakes. When it was discovered that she had not returned bymidnight, her supervisors were notified and a hasty search was begun.Her tracks were found about 2:40 a.m., but were lost in the rain andsnow. Later that morning, the park brought in a helicopter and about 25ground searchers, and ordered additional searchers and dogs. Dunham wasfound at 4 p.m. and was reported to be in good condition. She had lostthe trail on her return from Happy Lake due to snow. (Chuck Janda, CR,OLYM, via CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 6/1).

Monday, June 18, 1990
90-137 - Olympic (Washington) - Fatality

On the morning of June 10th, a couple appeared at Forks Hospital inWashington with their four-week-old female baby. They told hospital staffthat they had been camped at Kalaloch campground in Olympic, that they hadfound something wrong with the baby when they woke up at 6 a.m., and thatthey had therefore packed up and driven to the hospital. Doctors pronouncedthe baby dead on arrival, and said that she was apparently a SIDS victim.There was no trauma to the body. The couple then left the hospital with thebaby. A BOL was put out which led to their being stopped at the Canadian.U.S. border at Blaine, Washington. At the park's request, the WhatcomCounty Sheriff's Office took custody of the body and transported it to ahospital in Bellingham. An autopsy has been scheduled. (Report from BillFrazier, OLYM, via CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 6/12).

Monday, June 25, 1990
90-153 - Olympic (Washington) - Structural Fires

On June 23rd, a fire of unknown origin completely destroyed the park'sentrance station at Soleduck. A second fire burned the outside wall of parkheadquarters, but was extinguished before it could cause any significantdamage. An investigation is underway. Arson is suspected. (Telephonereport from Maureen Finnerty, Superintendent, OLYM, to Walt Dabney,RAD/WASO, 6/23).

Friday, July 20, 1990
90-203 - Olympic (Washington) - Fatality

On July 17th, 15-year-old T.B. and his older brother and a friendwere hiking about a mile from the Graves Creek campground when the log theywere walking upon gave way. T.B.'s brother was able to jump off, but hewent down the hill head first. When the other boys reached him, he had aweak pulse, but was not breathing. One boy began CPR while the other wentfor help. Rangers soon arrived, continued CPR and requested an Army MASThelicopter. Because of the steep terrain and near box canyon-like locationof the incident, the Army had to use a 250-foot long line in order toevacuate T.B.. Military medical personnel worked on the victim whileenroute to Madigan Army Hospital near Tacoma. They were able to maintain apulse until reaching the hospital, but needed to continue CPR. Doctors atthe hospital pronounced T.B. dead shortly after arriving at Madigan.(Chuck. Janda, CR, OLYM, via CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRD,7/17).

Wednesday, August 1, 1990
90-216 - Olympic (Washington) - Assist to Agency

On July 4th, two men were arrest by four park rangers and a U.S. ForestService law enforcement officer in Olympic NF for theft of governmentproperty. Based on information that a theft was likely to occur, the parkprovided the Forest Service with a VARDA electronic detection device whichtransmits a signal over the park's radio system. At approximately 6:30 p.m.on the 4th, a signal was transmitted which indicated that there'd been anintrusion at the target site. The rangers and officer responded and placedtwo men under arrest. A small amount of heroin was recovered incident tothe arrest. This information was given to the Clallam County drug taskforce, which resulted in eight additional felony arrests and the acquisitionof information on future shipments of narcotics from Mexico by a major drugtrafficker. These arrests were the result of a cooperative effort byOlympic rangers and USFS officers under the authority provided by MOU'sbetween Interior and Agriculture and Olympic NP and Olympic NF. (CompuServemessage from RAD/PNRO, 7/24).

Tuesday, August 7, 1990
90-238 - Olympic (Washington) - Near Drowning

Y-S.M., 24, a Korean national, was swimming in eight feet of water onLake Crescent when he went underwater for three or four minutes. He wasquickly recovered, revived by CPR and medevaced to a hospital in Seattlewhere he is in critical condition. Doctors say that he is suffering fromsevere cerebral hypoxia, and that it is uncertain as to whether he willlive. (Telephone report from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 8/6).

Thursday, August 9, 1990
90-246 - Olympic (Washington) - Drug Arrest

On August 6th, rangers, U.S. Park Police officers and Grays Harbor CountyDrug Task Force officers executed a search warrant on a residence near LakeQuinault and arrested G.E.P., 46. G.E.P. was arraigned in U.S.District Court on the 7th on the charge of possession with intent todistribute controlled substances; numerous other charges are pending.During entry to the house, G.E.P. threatened rangers with a loaded, semi-automatic pistol. He surrendered the weapon only after repeated orders todrop it. Seized during the raid were significant quantities of marijuana,hash oil, methamphetamine, LSD and several unidentified substances.Marijuana was found under cultivation in a building adjacent to the house,and a trailer on the grounds was apparently used to manufacturemethamphetamine or "crank." A complete methamphetamine lab was discoveredpackaged in the attic. Officers also found several thousand rounds ofammunition and 22 firearms in the house, including rifles, a shotgun andsemi-automatic pistols. Most were loaded and had rounds in their climbers.One weapon, an M-1 carbine, had been illegally modified. The raid was thecrimination of a one-month undercover operation conducted at the park'srequest by the Park Police narcotics unit based in Washington, D.C. Inaddition to G.E.P., the officers were able to develop information forarrest warrants on 11 other individuals in the Lake Quinault and Amanda Parkareas. (OLYM press release, forwarded via CompuServe by Mark Forbes,RAD/PNRO, 8/8).

Tuesday, September 4, 1990
90-294 - Olympic (Washington) - MVA with Fatality

On the evening of August 30th, a 22-foot-long motor home crossed the centerline of U.S. Highway 101 near Lake Crescent and struck a 1989 Dodge Aspen.The passenger in the Aspen, C.D. of Bismark, North Dakota, waskilled; the driver, N.W. of Cupertino, California, suffered serioushead injuries and is currently in critical condition and on a life supportsystem. No one in the motor home was hurt. Park rangers are investigatingthe accident. Heavy rains were falling at the time, and are thought to be acontributing factor. (Telephone report from Reed Jarvis, RAD/PNRO, 8/31).

Friday, November 30, 1990
90-425 - Olympic (Washington) - Heavy Rains and Flooding

The high winds and heavy rains which hammered the Pacific Northwest over thepast month caused major damage to park trails and roads. Rainfall on thewestern side of the park exceeded 52 inches in November. The hardest hitareas were the Quinault, Queets and Hon River Valleys. All three areas wereclosed because of washed out roads, landslides, and severed utilities.During the storm which occurred on Thanksgiving weekend, over 3000 cubicyards of rock slid onto and forced the closure of Highway 101 at LakeCrescent. The highway was reopened two days later as a result of around-the-clock efforts by park and state crews. Extensive repair work to theroad is continuing. Facilities in the park also suffered. The roof ofHurricane Ridge ledge and the water and electric systems at Hon were badlydamaged and will have to be replaced. It is not yet known when the closedareas of the park will be reopened. (SEAdog message from Loretta Hansen,OLYM, 11/29).

Wednesday, December 5, 1990
90-246 - Olympic (Washington) - Follow-up on Drug Arrest

On August 6th, rangers arrested G.P., 46, a park inholder who livednear Lake Quinault, on a number of charges pertaining to drug and weaponspossession. On November 3rd, G.P. pled guilty in U.S. District Court tocounts of possession with intent to distribute hashish, possession withintent to distribute LSD, possession with intent to distributemethamphetamines, and possession of an unregistered firearm. In conjunctionwith his plea, G.P. agreed not to contest the forfeiture of his property.G.P. was subsequently sentenced to five years and eight months in prisonand five years supervised probation upon release. He is prohibited frompossession of a firearm, must participate in a drug rehabilitation program,and must submit to a search of his property upon request. G.P.'s arrestmarked the (culmination of an intensive undercover operation which wasconducted in July and August by rangers, U.S. Park Police drug unitofficers, and members of the Grays Harbor drug task force. (SEAdog messagefrom Bill Frazier, LES, OLYM, 12/4).

Tuesday, December 18, 1990
90-440 - Olympic (Washington) - Discovery of Probable Homicide Victim

On the morning of December 1st, a visitor who stopped at an overlook justnorth of the Kalaloch Campground noticed an Army-type mummy bag lying at thebottom of the bluff. The visitor reported the discovery to ranger Neil Smithat the Kalaloch Ranger Station. Smith went to the scene and discovered thatthere was a body in the bag. The body was found within the Highway 101 right-of-way, which the state has jurisdiction over, so Smith protected the sceneuntil a Jefferson County deputy arrived and the body was removed. A check wasthen made of recent missing person reports, and it was soon determined thatthe victim was R.R. of Hoquiam, Washington, who was reported missing byher live-in boyfriend on Thanksgiving Day. An initial examination indicatedthat she had received a severe head wound and may have been sexuallyassaulted. Evidence indicates that the death occurred somewhere else, andthat R.R.'s body was later dropped off at the Kalaloch site. A search warrantwas served at the boyfriend's house; he is a prime suspect in the case.(Howard Yanish, CR, OLYM, via telefax from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 12/17).

Wednesday, January 2, 1991
90-460 - Olympic (Washington) - Fatality

Tony August, 63, a resident of Lake Quinault and former seasonal laborer for the park, was killed on December 30th when the backhoe he was on rolled over while he was working along the lakeshore. No further information on the incident is available. (Telephone report from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 12/30).

Thursday, January 17, 1991
91-14 - Olympic (Washington) - Threat to Park

A park visitor reported finding a dead spotted owl nailed to a park sign about a mile from the visitor center in Port Angeles on the 14th. A threatening note was attached to the juvenile bird which implied that a "fire to ignite social unrest" had yet to be lit. The park is working closely with US Fish and Wildlife Service special agents and their lab technicians to gather further information. A significant reward is being offered by Fish and Wildlife for information on the incident. [Curt Sauer, OLYM, via CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 1/16]

Monday, February 4, 1991
91-34 - Olympic (Washington) - Arson Fires

Two buildings - the Fairholm ranger station near Lake Crescent and the entrance station at Soleduck - were set on fire during the weekend. The ranger station burned to the ground, but the entrance station was not entirely destroyed. The fires are thought to be related to the controversy over the spotted owl. The state fire marshall, park rangers and FBI agents are investigating. [Telephone report from Mike Blankenship, RAD/PNRO, 2/2]

Friday, February 8, 1991
91-34 - Olympic (Washington) - Followup on Arson Fires

The Fairholm ranger station and the entrance station at Soleduck were completely destroyed by the arson fires on the night of February 1st. The total damage has been estimated at $62,000. Investigators believe that the fires were set between 9:30 and 10:30 p.m. in the evening. The two buildings are only a mile apart. This is the second time that an arson fire has consumed the Soleduck entrance station. The first incident occurred on June 23, 1990, and attempts were also made at that time to set the headquarters building in Port Angeles on fire. A full investigation is underway. [Telephone report from Mike Blankenship, RAD/PNRO, 2/7]

Thursday, April 4, 1991
91-95 - Olympic (Washington) - Drug Arrests

Ranger Mike Butler arrested two men parked at an overlook on the Hurricane Ridge Parkway for possession of drug syringes on March 30th. A search of the vehicle conducted subsequent to the arrest led to the discovery of a variety of drugs, including cocaine and marijuana. One of the men agreed to cooperate with the local drug task force and the information he provided resulted in the execution of a search warrant in a motel room in the nearby community of Sequim. Rangers seized $6,000 in cash, about an ounce of cocaine wrapped in individual bundles, two .357 revolvers and a police scanner. [CompuServe message from Bill Frazier, OLYM, 4/2]

Tuesday, June 4, 1991
91-196 - Olympic (Washington) - Rescue

On May 4th, ranger Clay Butler responded to a call for help from the relatives of a man whose kayak had overturned and who was caught in a rip current during stormy conditions near the beach at Kalaloch. When Butler arrived at the scene, the man was several hundred yards off shore and drifting out to sea. Butler organized a group of park visitors and another ranger into a shore support group, then jumped into the surf and swam a torpedo buoy with a rope attached through extremely cold and turbulentwaters to the victim. The kayaker was severely hypothermic by the time Butler reached him, and Butler had to help him hold onto the lifeline. After several perilous minutes, the man was pulled through the surf to the beach. He was treated for hypothermia and recovered completely. On May 31st, Butler received the West Olympic Peninsula Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Award for the rescue and for his support of county deputies on several occasions. [CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 6/3]

Wednesday, June 5, 1991
91-201 - Olympic (Washington) - Drowning

S.W., 31, of Olympia, Washington, was attempting to cross the Soleduck River just above Soleduck Falls at about 6:45 p.m. on the 3rd when she fell into the river and was swept over the falls into a deep pool approximately 60 to 80 feet below. Although injured to an unknown extent, she was able to reach the rocks which form the wall of a steep canyon at the base of the falls and hold herself there while others went for help. Rangers were notified of the accident about a half hour later and arrived at the scene with rescue equipment within 35 minutes. They immediately lowered a rope to S.W. to give her something to grasp until they could rappel into the canyon to reach her. S.W. held onto the rope and was attempting to wrap it around her body when she lost her balance, was swept downstream and drowned. Rangers and county search and rescue team members searched the river for her throughout the night and located her body around 9:00 a.m. the following morning. [Cat Hawkins, OLYM, via CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 6/4]

Wednesday, July 24, 1991
91-308 - Olympic (Washington) - Potential Oil Spill Impact

On the morning of July 22nd, the 610-foot Chinese vessel, Tuo Hai, collided with a 365-foot Japanese fish-processing vessel, the Tenyo Maru, approximately 20 miles off Cape Flattery. The Tenyo Maru subsequently sank. The freighter suffered little damage and continued on its voyage. One of her crew of 85 is missing and two have been evacuated to local hospitals. The Tenyo Maru was carrying 273,214 gallons of fuel oil and 91,071 gallons of diesel oil. As of 9:45 a.m. PDT yesterday morning, oil was bubbling to the surface and a four by nine mile oil slick had formed. The slick was moving southwest in a calm sea and was reported to have turned to mousse (brown, frothy, coagulated oil). Storms were expected yesterday and today, however, and they may move the oil toward the shore of the Olympic Peninsula. The park has about 60 miles of wilderness beach along the peninsula. The park has put its existing oil plan into effect and is working with the Coast Guard on a preliminary contingency plan. [Telephone report from Reed Jarvis, RAD/PNRO, 7/23]

Thursday, July 25, 1991
91-308 - Olympic (Washington) - Followup on Oil Spill

As of the latest report, received on Tuesday evening, analysts were predicting that the spill from the Tenyo Maru would move to the southeast and approach within ten to fifteen miles of the Washington coastline by Wednesday. The oil was then expected to head to the south and move down the coast. Oil spill cleanup operations are underway. Several Interior agencies which have areas that could be affected by the spill, including the NPS, Fish and Wildlife Service, and BIA, have been notified and are beginning preparatory activities. [Telefax from NOAA, 7/24; report from John Donahue, OEA/WASO, 7/24]

Friday, July 26, 1991
91-308 - Olympic (Washington) - Followup on Oil Spill

About 30,000 gallons of oil from the Tenyo Maru was reported to be drifting in a southeasterly direction toward the Washington coastline yesterday, but bad weather has made accurate tracking of the slick impossible. Oil slick trajectory projections indicate that the oil will come ashore soon. The park's staff and the Department's regional environmental officer (REO) are monitoring the situation. Cooperation between federal and state agencies has been characterized as excellent. [Report from John Donahue, OEA/WASO, 7/25]

Monday, July 29, 1991
91-308 - Olympic (Washington) - Followup on Oil Spill

Oil from the Tenyo Maru began washing up on the Washington shoreline yesterday. More than 170 oiled seabirds, mostly common murres found in offshore oil, were being treated Saturday at a bird cleaning station near Neah Bay, and globs of oil had come ashore on Tatoosh Island off Cape Flattery and at Cape Alava. Although oil has not yet reached the coastal beaches between the two points, which are partly in the park and partly in the Ozette and Makah reservations, it's expected that it will come ashore soon. Present estimates are that approximately 100,000 gallons of oil has leaked or will leak from the ship. There may be no way to stop the remaining oil from seeping from the ship, since it is under 500 feet of water. The Seattlebased Global Diving and Salvage Company had skimmed 4,200 gallons of mixed oil and water by Friday night. [Hal Spencer, Associated Press, 7/28]

Tuesday, July 30, 1991
91-308 - Olympic (Washington) - Followup on Oil Spill

Although skimmers reportedly collected about 21,000 gallons of an oil/water mixture from the Tenyo Maru over the weekend, portions of the estimated 100,000 gallons which have leaked from the ship have been coming up along the coast. Patches of oil are now reported along approximately 15 miles of the park's 60 miles of beach. Park beaches are closed from Sand Point north to the Ozette Indian Reservation. About 60 NPS personnel are presently involved in responserelated activities. Just over 100 oiled birds have been collected from park beaches, and reports of oiled otters are beginning to come in. A total of 360 oiled birds have been collected 90 have died, 270 have survived. Three bald eagles have been oiled, and three grey whales have been seen swimming in the slick. As of last night, the southern edge of the slick reportedly extended almost to Destruction Island, a bird sanctuary about 15 miles offshore. It was moving southeast toward the shore and was being pushed by winds of around 20 mph. [Briefing by John Donahue, OEA/WASO, 7/29; Associated Press, 7/29]

Wednesday, July 31, 1991
91-308 - Olympic (Washington) - Followup on Oil Spill

Oil from the sunken Tenyo Maru continued to come ashore in the park and elsewhere along 55 miles of coastline yesterday. A light sheen of oil reportedly coated the shore from Cape Flattery, Washington's most northwestern point, to Hoh Head, about 40 miles south. Four park beaches were coated with clumps of diesel and bunker oil and contaminated vegetation. More than 650 oilsoaked birds had been found by yesterday morning; more than 150 of them were dead. Only a small percentage of the fouled birds are expected to survive. Canadian Coast Guard officials are reporting oil about five miles southwest of Cape Beale on Vancouver Island. Cape Beale is about 40 miles north of Cape Flattery. Nearly 300 sea otters, a threatened species, live along the coast, largely in offshore sea kelp which is now covered with oil. Rescuers are standing by with cages and nets to capture the mammals when and where possible. Park spokesman Bob Appling has warned that the oil could eventually spread to Oregon, about 125 miles south of the sunken ship. The Canadian Coast Guard said that a threeman submarine will be sent down to the wreck today to see if the flow of oil can be plugged. A memorandum of agreement has been signed with the Coast Guard on recovery of response costs incurred by the park. [ICS 209 from incident overhead team, Associated Press and United Press stories, briefing by John Donahue, OEA/WASO, 7/30]

Thursday, August 1, 1991
91-308 - Olympic (Washington) - Followup on Oil Spill

As of yesterday, oil was continuing to arrive on park beaches in scattered patches and in consistencies ranging from a light sheen to tar balls. The southern portions of Shi Shi beach and the northern side of Point of the Arches were reported to be the most heavily oiled shore areas. Tar-like oil is on beaches between Duck Point and the Ozette River. Cleanup efforts were underway north of Cape Alava. Rialto Beach had very small amounts of oil, and Yellow Banks had not been patrolled. The main body of oil was said to be moving rather rapidly towards the Grays Harbor area and was still about 10 miles offshore. The oil was described as being comprised of "large patches of oil connected by (a) rainbow sheen with numerous tar balls intermixed." Ribbons of oil which separated from the main slick were still appearing all along the coastline. A total of 950 birds had been brought to the cleaning station at Neah Bay by Tuesday night; of these, about 350 were dead. Many more birds are expected over the next several days. The NPS is operating a helicopter for bird pickup and transport to Neah Bay, and a second treatment center for bird cleanup is being established at La Push to handle birds coming in on the southern beaches. Treated birds are being taken to St. Edward State Park on the northeast shore of Lake Washington for final cleanup. Volunteers wishing to assist with bird washing should call 1-800-222-4737. Several oiled sea otters have been seen in the Cape Alava area, but have so far eluded capture. The following areas in the park are now closed to the public the shoreline from Sand Point north to the Makah Reservation, the Cape Alava trail and Ozette Campground. [Cat Hoffman, Information Officer, Tenyo Maru ICS Team, via telefax from RAD/PNRO, 7/31]

Friday, August 2, 1991
91-308 - Olympic (Washington) - Followup on Oil Spill

The main oil slick has been moving in a southerly direction at a rate of about ten miles per day, but has broken up over the last two days and spread over a wide area. The southern end of the spill was located yesterday about ten miles off the coast of Ocean City; large areas of sheen were reported off Cape Alava, Destruction Island, and the northern end of Norwegian Memorial. Helicopters were having difficulty locating and guiding skimmers to patches of oil on the ocean surface because of fog. The skimmers have recovered about 35,000 gallons of mixed fuel oil and water so far, but only about ten percent of that amount is oil. It's estimated that twothirds of the Tenyo Maru's fuel oil is still on board the ship. The Canadian sub will be checking the hull shortly. The oil has not spread to any beaches beyond those previously reported. Cleanup crews have completed work over a six mile area from Watts Point to Cape Flattery and along the shores of the Sooes River. Work at Shi Shi Beach and Cape Alava is continuing. A total of 1,260 birds 630 of them dead had been brought to the Neah Bay cleanup station by 8:00 pm on Wednesday, but the number brought in yesterday decreased noticeably. The La Push bird treatment center is now in operation. Although at least two oiled otters were seen in the first days of the spill, relocation and capture of otters has been unsuccessful. A whale was found beached in Makah Bay on Wednesday, and marine mammal experts were to examine it yesterday. The Ozette Campground has been reopened, but the shoreline from Sand Point north to the Makah Reservation and the Cape Alava trail are still closed to the public. A total of 220 people 74 of them from the NPS are now working on spillrelated operations. [Telefax from Cat Hoffman, Information Officer, Tenyo Maru ICS Team, 8/1; report from John Donahue, OEA/NPS, 8/1]

Monday, August 5, 1991
91-308 - Olympic (Washington) - Followup on Oil Spill

Overflights conducted on Friday, August 2nd, revealed that oil was continuing to dissipate from all areas along the Washington coast. A small amount of oil continues to leak from the sunken ship, but the flow rate is diminishing. The slick near the site of the wreck reportedly consisted of tendrils of oil dispersed over a wide area. Two small patches of tar balls remain at the southernmost edge of the spill one located about nine miles offshore from Grays Harbor, the other about four miles off Cape Shoalwater. A remotelyoperated submarine sent down to the wreck by the Canadian Coast Guard has shown the Tenyo Maru sitting upright in heavy layers of silt on the ocean bottom with oil "oozing like molasses" from a porthole at a rate of ten barrels per day. Five skimmers are now in operation off the Washington coast. Skimmers working along the southern end of the spill reported no recoverable offshore oil yesterday. A 1900-foot oil boom has been deployed in the vicinity of the wreck to concentrate oil and facilitate skimming efforts there. It's estimated that from 40 to 60 percent of the park's beaches have now been oiled, with concentrations ranging from heavy to very light. At Rialto Beach, an estimated 50 to 70 percent of the debris on the drift line mostly kelp and other marine algae is oiled. Cleanup crews worked the area from Rialto Beach to Hole in the Wall yesterday, and cleanup operations continued at the following beaches Hobuck, Waatch Point, Archawat, Tatoosh Island, Sooes, Strawberry Point, and Cape Alava. A total of 1,884 bags of oily waste have been collected to date. As of yesterday morning, just over 2,200 birds about 1,400 of them dead had been brought in to the cleaning facility at Saint Edwards State Park. Efforts to capture and relocate otters remain unsuccessful, but no oiled otters have been reported recently. The beached whale reported in Makah Bay several days ago turned out to be a fuel bladder. Biologists from the Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington Department of Wildlife (DW), and a local zoo and aquarium continue to conduct boat surveys of the coastal areas between Cape Alava and Destruction Island. Park and DW biologists are conducting damage assessment studies to measure the impacts of the spill on bird and intertidal populations. All areas in the park are now open except for the coastline from the Ozette Indian Reservation to the Makah Indian Reservation. [Telefax from Cat Hoffman, Information Officer, Tenyo Maru ICS Team, 8/4]

Tuesday, August 6, 1991
91-308 - Olympic (Washington) - Followup on Oil Spill

The Canadian Coast Guard plans to send a remote-controlled underwater robot down to the Tenyo Maru late this week to siphon the remaining oil from the ship. The robot is expected to arrive from Houston on Thursday and could be sent down to the wreck as early as Friday. It will use its two pincer-like arms to force a six-inch-diameter tube into a porthole on the sunken tanker. No further information is available on the spill this morning. [Associated Press, 8/6]

Wednesday, August 7, 1991
91-308 - Olympic (Washington) - Followup on Oil Spill

The oil slick is now about four and a half miles long and is moving to the northwest. As of last night, about 36,000 gallons of oil and water had been skimmed from the area, but operations were slowing down due to the type of oil being encountered. A boom designed for open water has been partially deployed around the area where the new oil is surfacing. A considerable amount of oil still remains on park beaches at Shi Shi, Ozette, Cape Alava and Rialto. Tar balls are now showing up in varying amounts on Third Beach, Taylor Point and Kalaloch. Although Kalaloch appears to be clean, oil is reported to lie just beneath the surface of the sand. Predictions still call for tar balls to show up on beaches as far south as northern Oregon, and some tar balls and dead birds have already been reported at Cape Disappointment. The cleanup contractor has been working at Rialto Beach, Cedar Creek, Ozette River, Cape Alava and Shi Shi. The Makah and Shi Shi beaches apparently got reoiled during yesterday's high tide, just after they'd been cleaned. A juvenile sea otter was found dead on the 5th; although it was lightly oiled, the cause of death has not been determined. Two river otters were also found dead; again, no cause of death has been ascertained. The total count of birds turned in to the Neah Bay and La Push primary care centers as of the 5th was 2,887. Of these, 2,156 were dead, and many of the remaining birds have since died. Bird experts estimate that from 20,000 to 30,000 birds have died offshore to date. The Coast Guard has set up a beach assessment team consisting of one member each from the park, the Coast Guard and NOAA. The team will establish priorities for the clean up of park beaches and direct those operations. Howard Yanish and Ruth Scott will serve alternately as the park's representatives on this team. All areas in the park are now open except for the coastline from the Ozette Indian Reservation to the Makah Indian Reservation. Despite the oil, there were large numbers of visitors on park beaches over the weekend all of whom were apparently getting oil on themselves or their belongings. The cleanup contractor had two decontamination stations operating at Rialto Beach. One was for the cleanup crews, the other was for park visitors. About 90 visitors took advantage of the station on Sunday, mostly to clean their shoes, and another 80 visitors had their shoes wrapped in plastic by the decontamination crew to avoid contact with the oil while walking on the beach. Park personnel spent much of the day answering questions from the public regarding the spill. [Telefax and SEAdog messages from Roger Hoffman, Information Officer, Tenyo Maru ICS Team, 8/6]

Thursday, August 8, 1991
91-308 - Olympic (Washington) - Followup on Oil Spill

The cleanup operation is bracing for stormy weather. Gale warnings for winds in excess of 35 knots and high seas have temporarily halted all cleanup efforts. Even though the wreck is leaking oil at about the same rate as in past days, little can be done to contain the new oil under current conditions. All skimmers and booms have been brought into port to wait out the weather, which is expected to continue at least through tomorrow. The earliest that submarine operations can resume will be on Friday. High seas are expected to bring considerable amounts of oil onshore from kelp beds. The LaPush bird center has been closed, and operations are moving further south to Long Beach. The Neah Bay center is still functioning. Some of the recovered dead birds are being cleaned, tagged and dropped into the ocean along an offshore transect in an attempt to learn more about the movements of dead birds in the currents. This effort also may show the proportion of birds that wash up on the coast and the proportion that sink unnoticed. About 7,000 bags of oil and oiled debris, each weighing around 60 pounds, have been gathered from park beaches to date. These bags do not include dead birds. Of the 3,000 or so dead birds recovered so far, approximately twothirds have been from park beaches. [Telefax from Roger Hoffman, Information Officer, Tenyo Maru ICS Team, 8/8]

Monday, August 12, 1991
91-308 - Olympic (Washington) - Followup on Oil Spill

A storm centered off the Washington coast prevented overflights to survey the oil slick Friday and Saturday, but aircraft were scheduled to resume overflight operations yesterday. Skimming operations were curtailed during the storm. Two tugs have been contracted to assist in anchoring a heavy boom offshore around the wreck site for skimming operations over the next few days. The small Scorpio submarine (also known as a remotelyoperated vehicle or ROV) brought to the site by the Canadian Coast Guard was to be sent down to the Tenyo Maru yesterday to attempt to pump oil from the wreck. No additional oil has been found on beaches between Neah Bay and Toleak Point, but crews report a scattering of tarballs above the high tide line at South Hobuck Beach. Oil appears to have diminished at some previously impacted areas. Heavy surf from the recent storm has apparently "cleaned" some areas, and buried onshore oil at other locations so that it is not visible. Most of the cleanup booms were torn and pushed under rocks during the storm. Some bags of oiled debris were washed off the shoreline at Petroleum Creek and Yellow Banks. A total of 3,440 birds had been brought to care centers as of Thursday evening. Only a third are expected to live. Park biologists and crews will be on the beaches through the current low tide series to continue sampling transects for postoil assessments. All areas in the park are open except for the coastline from the Ozette Indian Reservation to the Makah Indian Reservation. [Telefax from Cat Hoffman, Information Officer, Tenyo Maru ICS Team, 8/10]

Tuesday, August 13, 1991
91-308 - Olympic (Washington) - Followup on Oil Spill

Oil continues to leak from the Tenyo Maru. The streak currently extends north for approximately one mile, then turns to the westnorthwest. Blossoms of oil from the ship are also reported to be converging and forming silvery ribbons of sheen. Several skimmers remain in operation in the area; they have been joined by two sea tugs pulling a newlydesigned boom which has greatly enhanced skimming operations. About 90% of the oil entering the boom is captured and funneled to the skimmers. Weather prevented attempts to deploy the Canadian ROV submersible on Sunday, but efforts were to be made again yesterday and pumping will begin as soon as possible once the piping is in place. Crews have now removed 34,411 bags of oily residue from park beaches. Crews worked at Cape Alava, Ozette River, Tatoosh Island and Coastie Head during the weekend, and helicopters continued to remove previously bagged debris from the beaches. A crew will be dispatched again to Second Beach, since several areas along the beach have received new tar balls. An assessment team made a preliminary check of the park's shoreline on Sunday and reported that 65% of the beaches have been cleaned satisfactorily. The bird recovery count as of the 12th was 3,610 recovered, 770 alive, 2,840 dead. A total of 122 personnel from the following agencies and organizations are currently involved in cleanup operations the NPS, Coast Guard, NOAA, Forest Service, BIA, the Makah Tribe, Global Diving and Salvage, and Clean Sound. [Telefax from Cat Hoffman, Information Officer, Tenyo Maru ICS Team, 8/12]

Wednesday, August 14, 1991
91-308 - Olympic (Washington) - Followup on Oil Spill

Patches of oil were seen yesterday about five miles southeast of the wreck site. Leakage from the Tenyo Maru continues at the same rate. Skimming with the new boom will continue while a hose/suction operation is set up. The ROV submersible began installing a clamping device on one of the ship's portholes; the device will be used to hold the suction hose in place. Pumping operations may begin today. Beach cleanup activities continue, and there is a report that new oil has come ashore at Anderson Head. The total bird count is now 4,222; of these, 3,437 were found dead. The interagency beach assessment team is continuing preliminary shoreline surveys. Another seven and a half miles remain to be completed. The shoreline from the Ozette Indian Reservation to the Makah Indian Reservation remains closed to the public. All other park areas are open. [Telefax from Michael Smithson, Information Officer, Tenyo Maru ICS Team, 8/13]

Friday, August 16, 1991
91-407 - Olympic (Washington) - Car Clouts

Two cars in the Fairholm campground were broken into around 5:00 a.m. on the morning of August 14th. The thief or thieves took $250 in cash and a VISA card from one car and $20 from the second car. Entry apparently was made through the wing windows on at least one of the cars. It's not known if the breakins are local in nature or whether car clouter(s) are moving through the area. [SEAdog message from Mike Blankenship, RAD/PNRO, 8/14]

Friday, August 16, 1991
91-308 - Olympic (Washington) - Followup on Oil Spill

Negligible amounts of oil were recovered by skimmers on Wednesday; leakage from the sunken ship continues at the same rate. One skimmer came across three areas of heavy slick with a black granular consistency. A threeinch suction hose has been lowered to the wreck, and the Canadian Coast Guard is attempting to employ the ROV submersible to place it through a porthole and into the remaining oil. Fog prevented cleanup crews from working in most park areas, but slingloading operations took place at Coastie Head and 775, 60pound bags of oil and oiled debris were removed. [Telefax from Michael Smithson, Information Officer, Tenyo Maru ICS Team, 8/13]

Wednesday, August 21, 1991
91-308 - Olympic (Washington) - Followup on Oil Spill

A suction hose was successfully placed through a porthole in the Tenyo Maru and into the interdeck area last week, and oil is being pumped to the surface. The amount of oil leaking from the wreck has consequently decreased dramatically. The ship had 17 fuel oil four lubricant oil, two bilge and two fishoil tanks, though, and its unclear how many of these are leaking into the interdeck area and can therefore be pumped out. Pumping operations will continue as long as oil continues to emerge. Crews are now surveying a third of the park's beaches each day on a rotating basis. Over 3,500 bags of oil and oiled debris had been removed by late last week. [Telefax from Michael Smithson, Information Officer, Tenyo Maru ICS Team, 8/16]

Friday, August 23, 1991
91-308 - Olympic (Washington) - Followup on Oil Spill

Pumping operations from the wreck are continuing. As of Wednesday, 50,400 gallons of oil had been pumped from the ship, and just over 35,000 gallons of oil/water mixture had been skimmed. Crews are now working at Cape Alava and south of the Ozette River. The beach will be assessed after cleanup is completed, but will remain closed until that time. The area may open before the Labor Day weekend. A final assessment of other areas of park and tribal beaches is also underway. [Telefax from Cat Hoffman, Information Officer, Tenyo Maru ICS Team, 8/22]

Tuesday, September 3, 1991
91-308 - Olympic (Washington) - Followup on Oil Spill

Oil continues to leak from the Tenyo Maru, but at a greatly reduced rate. Pumping operations using the Canadian submersible were halted several days ago when the recovery rate slowed to less than ten gallons per day. It's not known how many of the ship's 25 tanks still contain oil. Helicopters are still being employed to monitor the site and track any further oil releases. Cleanup operations are continuing on several Makah and Ozette Reservation beaches, but all park beaches are now open to the public. [Telefax from Cat Hoffman, Information Officer, Tenyo Maru ICS Team, 8/31]

Tuesday, September 3, 1991
91-444 - Olympic (Washington) - Marijuana Eradication

On July 22nd, two visitors told Quinault rangers that they had found what they thought were marijuana plants growing near a horse camp in the park. Rangers subsequently found eight plants in what appeared to be a cultivated garden. The garden was placed under surveillance for several days, but no one appeared. The plants were removed on August 15th. [SEAdog message from Bill Frazier, OLYM, 8/25]

Monday, October 7, 1991
91-540 - Olympic (Washington) - Suspected Arson

Just after 1:00 a.m. on September 29th, a Port Angeles police officer driving by the park's visitor center saw smoke issuing from the building and found the center panel of an outdoor plexiglass display on fire. The Port Angeles fire department and park personnel responded to the fire and were able to catch and suppress it just as the flames were starting to burn the visitor center's exterior wall. Part of a phone in an outdoor booth on Hurricane Ridge in Olympic was found melted that night. A device used to light crack cocaine may have been used to torch both the plexiglass panel and the phone. A log cabin in a county park was also set afire that same night and burned to the ground. Rangers are investigating the incidents in conjunction with the state fire marshall's office, the Port Angeles police department and county authorities. [SEAdog message from Mike Blankenship, RAD/PNRO, 10/1 and 10/4]

Wednesday, October 9, 1991
91-543 - Olympic (Washington) - Potential Oil Spill Impacts

On October 7th, the Captain J. Fiddler, a 100-foot fishing vessel, sankabout 75 miles off the Washington coast and about five miles from thesite where the Tenyo Maru went down. The four crew members were rescuedby the Canadian Coast Guard. An oil sheen two to three miles long and75 yards wide was seen drifting to the southwest, but it is believedthat the spill will break up before coming ashore. The United StatesCoast Guard will monitor the area. According to crew members, they were"hauling fish over the stern and somehow the stern submerged." [BillFrazier, Acting CR, OLYM, via CompuServe message from Mark Forbes,RAD/PNRO, 10/8]

Wednesday, October 23, 1991
91-575 - Olympic (Washington) - Shooting

At about 1:30 a.m. on the morning of October 14th, R.H.S., 57, of Kagel Canyon, California, was sleeping in his vehicle in the Queets area of the park when he was awakened by people knocking on the vehicle's window. When he unlocked the passenger door, a person entered the vehicle, placed a pillow over his face and a firearm against his chest, and shot him. R.H.S. later reported that he remained in the vehicle for about 12 hours until he was able to summon a passing motorist by blowing the vehicle's horn. He was transported to the hospital in Aberdeen, where he was admitted and treated for a small caliber bullet wound which passed through his body and exited out his lower back. R.H.S. is now in stable condition. During an interview, R.H.S. stated that he was in the Queets area waiting for two women; he thought they were the ones knocking on the window and therefore opened the door. R.H.S. also said that the assault was connected to the occult and that his assailants were attempting to steal a book he was writing on the subject. The incident is being investigated by rangers and deputies from Grays Harbor. [Kym Ulin, OLYM, via telefax from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 10/21]

Thursday, January 23, 1992
92-16 - Olympic (Washington) - Search in Progress

S.B., 22, and a friend hiked from four miles from the Soleducktrailhead into the Seven Lakes Basin on the 20th. They split up at DeerLake at mid-day. S.B. decided to hike out via the Hoh River trail, atotal distance of about 23 miles; his companion chose to return to theSoleduck trailhead, where he picked up their car and drove to the Hohtrailhead to await S.B.'s arrival later that day. S.B.'s companionwaited for him throughout that day and early the next day, then notifiedrangers of his failure to appear. A search was begun employing a total of50 personnel, including park rangers and rescue team members from OlympicMountain Rescue, Tacoma Mountain Rescue, and Clallam County Rescue. Fivesearch dogs and air searchers were also employed. Four rangers remained atDeer Lake through Tuesday night, and the full search was to resume yesterdaymorning. Up to a foot of snow has fallen in the area since the two begantheir hike on Monday, thereby complicating search efforts. S.B. waswearing light clothing and hiking boots and carried only small amounts offood and water. [SEAdog messages from Cat Hoffman, OLYM, and Mark Forbes,RAD/PNRO, 1/21]

Thursday, January 23, 1992
92-17 - Olympic (Washington) - Assist on Search

On the afternoon of January 16th, ranger Bob Lineback overheard a maydaymessage from a person stuck in a four-wheel-drive vehicle on a snow-coveredcliff at the 6,000-foot elevation of an unidentified mountain, but wasunable to get a better location. Dispatch put out an announcement to allpersons in vehicles with CB radios to turn to channel 9. Radio techs DarylKeeney and Craig Houghtaling, who were on Ellis Mountain, heard the callsand talked to the distressed party. After several conversations, they wereable to determine that the person was near Big Bear, California. Dispatchcontacted one of the person's relatives in a nearby California town via aphone number which he supplied, and help was dispatched. [Kym Ulin, OLYM,via SEAdog message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 1/20]

Friday, January 24, 1992
92-16 - Olympic (Washington) - Follow-up on Search in Progress

The search for S.B. continues, but no sign of him has yet beenfound. Tuesday's efforts focused on the Soleduck, Deer Lake, Canyon Creekand upper Bogachiel areas; on Wednesday, ground teams, dogs and helicopterobservers continued to look for S.B. throughout the search zone. Sixrangers and rescue team members camped at three different locations in thesearch area Wednesday night. The terrain of the area is rugged, rangingfrom dense forests to steep alpine slopes. The snowpack ranges from four tofive feet in depth, and over 14 inches of new snow fell throughout Tuesdayand Wednesday. Additional snow was expected overnight on Wednesday. Thursday's search was to focus on the Deer Lake area, the South Fork of theBogachiel River, the Hoh drainage, and lower elevation areas of theSoleduck. High winds, strong wind shear, poor visibility, a rising freezinglevel, and a high avalanche hazard were forecast. S.B. and hiscompanion, G.F., 22, are both German nationals who have beenattending Oregon State University on an exchange program. [SEAdog messagefrom Cat Hoffman, OLYM, 1/23]

Tuesday, January 28, 1992
92-16 - Olympic (Washington) - Follow-up on Search

The search for S.B. was suspended on Sunday evening when theincident command team and park officials determined that the risk tosearchers from avalanche and other environmental hazards far outweighed theprobability that S.B. was still alive. Since the search began early lastweek, a zone along S.B.'s intended travel route from the Soleducktrailhead to the Hoh trailhead was thoroughly searched by ground andhelicopter. Weather during this period included snow, high winds, heavyrains and avalanches and significantly affected search capabilities. Theyalso minimized the probability of S.B.'s survival, as he was lightlydressed in jeans, sweater and a windbreaker, had no gloves or hat, carriedlittle food, and had no equipment for overnight camping. When weather andsnow conditions in the search area improve, searchers will attempt to findhis body. S.B.'s parents met with park officials on Sunday morning. Although grief-stricken, they nevertheless expressed gratitude to allparticipants in the search. S.B., their only child, was a Fulbrightscholar and a master's student in physics. [SEAdog message from CatHoffman, OLYM, 1/26]

Thursday, January 30, 1992
92-20 - Olympic (Washington) - Shooting Fatality

On January 28th, a Seattle woman, L.A.G., was found dead of anapparent gunshot wound to the right temple in a Kalaloch Lodge cabin. The34-year-old woman had checked into the lodge the previous afternoon. Herbody was found on the bed of her cabin around 1:30 p.m. the following day. A large caliber revolver was found in her lap. The case is currently underinvestigation. [SEAdog message from Cat Hoffman, OLYM, 1/29]

Tuesday, February 11, 1992
92-32 - Olympic (Washington) - Sexual Assault

A man sexually assaulted a 30-year-old woman on the Hurricane Ridge Parkwaylate on the evening of January 31st, then drove off with his victim. Latethat same night, a state trooper stopped the vehicle for a trafficviolation. The trooper determined that an assault had taken place, and thatit had occurred in the park. He arrested the suspect on state charges, thencontacted the park. Investigating rangers subsequently interviewed thesuspect and elicited a full confession. The suspect revealed that he hadphysically and sexually assaulted the woman, then had attempted to strangleher. He only relented when she began screaming. When stopped by thetrooper, the suspect said that he was taking the victim to the Deer Parkarea in Olympic to "hold her down until she calmed down." The investigatorsbelieve, however, that his true intention was to kill her and drop her bodythere. [Mike Butler, OLYM, via SEAdog message from Mike Blankenship,RAD/PNRO, 2/7]

Monday, April 6, 1992
92-104 - Olympic (Washington) - Apparent Suicide

A park visitor found the body of G.W.S., 44, of Fox Island,Washington, among driftwood on Rialto Beach near Mora on the afternoon ofApril 1st. G.W.S. died of a gunshot wound, apparently self-inflicted. Ashotgun and notes written to family and friends were found nearby and in hisvehicle in the Rialto Beach parking area. The case is under investigation. [SEAdog message from Cat Hoffman, OLYM, 4/2]

Tuesday, July 21, 1992
92-360 - Olympic (Washington) - Search

At about 11:00 p.m. on the night of July 15th, D.H., 14, notifiedpark rangers that his father, R.H., 51, had failed to return totheir camp at Deer Lake that evening. Earlier that day, the father and sonhad hiked to the lake in the park's Soleduck area; after they'd set up camp,R.H. went out for a short hike prior to dinner while his son stayed in thecamp. When his father had not returned by 11:00 p.m., D.H. contacted therangers. A search was begun the following day which employed 21 searchers,two dog teams and a helicopter, but no signs of R.H. were found. Elevensearchers and two dogs remained in the area overnight. A total of about 45searchers, five dog teams and two helicopters were preparing to renew thesearch on the morning of Friday, July 17th, when R.H. reappeared in Forks,Washington. R.H. said that he became lost after he took an unmarked trailthat branched off above Deer Lake. After almost 24 hours spent bushwackingthrough the Bogachiel drainage, he found the Bogachiel trail late Thursdayafternoon and contacted a camper later that evening. The two hiked to theBogachiel trailhead, then drove to Forks and notified the police. R.H.and D.H. were reunited at park headquarters. [Lisa Perina, OLYM, 7/17]

Monday, October 5, 1992
92-546 - Olympic (Washington) - Demonstration; Five Arrested

On Saturday, October 3rd, approximately 50 members of Earth Firstdemonstrated at Olympic Hot Springs in opposition to the Glines Canyon Damon the Elwha River. Five of the demonstrators were arrested for trespassingand other violations. Additional rangers were called in to assist; as ofSaturday night, there were 18 rangers keeping order at the site. No otherincidents have since been reported. [Bob Marriott, RAD/WASO, 10/5]

Monday, November 9, 1992
92-593 - Olympic (Washington) - Search and Rescue

On Saturday, November 7th, J.H., 40, and her daughter, S.W.,14, of La Push, Washington, became lost in dense woods in the parknear the Quileute Indian Reservation. The pair had entered the woods nearThird Beach trailhead that morning and had been searching for mushrooms. After several hours, they became disoriented and were unable to find theirway out before nightfall. Up to 145 searchers from several agencies andcommunities combed the area throughout that evening and night. Efforts wereimpeded by persistent rain showers and by rugged terrain comprised ofswamps, thorny ravines and impenetrable thickets. J.H. and S.W. werefound by park and county searchers around 9 a.m. on Sunday near theheadwaters of Lonesome Creek, about a mile from the nearest road. They werewet, cold and tired, but uninjured. They had spent the night huddled nearthe base of a tree, then had begun walking again in the morning. [CatHoffman, OLYM, 11/8]

Monday, April 19, 1993
93-189 - Olympic (Washington) - Apparent Suicide

On April 15th, ranger Steve Klump discovered a vehicle parked in one of thesites at Sunshine Point campground with the body of a 31-year-old man fromTacoma inside. A vacuum hose had been connected to the vehicle's exhaustpipe and fed up through the hatchback lid; the lid had then been sealed withduct tape. The victim had died some time early that morning. Three notesto family members were found which indicated that the victim may have beendespondent over financial matters. [Mike Blankenship, RAD/PNRO, 4/16]

Wednesday, May 12, 1993
93-243 - Olympic (Washington) - Suicide

A visitor advised the park of a person lying at the tree line on LisaJones Hill north of the Ridge visitor center at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, May9th. The responding ranger found a woman lying face up in the snow;upon checking her, he found that she was dead and that rigor mortis hadset in. The woman was subsequently identified as C.H., 31, of Seattle,Washington. A five-page note was found with her in which C.H. stated thefollowing: She'd come to the park on vacation. She had visited RubyBeach, during which time she'd hurt her back, then had come to Ridgearound 8 or 8:30 p.m. on Saturday. She'd left her car, walked north,and fallen down a ten-foot-high snow slope. Although the hill wasgradual and not very high, she said that she was unable to climb back upit, partly because of her injury, partly because she was an asthmatic,and partly because she'd hurt her head in the fall. Subsequentinvestigation led to the discovery of a cassette tape in which C.H.indicated her intent to kill herself. Her death has been ruled asuicide. [Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 5/10; Mike Butler, OLYM, 5/11]

Friday, May 28, 1993
93-288 - Olympic (Washington) - Search in Progress

A major search is underway for a 38-year-old woman who disappeared whileday-hiking with her male companion along the Graves Creek trail in theQuinault subdistrict on May 25th. The two were hiking in increasingly steepterrain late in the afternoon when the male got ahead of her. He waited forher to catch-up; when she failed to appear, he back-tracked, but was unableto locate her on either the main trail or adjoining game trails. He thenreturned to the ranger station and reported her missing at 10 p.m. Hastyteams, including the park's SAR dog team, immediately searched the area, butwere unable to find her. A full-scale search was begun the followingmorning. Total resources committed to the search by 5 p.m. included 51ground searchers, 18 overhead personnel, four SAR dog teams and ahelicopter. No new clues were found. Another 32 searchers, four searchdogs, and three divers were deployed yesterday. [Larry Nickey, OLYM, 5/26]

Tuesday, June 1, 1993
93-288 - Olympic (Washington) - Search in Progress

The search for 39-year-old S.M., which has been underway sinceshe was reported missing on May 25th, is being scaled down because of thelack of clues. On May 26th and 27th, over 100 searchers, a helicopter andseven dog teams looked for S.M. in the Quinault subdistrict. Because ofthe number of searchers and the limitations imposed by terrain and water,it's believed that S.M. would have been found by now if she was in thearea and on land. The search was accordingly scaled back to about 20searchers, a helicopter and four dog teams on the 29th, and was to befurther reduced to nine searchers and a criminal investigator later in theweekend. Search efforts are focusing on the margins of the Quinault River,which is running high and fast and is filled with numerous log jams. [LarryNickey, OLYM, 5/29]

Tuesday, June 1, 1993
93-262 - Olympic (Washington) - Rescue

Two women were rescued from the Skokomish River in the Staircase subdistricton the evening of May 28th. H.S. and M.C. put in near theStaircase campground bridge and planned to raft the two miles of the riverfrom that point to the causeway bridge at the headwaters of Lake Cushman. Their boyfriends were to pick them up at the lake, but the two women failedto arrive at the appointed time. Just after 8 p.m., a ranger on patrolheard cries for help at a point between the two bridges and found H.S. andM.C. in the river. A rescue team consisting of five rangers and severalmembers from the local fire district were able to get the two safely out ofthe river and up to the road by 11 p.m. The two had been in the water fornearly 20 minutes before being rescued and were suffering from hypothermia;H.S. also suffered a probable broken leg either when the raft flipped orwhen she was trying to untangle herself from it. The women were taken to ahospital and it appears that both will fully recover from the incident. Rivers at Olympic are currently flowing fast and cold due to snow melt-offand recent rains. [Larry Nickey, OLYM, 5/29]

Friday, June 4, 1993
93-322 - Olympic (Washington) - Attempted Suicide

Employees of Kalaloch Lodge discovered concession employee D.M.,25, of Callisville, Montana, semi-conscious in his quartersaround 4:30 p.m. on June 2nd. D.M. had attempted suicide by consumingexcessive amounts of over-the-counter sleeping pills and beer. He wasimmediately taken by ambulance to Forks Hospital for treatment, and is beingheld there for observation. D.M. is considered emotionally unstableand has been threatening suicide since he began working at the lodge twomonths ago. Fellow employees say that he'd been walking around the lodgesaying good-bye to everyone and telling them that he was going to killhimself. Rangers found a handgun, shotgun, rifle and ammunition in hisquarters. [Kym Ulin, OLYM, 6/3]

Tuesday, June 22, 1993
93-387 - Olympic (Washington) - Search; Falling Fatality

On June 18th, P.H., approximately 34 years old, and two climbingpartners ascended Mt. Olympus in the morning, then headed back down themountain late in the afternoon. The three had climbed one route, butdecided to glissade down a different route - one which had not beenthoroughly scouted. Around 4:30 p.m., P.H. fell into a crevasse. Hisclimbing partners attempted to make visual and voice contact, but wereunable to do so. The two went to the Snow Dome research facility on theUpper Blue Glacier and contacted the one researcher at the site at 7 p.m. The trio then made their way back to the site and again tried to contactP.H.. Due to the exhausted condition of the two climbers and lack of allnecessary equipment, the researcher determined that it would be unsafe toenter the crevasse and attempt a rescue, so all three returned to Snow Dome. The researcher hiked out the following morning to notify the park andarrived at the Hoh ranger station around 6 p.m. A MAST helicopter from Ft.Lewis flew to the scene in an effort to insert a hasty team. Because of theonset of darkness, the depth of the crevasse, and the lack of any signs oflife, however, a decision was made to instead assemble a recovery team andinsert them on the morning of the 20th. A team consisting of OlympicMountain Rescue and NPS personnel found P.H.'s body around noon. He hadfallen about 30 feet and suffered major head injuries which apparentlycaused his death. The body recovery was completed and all team members werereleased from the search around 3 p.m. [Larry Nickey, OLYM, 6/21]

Tuesday, June 22, 1993
93-388 - Olympic (Washington) - Search

During the morning of June 20th, the park received a report of an overduehiker on Hurricane Ridge. J.H., 30, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,was reported to be six days overdue from a camping trip in the Olympics, butno further information was available on his itinerary. His rental vehiclewas found in the Hurricane Ridge parking lot; in it were his backpack,sleeping bag and ground pad. Five hasty teams and a helicopter weredispatched to the area. No further clues were found that afternoon, and amajor mobilization, including 35 searchers and two search dogs, was to beginyesterday morning. [Larry Nickey, OLYM, 6/21]

Tuesday, June 22, 1993
93-389 - Olympic (Washington) - Search

The park received a report of an overdue hiker in the Quinault Subdistricton June 20th. B.R., 40, from Portal, Arizona, was reported nearly24 hours overdue from a solo day hike up to Sixteen Mile shelter. Hikersreported seeing her along the trail earlier in the day, and later noticedtracks headed into the Kitma Peak area. B.R. is described as an experiencedhiker, but only had a day pack with minimal gear and lacked both map andcompass. Seven searchers were deployed on hasty teams to search trail areasthat day, and a helicopter, three dog teams and a total of six hasty teamswere to be committed yesterday morning. [Larry Nickey, OLYM, 6/21]

Thursday, June 24, 1993
93-388 - Olympic (Washington) - Follow-up on Search

The search for J.H., 30, of Philadelphia, continues. The parkdeployed 51 personnel, a helicopter and two search dog teams on Monday. They searched Hurricane Ridge trails, vista overlooks and exposed hazardareas, but found no clues as to J.H. whereabouts. Due to poor weather(freezing temperatures and rain and snow squalls), search efforts on Tuesdaywere more limited, but the incident commander hoped to escalate them againyesterday if conditions improved as forecast. [Bill Pierce, OLYM, 6/23]

Thursday, June 24, 1993
93-389 - Olympic (Washington) - Follow-up on Search

B.R., 40, of Portal, Arizona, was found along the Queets River earlyon the afternoon of June 22nd. She was cold and hungry, but otherwise ingood condition. B.R. had left the North Fork campground on the morning ofthe 19th with the intention of making a loop hike in the valley, but took awrong trail that afternoon and was unable to return to her camp. She hadonly her lunch and a candy bar with her and was dressed in jeans, a shirt,and a parka. B.R. spent three cold nights in the woods, and ended uptraveling down the Tshletshy Creek to the Queets River, then down the riveruntil searchers found her - a total of about 15 miles of very ruggedcountry. She was ecstatic to see the searchers. [Bill Pierce, OLYM, 6/23]

Friday, June 25, 1993
93-388 - Olympic (Washington) - Follow-up on Search

The search for J.H., 30, of Philadelphia, continues. It's now beenalmost 12 days since he parked his car near Hurricane Ridge and went for ahike, and searchers are in their sixth day of looking for him. About 120people, three dog teams and a helicopter looked for him yesterday, but foundno clues. Survivability charts indicate that it is unlikely that he isstill alive. The incident commander reports that the search effort will bescaled back today unless additional information is acquired indicatingJ.H.'s whereabouts. A limited search will then continue through theweekend. [Bill Pierce, CR, OLYM, 6/24]

Monday, June 28, 1993
93-388 - Olympic (Washington) - Follow-up on Search

The body of J.H. was found below Mount Angelus at 10 a.m. on June26th. J.H. died from severe trauma sustained in a 200-foot fall off theface of the mountain. Searchers had little luck in their attempts to findhim until they made contact with a local lawyer who'd seen him while hikingon the mountain on June 13th. The lawyer and his children met J.H. onthe top of Mount Angelus at 6:30 p.m. that day. They'd taken photos of eachother and exchanged addresses in order to forward the photos once they weredeveloped. J.H. then descended the mountain on the correct route, butapparently missed a turn, went too far down slope, then lost his footing andfell. Based on this new information, which included the photo showingJ.H. clothing and indicating his sole pattern, the search area wasshifted to the face of the mountain late on Friday. His body was spottedfrom a helicopter shortly after the search resumed on Saturday. [BillPierce, CR, OLYM, 6/26]

Tuesday, July 6, 1993
93-437 - Olympic (Washington) - Rescue

Shortly after midnight on July 2nd, the park received notification that 62-year-old J.B. was missing. J.B. had gone for a short walkfrom the Staircase campground with her dog the previous evening while herfamily went on a longer hike. When the family returned, J.B. was stillnot back and failed to reappear. Park hasty teams were not able to find heror any significant clues as to her whereabouts. Forty searchers from thepark, Forest Service and Mason County SAR, a park search dog team, twobloodhound dog teams from Northwest Search and a helicopter began lookingfor J.B. at first light the next day. About three and a half hourslater, a search team found J.B. in good health in the Dry Creek areaabout three miles from the campground. They learned that J.B.'s dog hadrun off, and that she had gotten turned around while trying to locate it. The dog is still missing; attempts to locate it were confined to calls onthe way out of the search area. [Larry Nickey, OLYM, 7/2]

Friday, July 16, 1993
93-482 - Olympic (Washington) - Rescue

Park staff were notified of an injured hiker at the Cat Walk in the Soleduckarea of the park late on the afternoon of July 8th. The reporting party,who was a physician, said that his partner, also a physician, had fallen andsuffered a severely separated shoulder. Attempts to reduce the separationin the field were unsuccessful. Due to the location of the injured party, ahelicopter evacuation was initiated. Park EMTs flew in and treated andevacuated the victim. The separation was reduced that evening at a localhospital. The physician who was injured is the pediatrician who cares forthe children of many of the people on the park rescue team. [Larry Nickey,OLYM, 7/12]

Tuesday, August 10, 1993
93-584 - Olympic (Washington) - Multiple Larcenies

On the evening of July 28th, eight campsites in the Kalaloch campground werehit by a thief or thieves. Coolers which had been left out in plain viewwere taken from every site, and two mountain bikes valued at $1,350 werestolen. There are no suspects at this time. [Kym Ulin, OLYM, 8/9]

Wednesday, August 11, 1993
93-586 - Olympic (Washington) - Animal Incident

On Friday, August 6th, a young male cougar was killed by rangers nearKalaloch Lodge after the animal became an unacceptable public hazard. Thecougar had frequented the area around the lodge and Kalaloch and South Beachcampgrounds during the last week of July; it had hung around in full view ofrangers and the public, chased lodge employees' pets, and showed littleapparent fear (although no overt aggression) toward people. The animal wasmonitored very closely by rangers during this period in hopes that it wouldmove on without a need for more active intervention, as other young cougarsin the park have shown similar tendencies for brief periods beforerelocating. The cat then disappeared for a week and a half. At 6:30 a.m.on August 6th, it reappeared at Kalaloch Lodge and chased a cat, thenattacked and attempted to carry off a young dog several hours later. Rangers also learned that certain lodge employees had been feeding thecougar meat. Attempts to drive the animal out of the area with rocks andfirecrackers were unsuccessful, so local hunters were brought in. Theyfound and killed the animal at 5:30 that afternoon. During the process, thecougar killed one of the hunters' chase dogs. A post mortem indicated thatthe cat was a healthy young male between 18 months and three years old andthat it weighed 91 pounds. Remains of a domestic house cat were found inits stomach and were identified as those of a missing cat which belonged toa lodge employee. The concentration of inadequately controlled pets ownedby concessioners and employees at this location is considered to be theprime reason why the cat was attracted to the area and had to be destroyed. Translocation elsewhere was no longer a prudent option because of thecougar's attraction to pets and lack of fear of people. Appropriate actionsare now being taken locally to correct the situation and prevent or lowerthe likelihood of such incidents in the future. [Bruce Moorhead, WildlifeBiologist, OLYM, 8/10]

Tuesday, August 24, 1993
93-627 - Olympic (Washington) - Shooting

A ranger and several park visitors heard numerous shots in the Staircasearea of the park around 5 p.m. on August 14th. Investigation revealed thatthe shots had not come from bear hunters on adjacent Forest Service land, aswas first thought likely. Upon return to the park, the investigating rangerdiscovered that G.L., 24, of Eppingen, West Germany, hadsustained a small gunshot wound to the head. Rangers found entry and exitwounds on the left side of G.L.'s forehead. First aid was administeredand the Staircase area was closed to all incoming and exiting traffic untila thorough search of the area was completed. Several other rangersstationed in the area responded, swept the area, and located several freshlyspent .40 caliber casings and empty 12 gauge shotgun shells - but nosuspects. A nearby sign was also found to have recently been shot. Leibhart was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Olympia, where a smallsuspected shotgun pellet was removed from the wound. G.L. had been inthe country less than 24 hours when he was shot. The Staircase area wasreopened around 9 p.m. The incident is still under investigation. [KymUlin, OLYM, 8/23]

Tuesday, August 24, 1993
93-630 - Olympic (Washington) - EMS Incident; Life Saved

Around noon on August 15th, ranger Matt Spelsberg received a report of avisitor in anaphylactic shock from a bee sting about a half mile up theRapid Stoop trail in the park's Staircase area. He found R.S.,29, of Long Beach, California, semi-conscious and breathing shallowly. Spelsberg administered epinephrine, benadryl and oxygen until an ambulancearrived. Paramedics transported him to a local hospital. R.S. had neverexperienced such a reaction to a bee sting, and was not prepared for thereaction he experienced. Doctors said that R.S. would likely have diedif Spelsberg had not administered medication in such a timely manner, [KymUlin, OLYM, 8/23]

Wednesday, September 8, 1993
93-671 - Olympic (Washington) - Animal Incident

Visitors reported seeing a mountain lion on the beach at the south end ofthe Kalaloch campground on two separate occasions on the morning ofSeptember 1st. One of the visitors reported that she had her dog with her,that the dog had been off leash, and that the lion seemed to be stalking it. Both visitors reported that the lion had been within 100 feet of them, andthat it seemed to have an injured leg. A lion of similar size had been seenand pursued by rangers and wildlife agents about a week earlier, but hadgotten away before it could be captured. That animal also seemed to beunafraid of humans. Wildlife agents employed dogs to drive the mountainlion out of a large area of beach logs at the south end of the campground;when the animal appeared to be trying to leave the beach through thecampground, rangers cleared campers away from the beach and requested thatthey stay with their vehicles until the lion was subdued. The mountain lionwas finally hit with a dart and immobilized around 8 p.m. A veterinariandetermined that it was a young female between one and two years old, that itweighed only 45 pounds, and that it was in very poor physical condition. Healso found a .22 slug in the cat's right femur socket and therefore decidedto euthanize it. This is the second cougar from Kalaloch to be destroyed inthe last month. [Howard Yanish, OLYM, 9/7]

Wednesday, September 15, 1993
93-706 - Olympic (Washington) - Search

On September 13th, the Clallam County sheriff's office advised the park thatM.H., 30, S.H., 26, and J.N., 22, hadfailed to return as planned from a backpacking trip somewhere on the NorthPeninsula. Their vehicle was located that afternoon at Barnes Point, and asearch was begun for the trio. Fourteen searchers looked for clues alongthe trails leading from Barnes Point, a helicopter searched the high countryand areas around Lake Crescent, and an investigation team interviewed thefamily and other hikers in an effort to determine where the party might havegone. The weather has been good and is expected to remain mild; all threehikers are in good condition and well equipped. An incident team ismanaging the search. [Bill Pierce, CR, OLYM, 9/14]

Tuesday, November 2, 1993
93-788 - Olympic (Washington) - Shooting Incident Conviction

On October 29th, plea agreements were reached with P.W. and S.B.of Forks, Washington, for the shooting of the Mora rangerstation and the endangerment of a seasonal ranger naturalist who was in thebuilding at the time. The incident occurred on September 1st and causedextensive damage to the station, both inside and out, and destroyed a nearbypay telephone and street light. The ranger was not hurt. The two menpleaded guilty to reckless endangerment and vandalism; a charge ofpossessing a weapon in a national park was dismissed. Each was sentenced tosix months in jail (suspended) and 200 hours of community service andordered to pay a $1,000 fine, about $500 in restitution to the park, andanother $350 to the local phone company. The two would not have beenapprehended if ranger Bob Lineback hadn't immediately set up a road block onthe main road to the Mora area after he heard the shots fired. [Kym Hunter,OLYM, 11/1]

Monday, December 20, 1993
93-856 - Olympic (Washington) - Winter Storm

Heavy rains which fell in the Quinault area late last week have causedsignificant damage to park roads and trails. The Graves Creek road isclosed at the Quinault River bridge until several large trees (80 to 100feet long and five feet in diameter) can be removed. The Bunch Creek bridgeon Quinault South Shore Road has been partially washed out. Several largetrees upstream of the bridge washed under it and became pinned there,causing a log jam and forcing water over the bridge and road to a depth ofthree feet. The road's width at the bridge has been reduced to about onelane. A large tree fell on and damaged the Rapids Loop trail bridge,closing it to the public. Slides and washouts have also damaged the trailitself. Park personnel are in the process of inspecting other facilities todetermine the extent of damage to them. [Jack Galloway, OLYM, 12/17]

Thursday, January 20, 1994
94-22 - Olympic (Washington) - Drug Arrests

Last August, rangers stopped a suspicious vehicle in the Kalaloch area ofthe park for a traffic violation. Drugs were found in the vehicle, and itwas learned that the rangers had intervened in an on-going drug transaction. Information from the suspect provided information that revealed the identityof drug traffickers and the times and locations of drug deliveries that weremade in the Kalaloch area. Park investigators, in cooperation with countyauthorities, began surveillance operations at those locations and times. During the 20-hour-long operation, eleven drug transactions were observed,two arrests were made, and a small quantity of cocaine was seized. Aftersharing information with adjacent agencies, it was determined that eachagency had intelligence on these traffickers; although some of which hadbeen gathered as early as six years ago, no clear picture of the drugnetwork had emerged. It was also determined that no one agency had theresources to adequately investigate the information by itself, so a jointtask force was established which brought together the park, Customs, Clallamand Jefferson county drug task forces and prosecuting attorneys' offices,the Washington National Guard mobile response team, the Border Patrol, andthe Postal Service. After months of effort, investigators were able toidentify 37 potential drug dealers loosely organized into five separategroups. In December, the task force was able to recruit as a confidentialinformant a runner who had made 20 trips to Los Angeles to deliver currency(up to $150,000) and had returned with three to six kilos of pure cocaine. On January 8th, the informant picked up more money and headed forCalifornia. Task force members watched him, examined the transport vehicle,and determined that the money was hidden in the back seat. They followedthe vehicle to southern California, where the informant turned the vehicleover to drug traffickers. A California drug task force kept tabs on thevehicle as it headed to a previously unknown drug storage house. Two dayslater, the informant picked the vehicle up and was again tracked as itreturned to Washington. An examination of the vehicle by task force membersshowed that the money had been replaced by two packages which later provedto contain cocaine. It was returned to its original condition, and the loadwas brought to its destination. On January 15th, surveillance was begun attwo known drug trafficking locations. The shipment arrived late in themorning; as soon as it was picked up, the Washington state patrol's SWATteam executed a search warrant on the premises. They seized 674 grams ofuncut cocaine, $500 in cash, and four firearms. Two men were placed incustody, and two women were detained pending immigration statusdetermination. About an hour later, surveillance teams at a second locationinformed officers that the primary suspects at that location were headedsouth toward the location of the earlier seizure. At 12:30, the two arrivedat that location and were arrested; shortly thereafter, the SWAT teamexecuted a second search warrant there and seized some minor drugparaphernalia and two more weapons. A warrant is currently out for a fifthdrug trafficker, who reportedly returned to Mexico. All arrested partiesare illegal aliens. NPS personnel took part in all phases of the planningand implementation of the investigative strategy and provided material andphysical support for this operation. Park rangers and investigators plannedand supervised the surveillance of the drug trafficking locations andbusinesses associated with the operation. They also assumed the role ofcoordinators, planners and cooperators in the SWAT team issuance ofwarrants. [Mike Butler, CI, OLYM, 1/18]

Wednesday, February 2, 1994
94-38 - Olympic (Washington) - Search and Rescue

Just before midnight on January 30th, the park received a report that anadult and 13 children ranging in age from three to 14 years old were overduefrom a hike up the North Fork trail to Wolf Bar and back. Friends andrelatives had begun looking for them late that afternoon, but had not beenavailable to find them. Rangers immediately began a search and soon foundsmall footprints on a river bar about a mile from the trail head. They werejoined by other rangers, SAR teams and dog units; a helicopter began flyingthe area at first light. The group was found that morning and flown out toan airfield about eight miles away. Although cold and hungry, all membersof the group were in good shape. No details are yet available as to how thegroup became lost. [Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 1/31]

Tuesday, February 8, 1994
94-51 - Olympic (Washington) - Poaching

On December 13th, rangers received a report that several elk had been shotin the Bunch Field area and subsequently apprehended six men - all membersof the Tulalip tribe - and recovered two bull elk and a buck deer that theyhad apparently killed. The men were cooperative and admitted that they hadshot the deer; they said that they weren't aware that they were in the park,although they'd walked by a four by six foot park boundary sign on theQuinault Road. Follow-up investigation revealed that only four of the sixhad been hunting (the other two were juveniles), and that one of the men hadkilled two elk in the same area of the park on December 1st. Physicalevidence will be shipped to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife lab in Ashland,Oregon, this week. A presentation to the U.S. attorney's office isscheduled for later this month. [Kym Hunter, OLYM, 2/4]

Tuesday, February 8, 1994
94-52 - Olympic (Washington) - Commercial Poaching

Late in January, rangers began a week-long search for a group of men whowitnesses said were commercially harvesting ferns in the park. A vehicleassociated with the group was located at the Third Beach parking area in theMora Subdistrict on January 26th, and a stake-out of the area was begun. Four Chinese males with 22,700 fern fronds in their possession wereapprehended. An interpreter had to be employed to communicate with the men,who said that they did not know they were in the park. A check of theirpermit for forested land adjacent to the park disclosed that it had expiredin December. Further investigation led rangers to a storage building at thesuspects' residence which contained several hundred bales of recently pickedferns. Initial estimates are that several acres of park land on the coastalstrip of the park have been completely denuded of ferns. The ferns have atotal value of several thousand dollars. It's believed that this group isonly one of several illegally harvesting forest products from Olympic. [KymHunter, OLYM, 2/4]

Friday, February 11, 1994
94-59 - Olympic (Washington) - Assault on Ranger

On January 28th, W.B. and D.A. left a tavern near Forks,Washington, after being denied further drinks by the bartender, then headedtowards Lake Crescent while on their way to Port Townsend. During the trip,D.A., who was the passenger, had to pull the wheel several times to keepW.B. from hitting on-coming vehicles; W.B. also passed a truck at a highrate of speed on a blind corner at the west end of the lake. At MaplePoint, W.B. crossed the double line, went through a turnout, and struck aseries of barrier logs on the opposite side of the road. Three passingmotorists stopped and helped the two men get their vehicle back on the road. W.B. and D.A. drove to the next turnout on a flat tire, where themotorists changed a tire for them. The motorists later indicated that thetwo men were far too drunk to change the tire themselves, and said that thetwo men "freaked out" when rangers Matt Stoffolano and Mark Spier arrived onscene, feverishly attempting to hide the alcoholic beverages still in theirvehicle. W.B. asked one of the motorists if he'd claim to be the driver ofthe vehicle, since W.B. was drunk and his driver's license had beenrevoked. When the rangers attempted to arrest W.B., he became agitated andstruck Stoffolano in the face with his fist. During transport, W.B. wasable to remove his seatbelt, slip his handcuffs under his legs, and causeover $500 in damage to the patrol vehicle. W.B. was extremelyconfrontational and abusive during both transport and booking at the jail inPort Angeles. He kicked the blood alcohol testing machine, knocking overthe testing solution and slamming the machine against the wall. W.B.'scriminal history revealed 19 previous arrests, two of which were assaults onofficers, and numerous other violent acts against persons. He's being heldon a $3,000 warrant from a nearby county. Park charges are pending. [KymHunter, OLYM, 2/10]

Tuesday, February 15, 1994
94-67 - Olympic (Washington) - Search; Burglary Arrests

Early on the afternoon of February 14th, park dispatch received a report oftwo suspicious people on private land along a road at Lake Crescent. Thereporting party stated that they appeared to be in the process ofburglarizing an unoccupied residence and that at least one of them had arifle; the caller also provided an excellent description of their vehicle. Rangers responded and located the vehicle eastbound on Highway 101. A highspeed pursuit ensued which lead rangers out of the park. During the courseof the chase, the vehicle stopped once and the two men exited the vehiclewith rifles. The pair eventually took a dead end road, abandoned their car,and headed into the woods near Lake Sutherland, a heavily developedresidential/summer recreational lake two miles east of Lake Crescent. Atotal of 15 people, including rangers and county, state, tribal andfisheries officers, began an area search. A Coast Guard helicopter assistedbriefly, but had to depart because of mechanical difficulties. Between fourand five inches of rain fell during the 24-hour search, and temperatureshovered in the thirties. Both suspects were located on the afternoon of the13th - one walking in the area in stolen clothes and posing as a localresident, the other huddled in front of a space heater in a basem*nt of oneof the residences. Both rifles were recovered. Investigation has tiedthese two men, ages 18 and 20, to a car theft which had occurred on the 10thand to at least five burglaries which occurred throughout the western andnorthern sides of the peninsula between the 10th and 12th. Eight additionalrifles and over 600 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the stolenvehicle. During their interview, the pair stated that they were high onsome "bad crank" and that they intended to get killed in a big shootout withpolice. Both have extensive juvenile records. The investigation iscontinuing. [Curt Sauer, Acting CR, OLYM, 2/14]

Monday, April 4, 1994
94-148 - Olympic (Washington) - Oil Spill

Tar balls, probably from an oil spill in the Columbia River last winter,have been washing up on the park's beaches since February 26th. Acontractor was brought in and began removing the oil at Second Beach onMarch 3rd, and cleanup operations have been underway ever since. The CoastGuard has opened a $5,000 cleanup account. Because of the age of the tarballs, it may be impossible to obtain samples with enough essential"fingerprint" criteria to determine the exact source of the spill. [MarkForbes, RAD/PNRO, 4/1]

Tuesday, April 19, 1994
94-175 - Olympic (Washington) - Drug Seizure

On April 16th, the park's criminal investigators were informed that a drugtransaction was going to take place in front of the Fairholm store in theLake Crescent area of the park. After surveillance and arrest teams fromthe park and Clallam county drug task force were in the place, the informantand an undercover officer from the task force met with three suspects. During the meeting, one of the suspects said that the delivery location hadchanged to a point outside the park. Shortly after arriving at thatlocation, they were joined by two men in a Ford Taurus who said they shouldfollow them up a logging road to a remote location to receive the shipment. The undercover officer refused to go to that location, so one of thesuspects went there and returned with four ounces of methamphetamine and sixounces of cocaine. The undercover officer then gave a signal, and thearrest teams moved in. Both vehicles attempted to escape, but were stoppedafter a short pursuit. The primary suspect fled on foot, however, and wasstill at large at the time of the report. Officers seized a loaded .357revolver and an ounce of cocaine from the Taurus and a loaded .22 automaticpistol from the second vehicle. Four people were taken into custody, andboth vehicles were seized. All members of the county drug task force arecross deputized as NPS rangers. Their appearance and experience permit themto perform tasks that uniformed rangers would be unable to undertake. It iscommon for drug dealers in the area to hide their drugs and money in thewoods near remote roads. [Mike Butler, CI, OLYM, 4/17]

Friday, June 10, 1994
94-284 - Olympic (Washington) - MVA with Fatality

H.O., 62, of Port Angeles, was headed westbound on Highway 101 onthe afternoon of June 4th when he lost control of his 1990 Lumina van, ownedby Olympic Delivery Service, and went sideways into the oncoming lane. ASuzuki Samarai occupied by four people struck the Lumina in the driver'sside door. H.O. was taken to Olympic Memorial Highway, where he died thefollowing day from massive internal injuries; the four people in the Suzukiwere treated and released. An autopsy on H.O. revealed that he was inthe advanced stages of coronary artery disease, which, in the opinion of thepathologist, made him extremely susceptible to cardiac arrhythmias, whichcan cause blackouts. Other evidence indicates that such a medical event mayhave caused the accident. [Kym Hunter/Mike Butler, OLYM, 6/9]

Wednesday, June 15, 1994
94-302 - Olympic (Washington) - Sexual Assault

On May 10th, park investigators began in investigation into a reportedsexual assault of a minor child that had occurred the day before in theOzette area of the park. They learned that a man had taken his 12-year-oldstepdaughter on a camping trip to Lake Ozette, and that he had molested herduring the course of the trip. During an interview with the man, heconfessed to the assault. On May 25th, a grand jury from federal districtcourt in Seattle indicted him on one count of abusive sexual contact under18 USC 2244. [Bill Frazier, OLYM, 6/9]

Monday, July 5, 1994
94-354 - Olympic (Washington) - MVA with Fatality

Park employees discovered a pickup about 500 feet over a highway embankmentabout six miles up the Obstruction Point Road on the afternoon of June 30th. The lone male occupant of the vehicle was subsequently identified as ThomasShipkey of Starkville, Mississippi. Evidence at the scene indicates thatthe accident probably occurred the previous day. [CRO, OLYM, 7/1]^,

Thursday, July 14, 1994
94-384 - Olympic (Washington) - Resource Violation

On the night of July 6th, rangers in the Lake Crescent area of the parkpicked up a signal from an electronic surveillance device that they'd lefton a large cache of illegally picked moss that they'd found along a parkroad. Upon arrival at the scene, they found a pickup truck along the roadand eventually contacted three Spanish-speaking men who were attempting toleave the area in the truck. None of the three men were able to provide anyidentification. They were taken to the Forks police department, where aninterpreter assisted in questioning them. Two of the males claimed to bejuveniles; all were issued citations for traffic violations, removal ofnatural products, and commercial use of natural products. The pickup wasseized as evidence along with two knives and 24 bags of moss with awholesale value of $300 to $400 and a retail value of about $4,800. [KymHunter, OLYM, 7/11]

Tuesday, July 26, 1994
94-422 - Olympic (Washington) - Special Event

The Kalaloch Subdistrict hosted a dedication ceremony for the establishmentof NOAA's Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary on July 16th. Attendingwere several dignitaries, including the governor of Washington and theSecretary of Commerce. The park worked closely with a number oforganizations on event management, including NOAA agents, state police, thecounty sheriff's office, the Quinault tribe, ARA Services, and localcommunities. Rangers from Mount Rainier, Coulee Dam, Crater Lake, NorthCascades and Fort Clatsop provided additional law enforcement support duringthe event. Contacts were made with members of Earth First!, theenvironmental group, who were discouraged from staging a planneddemonstration. Protestors from an unknown local group placed a sign saying"Log O.N.P." outside the park boundary. Despite the presence of these twoopposing factions, the event went over with no significant problems. [CurtSauer, CR, OLYM, 7/21]

Thursday, August 18, 1994
94-476 - Olympic (Washington) - Rescue

The park received a report on August 17th of a hiker with a severely brokenleg a mile above Hoh Lake. Two volunteer park backcountry personnel weredispatched to hike into the area. Upon arrival, they found that E.C.,57, had suffered a severely closed angulated fracture of the tibiaand fibula of the left leg and that he was beginning to show signs of shock. While hiking down the trail, E.C. had fallen off at a steep portion andlanded on his leg. A helicopter medivac was requested at 7 p.m. Weather wasdeteriorating quickly, so a helicopter that had just completed the day'sfire missions on the other side of the park was sent to Hoh Lake with a parkEMT on board. Since weather was marginal and nightfall was coming onquickly by the time the helicopter arrived, the EMT was dropped off, ranuptrail a mile, stabilized the leg, then, with the help of volunteers onscene, carried E.C. quickly down to a helispot along the trail that wassteep, rocky and slick from a recent rain shower. E.C. was flown out andtaken to a hospital, where he underwent surgery to reset the leg. (LarryNickey, Emergency Operations, OLYM, 8/17]

Friday, September 9, 1994
94-537 - Olympic (Washington) - Drug Arrest and Seizures

On September 2nd, eight law enforcement rangers joined a task forcecomprised of 85 local, state and federal officers in serving drug-relatedsearch and arrest warrants in the Forks, Washington, area. The task forcehad targeted 13 people who sold drugs to undercover officers in the Forksarea over the past eight months. The raid marked the culmination of anextensive investigation by the county drug task force which began 18 monthsago with information provided by the park's criminal investigator. The raidwas carried out simultaneously at 3 a.m. by 12 teams assigned to servesearch warrants on and arrest the 13 individuals. Officers arrested sevenpeople and seized two pounds of drugs, $10,000 in cash and eight vehicles. Six others remain at large. The park provided assistance under anmemorandum of understanding with the sheriff's department. [OLYM, 9/7]

Friday, October 7, 1994
94-594 - Olympic (Washington) - Two Falling Fatalities

On Sunday, October 4th, the park received notice that two hikers - A.G.,40, a structural firefighter from Seattle, and L.S., 41, ofRenton - were overdue from a hike in the park. Both had come to Olympic onFriday night and were to have returned home Saturday afternoon; when A.G.failed to report to work on Sunday morning, the park was notified. A.G.'ssupervisor reported that A.G. was a good cross-country hiker and was neverlate for work. His camping equipment was found at the campground at OlympicHot Springs, and a hasty search of area trails was begun. On Monday morning,30 searchers, three dog teams and a helicopter joined the search effort. Thebodies of the two hikers were found at the base of a cliff not far from thetrailhead shortly thereafter. Investigators believe that the two were hikingat night, that one fell off the 200-foot cliff, and that the other was killedwhile attempting a rescue. [Larry Nickey, Emergency Operations, OLYM, 10/6]

Tuesday, October 11, 1994
94-587 - Olympic (Washington) - Follow-up on Earthquake

Following the magnitude 8.2 earthquake off northern Japan on October 4th, parksin Hawaii and Alaska made emergency preparations for a possible tsunami. Olympic was also called upon to take immediate emergency actions. NOAApredicted that the tsunami would be between two and 24 feet in height when ithit the Washington coast. Due to the difficulty in accurately predictingtsunami heights, all park beaches were temporarily closed as a precautionarymeasure, and Coast Guard and contract helicopters were employed to warn hikersalong the 57 miles of park beaches. Several low-lying coastal communities werealso evacuated. When the tsunami struck the coast, waves were less than a foothigher than normal. The alert, however, provided a test of the emergencynotification system employed by the park and several communities. It tookabout 90 minutes to evacuate or individually warn people along a stretch ofcoast totalling about 100 miles. The only people disappointed by the smalltsunami waves were several surfers who went down to the coast in theexpectation of great surfing conditions. [Larry Nickey, Emergency Operations,OLYM, 10/7]

Monday, November 28, 1994
94-302 - Olympic (Washington) - Follow-up on Sexual Assault

On May 10th, R.W., 35, of Port Angeles, Washington, sexually molestedhis 12-year-old stepdaughter while on camping trip in the Ozette area of thepark. During the investigation, R.W. confessed to the act and subsequentlyentered a plea of guilty in federal court to a charge of abusive sexual contactwith a minor child (18 USC 2243(a), 2244(a)(3), and 2244 (a)(7)). On November9th, R.W. was sentenced to six months in jail, a $2,000 fine, and a year'ssupervised probation upon release from prison. [Bill Frazier, OLYM, 11/18]

Thursday, February 2, 1995
95-41 - Olympic (Washington) - Rescue

On January 28th, R.L. and his 15-year-old son, W., went for a dayhike in the park near Oil City. When they failed to return home that night,they were reported missing. Rangers began a ground search at 4 a.m. the nextday, and a Coast Guard helicopter was brought in to assist. Due to low clouds,poor visibility and high winds, however, the helicopter crew was unable tolocate the pair. The sound of the helicopter made them realize that a searchwas underway, though, and got them moving again. They were subsequently foundby rangers on the Hoh Head trail. The L.s had been unable to get backacross the headlands due to high tides, and spent the night in pouring rain ata sheltered spot near the trail. They had no flashlight, rain gear or extrafood. Although hungry, cold and wet, both were okay. [Barb Maynes, PIO, OLYM,1/31]

Monday, March 13, 1995
95-96 - Western/Pacific Northwest Regions - Storm Damage

The heavy rains which have fallen along the West Coast since the middle of lastweek have had significant impacts on at least three parks; additional reportsare anticipated:

* Olympic (Washington) - Heavy rains and extremely high winds that struck thearea on the afternoon of March 9th caused power outages, building damage androad blockages throughout the park. Winds blew steadily at about 60 mph, withgusts in excess of 80 mph on the Olympic Peninsula. Some areas of the park hadreceived over seven inches of rain in the 48 hours prior to this storm'sarrival, which exacerbated run-off and slide problems. There were many downedtrees and rock falls; almost all districts had roads blocked by fallen trees. Several visitor centers and visitor use areas were evacuated when trees beganfalling around them. The Staircase ranger station received a direct hit from alarge tree that caused significant damage to the roof and to a nearby patrolvehicle. The Mora ranger station and a patrol vehicle were also hit by a tree,but only suffered minor damage. Some district areas which have low visitorused during the winter remain closed due to trees across roadways. All rangerstations were accessible and open at the time of the report, but visitor delayswere expected as crews were still clearing trees. A damage assessment of frontcountry areas is underway; assessments of backcountry areas will not take placeuntil staff are available and snow melt makes it possible to hike intobackcountry areas.

[Brian Smith, YOSE; Bill Lester, CR, PINN; Carl Christensen, WRO; Larry Nickey,EOC, OLYM; 3/10-3/12]

Tuesday, March 14, 1995
95-98 - Olympic (Washington) - Pursuit; Attempted Suicide

A stolen vehicle was identified in Kalaloch campground early on the morning ofMarch 9th. A check with local police revealed that the suspected thief had anextensive record and was reportedly armed and dangerous. Rangers, Hoh tribalofficers, and Jefferson County deputies contacted the suspect at 10 a.m. Hefled to the beach with the rangers and officers in pursuit, took cover behind amass of beach logs, then shot himself twice in the mouth with a .22 caliberweapon. He was immediately taken by helicopter to a local hospital. [LisaPerina, OLYM, 3/10]

Wednesday, April 12, 1995
95-146 - Olympic (Washington) - Search in Progress

A local Neah Bay family was having a picnic on the Makah Reservation on theboundary of the park's Shi Shi beach area on April 9th when two brothers fromthe group, ages ten and five, went off exploring and became separated. Whenthe older boy could not find his brother, he returned and reported him missing. Adults from the group and area residents searched the area from 1 p.m until 9p.m. before notifying the county sheriff's office. A multi-agency search wasbegun which has so far involved 13 rangers, an NBS biologist, two VIPs, and aranger search dog from the park. As of yesterday, no sign of the boy had beenfound. The weather continues to be cool and rainy. [Larry Nickey, EmergencyOperations, OLYM, 4/11]

Wednesday, June 28, 1995
95-337 - Olympic (Washington) - Rescue

After completing routine checks of vehicles at the Queets river trailhead onthe afternoon of June 23rd, ranger Keith Flannery accompanied a visitor to theriver's edge to identify a harlequin duck. Noting that the water level wasappreciably higher than it had been that morning, Flannery decided to remain atthe trail's river crossing to keep an eye on visitors as they crossed. Shortlythereafter, a 12-year-old boy attempting to cross was swept off his feet andsank from sight in a pool below the confluence of the Queets and Sam rivers. Flannery immediately removed his defensive equipment and entered the river,which had poor visibility due to glacial snowmelt. Several yards into theriver, he spotted a hand a few inches below the river surface, swam to it,grabbed it, and pulled the boy to the surface. Flannery then hauled the boy toshore with the assistance of another visitor. After checking the boy'scondition and receiving assurance from his father that they required no furtherassistance, they left the area - but not before thanking Flannery for savingthe boy's life. [Curt Sauer, OLYM, 6/26]

Wednesday, July 5, 1995
95-364 - Olympic (Washington) - Falling Fatality

A 32-year-old Seattle woman fell 300 feet from a point at the 6,800-footelevation on Mount Deception just before 6 p.m. on July 2nd. The accident wasreported to Royal Basin patrol ranger Bryan Bell about 90 minutes later; hehiked to the scene, arriving around 8:30 p.m., about the same time as parkpersonnel who flew in by helicopter. The woman was unconscious and in seriouscondition with head injuries. The helicopter was forced to leave because ofdarkness. A MAST helicopter from Fort Lewis with a winch and night visionequipment attempted to fly to the site, but was first delayed by mechanicalproblems, then turned back by fog. The victim's blood pressure began droppingand she had difficulty breathing. Shortly after midnight, she went intorespiratory arrest, then cardiac arrest. CPR was attempted for 40 minutes, butwas eventually discontinued on the orders of the local emergency roomphysician. [Larry Lang, Backcountry Supervisor, OLYM, 7/3]

Tuesday, July 18, 1995
95-419 - Olympic (Washington) - Climbing Fatality

Early on the afternoon of July 15th, rangers received a report from threeclimbers that their climbing partner, 47-year-old A.J. of Olympia, hadfallen about 2,000 feet while crossing a snow field along the Terrible Traverseon the east face of Mount Constance. A.J. was leading on the traverse,using his ice axe for an anchor and employing self-belaying techniques. He wasabout ten feet from completing the crossing when he slipped. A.J.immediately went into a self-arresting position with his axe, which initiallyslowed his descent down the snow chute; he then picked up speed, however, hit ascree patch, did several somersaults, and disappeared from view. Since terrainand conditions were too hazardous for a rescue effort, the climbers descendedthe mountain and sought assistance. A.J.'s was located by helicopter at themountain's 5,500-foot elevation around 6 p.m. He had received major head andbody injuries in his fall through several snow and rock fields and showed nosigns of life. The climbers were neither roped in nor wearing crampons at thetime of the accident. [CRO, OLYM]

Friday, July 21, 1995
95-437 - Olympic (Washington) - Climbing Fatality

Z.O., 48, died on July 18th after falling about 200 feet while climbingon Sawtooth Ridge on Mount Lincoln near Flapjack Lakes. One of her twocompanions hiked 12 miles to the Staircase ranger station to report thefatality, arriving at midnight. This accident marks the third climbingfatality in the park in 16 days. [Barb Maynes, OLYM]

Friday, August 25, 1995
95-553 - Olympic (Washington) - Possible Homicide

On August 20th, human remains were found near Lake Crescent in the northernpart of the park. A search was then begun for additional remains. Investigators and searchers from the park, state police, Forest Service andlocal SAR teams recovered several items of clothing, numerous bones, andportions of a skull containing two small holes. Investigators also recoveredwhat appears to be a small caliber bullet. It was found on the ground directlybelow the skull. The bones and clothing will be sent to forensic labs forfurther analysis. Additional information will be released once those reportsare received. [Barb Maynes, PIO, OLYM]

Tuesday, September 12, 1995
95-605 - Olympic (Washington) - Search and Rescue

On September 2nd, S.R., 31, and K.S., 30, headed out on aplanned six-day-long, 50-mile hike through Enchanted Valley, over AndersonPass, and along Six Ridge Trail, intending to return to Graves Creek onSeptember 7th. They failed to return on schedule and were reported missing onSeptember 8th. A search was begun which eventually involved helicopters, dogs,and over 70 people, including rangers and members of volunteer SARorganizations. A large rock "SOS" was spotted by the crew of one of the searchhelicopters on the 10th, and the two women were soon found. Both were in goodcondition. S.R. and K.S. became lost on a little-used section of the SixRidge Trail on what was to have been the last day of their hike. After anunsuccessful effort to return to the trailhead via a cross-country route, thepair built the "SOS" in a snowfield at the head of Six Stream and proceeded tofollow the drainage downstream toward Staircase, where they were found. [BarbMaynes, PAO, OLYM]

Tuesday, November 7, 1995
95-722 - Olympic (Washington) - Rescue

T.A., 22, of Seattle, Washington, sustained ankle, leg and otherinjuries when he fell about 20 feet while climbing rocks on the seastacks nearthe Chilean Memorial on the afternoon of November 4th. T.A. was one of theleaders of a private high school group which was on a coastal backpacking trip. His ankle was splinted and he was carried to the group's camping area, where hespent the night. Rangers were notified the following morning, but could notreach the area in the park's zodiac due to high coastal surf, with wavesestimated at over 20 feet in height. The Coast Guard was contacted, but alsofelt that it would not be safe to attempt an approach to the rocky beach area. The incoming surf also cut off any land access, thereby making a littercarryout impossible. Since the Coast Guard's Dauphin helicopter was too largeto land near in the area, a local contract Hughes 500 was called in to evacuateT.A.. He was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for ligamentdamage and sundry bumps and bruises. [Larry Nickey, OLYM]

Thursday, November 9, 1995
95-729 - Olympic (Washington) - MVA with Fatality

A two-vehicle accident on Highway 101 at Lake Crescent on the afternoon ofNovember 5th killed one person and left another seriously injured. T.T.lost control of her Dodge Omni two miles west of the Storm King ranger station,hit a guard rail, crossed sideways into the opposite lane, and struck a pickupand trailer driven by Ronald Wray. Both T.T. and her passenger, C.W.,were thrown from the Omni. T.T. died at the scene. C.D. wasfound ten feet below the road, partially in the lake; she was stabilized atPort Angeles Hospital, then flown to Harborview Hospital, where she's presentlyin a coma. Wray, who was wearing his seatbelt, was not injured. Investigatingrangers believe that the women would have suffered only minor injuries ifthey'd been wearing their belts. The road surface was wet, and it was raininghard at the time of the accident. [Dan Mason, OLYM]

Thursday, December 14, 1995
95-775 - Pacific Western Area Parks - Storm Damage

The strong storm which struck the Pacific coast from California to Washingtonon Tuesday produced very heavy rains and winds of near hurricane force, withgusts at some locations exceeding 100 mph. Reports on the storm's impacts havebeen received from several parks:

* Olympic - Reports from the field indicate that several trees have fallenacross roads and that there have been power outages in coastal areas. Three to four inches of rain fell over the 24-hour period ending lateWednesday morning - an amount, however, that is not uncommon in the park. Utility companies expect restoration of power some time today. Roads arebeing cleared by park and state highway crews. There is no known damageto facilities.

[J.R. Tomasovic, IC, GOGA; Andy Ringgold, Superintendent, REDW; Curt Sauer,OLYM; Gary Candelaria, Superintendent, PINN; Superintendent, EUON]

Tuesday, April 23, 1996
96-157 - Olympic (Washington) - Search in Progress

The park received a report of two overdue hikers - a 30-year-old male and a29-year-old female - in the Quinault area on Tuesday, April 16th. Information from the reporting party led rangers to the hikers' vehicle atthe North Fork trailhead. The couple began their hike on Saturday, April13th, and have a backcountry permit for a three-day hike on the Elip Looptrail. According to friends, the hikers have tents, sleeping bags, a cookstove, and rain gear. Searchers began looking for the pair on Tuesday,covering portions of the North Fork, Irely Lake, and Elip Loop trails. Tracks that might have been theirs were found by a helicopter crew in thelate afternoon in the Kurtz Lake area, but snow storms forced them to abandonoperations before searchers could be flown to the area. At the time of thereport last Thursday (received today), search efforts were focusing on thesuspected tracks and on other drainages. Efforts were being hampered by rainand six to ten inches of new snow. [CRO, OLYM]

Wednesday, July 10, 1996
96-348 - Olympic (Washington) - Illegal Commercial Harvesting

While on road patrol in the Staircase area of the park on the morning of July2nd, ranger Ron Wattnem saw three men carrying bags of moss from Deer Islandto a nearby pickup truck. The men, all Mexican nationals, were found to have29 bags of moss totalling 539 pounds in their possession. At current prices,the moss would bring about $160 from a local wholesaler. It will takebetween three and ten years for the moss to grow back. The truck wasimpounded, and citations totalling $900 were issued to the three for illegalcommercial harvesting and possession of plant materials. [CRO, OLYM]

Friday, July 12, 1996
96-359 - Olympic (Washington) - Climbing Fatality

Late on the evening of July 7th, the park received a 911 call from D.B.,who'd just hiked out from the Royal Basin area. D.B. reported thathis climbing partner, Darren Kitchen, 24, an English national, had fallenfrom the Mt. Deception summit. Kitchen was within 300 feet of the summitwhen the rock or snow that he was standing on gave way. He slid about 300feet and was unable to self-arrest with his ice axe before falling into arock scree slope at a high rate of speed. D.B. was unable to climb down toKitchen's location. He attempted to get a response from Kitchen for sometime; when he failed to do so, he hiked out. It took him four-and-a-halfhours to reach is vehicle and drive to a phone. Since no helicopter wasavailable at the time and since Kitchen had very likely died in the fall, itwas determined that a night rescue would not be attempted. Park personnelflew to the site the next morning and found Kitchen's body. He had succumbedfrom major trauma. [Larry Nickey, OLYM]

Monday, July 15, 1996
96-364 - Olympic (Washington) - Drowning

During a hike with friends and family in the Staircase area of the park onJuly 7th, E.B., 28, of Bremerton, Washington, decided to swim in theSkokomish River near Staircase Rapids. E.B. jumped in and was soon pinned onthe bottom of the river by an undertow and debris. His hiking partners wereunable to free him. A local volunteer firefighter who was hiking in the parkcame upon the scene some time later, jumped into the river, and pulled E.B.free. Ranger Vic Stanculescu was notified, responded, and began CPR whenE.B. was pulled from the river. A military helicopter was requested to hoistE.B. out of the steep canyon where the incident occurred, as he weighed over280 pounds and it was felt that he couldn't be carried out quickly andsafely. Airlift Northwest, a local helicopter air ambulance, was alsodispatched to the scene to provide advanced life support. Once on scene, themilitary helicopter attempted to lower a medic down to the river bank. Asthe helicopter was hovering over the site, the rotor downwash began knockingdown debris and snags. The medic was placed on a rock in the middle of theriver, then attempted to jump off it and gain the shore. He jumped off intowhat he thought was a shallow pool, but proved to be over 15 feet deep. Themedic was still attached to the jungle penetrator used to lower him throughthe woods and also had about 60 pounds of gear on him. He therefore quicklysank to the bottom. After about 10 seconds underwater, he was able torelease the penetrator and inflate his PFD, which brought him to the surface. Rescue teams retrieved him from the river. The medic had to spit out quite abit of water, but was able to resume breathing. The helicopter had to bewaved off, as the risk of injury to personnel on the ground from flyingdebris was deemed to be too high. In the meantime, the Airlift Northwestflight nurses were dropped off and hiked to the scene. They continued towork on E.B., but were unable to revive him. Olympic offers an additionalSAR operational note: As the military continues to transition from Hueyhelicopters to Blackhawks nationwide, SAR personnel need to be aware of theincreased rotor wash created by the Blackhawks, which has the potential toblow down snags and debris and/or blow personnel off of precarious locations. Attention needs to be paid to ensure that the hoist location is secure andthat safety zones have been identified. [Emergency Operations Center, OLYM]

Thursday, July 25, 1996
96-410 - Olympic (Washington) - Tree Branch Fall; Serious Injury

On July 22nd, a local cay care provider took three groups of children, agesfive through twelve, on a walk along the park's Peabody Creek interpretivetrail. A few members of the group stopped at one point to view the creek. While sitting with a child next to the stream, one of the day care teachersheard something falling, looked up, saw a large branch descending, and pushedthe child out of the way. The branch, which weighed 20 pounds and was over12 feet long, fell butt end first, struck the teacher, and knocked her down asix-foot embankment, where she fell face first onto rocks. Two of thechildren ran up the trail to the park's resource management building toreport the accident; two other children headed in the other direction toadvise other day care teachers. Park staff arrived on scene quickly,stabilized the victim, and transported her to the hospital. A surgeon at thehospital said that the teacher had suffered the worst facial injury he'd everseen on a person who'd lived through an accident. She was in surgery for sixhours, and is now able to see with blurred vision from the injured eye, whichsuggests that further vision may be restored. The surgeon credits quickaction by park staff to stabilize the eye injury with improving chances forsaving it. Many of the members of the group were children of park staff,which aided in keeping all parties calm, as they knew that "their rangers"were responding. Park staff spoke at length with the children on scene, commended them on how well they'd handled the emergency, and told them thattheir quick thinking was a major reason that the teacher might fully recover. Winds were calm at the time of the incident. It appears that the branch fellover 60 feet from a mature fir tree. [Larry Nickey, OLYM]

Thursday, September 12, 1996
96-520 - Olympic (Washington) - Search; Falling Fatality

A search was begun on September 3rd when A.R., 40, of BainbridgeIsland, Washington, failed to return from a three-day hike in the southeastsection of the park. A.R., an experienced hiker, had planned an extensivebackcountry trip, both on and off trail. His body was found on an extremelysteep and rocky slope on the east side of Mount Cruiser on the third day ofthe search. He had apparently fallen about 200 feet to his death. More than20 people from the park, Olympic NF and Olympic Mountain Rescue were involvedin the search. [Barb Maynes, PIO, OLYM]

Wednesday, October 9, 1996
96-590 - Olympic (Washington) - Drug Arrest

Two people were arrested for possession of marijuana and weapons on theafternoon of October 5th. The marijuana was from a field which had beenunder surveillance for two weeks by rangers, investigators and countydeputies. Seismic intrusion devices were also utilized. Two hundred plantswith a street value of $140,000 were seized. A search warrant wassubsequently issued and served on the property of the growers, leading to theseizure of additional marijuana and growing paraphernalia. Principals forthe park were rangers Mike and Clay Butler. [Karin Messaros, OLYM]

Monday, January 6, 1997
96-707 - Western Areas - Follow-up on Storm Impacts

The impacts of the severe storms which have been striking the West Coastsince Christmas continue to be felt:

o Olympic NP (Washington) - The series of storms that struck Washingtondropped a foot of snow by December 28th and another three feet of snowfell on Clallam County on the northern Olympic Peninsula throughoutthat night. All roads were rendered impassable. The park contactedvarious agency representatives the next day to offer assistance. Onthe 30th, park road and protection personnel employed snow plows andloaders to retrieve four pieces of snow removal equipment on theHurricane Ridge road. Two skiers who were stranded in the area werealso contacted and transported out. Throughout the next few days, parkpersonnel employed heavy snow removal equipment to assist the state,county and city of Port Angeles in removing snow from local roads. About ten miles of Highway 101 adjacent to Lake Crescent were closedfor three days due to heavy drifting and avalanches. The early openingof this road to one way traffic and emergency passage was primarily dueto the efforts of park staff and equipment. Other areas on the westside of the park were affected by high winds, heavy rain and swollenrivers. Rangers and maintenance personnel are assisting strandedcampers, hikers and motorists.

[Hal Grovert, Assistant Superintendent, YOSE; Russ Lesko, PIO, LAVO; DanaSullivan, REDW; Roger Rudolph, Assistant Superintendent, OLYM; Bill Gleason,CR, SAJH]

Thursday, February 6, 1997
97-44 - Olympic NP (Washington) - Assist; Pursuit of Felon

On the evening of January 27th, the park received a call requestingassistance in halting a driver who was refusing to stop for a Gray's Harbordeputy and was heading for the park. The driver, subsequently identified asone M.P., had committed a minor traffic violation. A parkinvestigator and a Jefferson County deputy spotted M.P.'s pickup justsouth of Klaloch and followed him north to the county line, where a ClallamCounty deputy took over the pursuit. Officers followed M.P. for about 50miles to the Lake Crescent area of the park. Up to this point, M.P. wasneither fleeing nor operating in a reckless manner; he just refused to stop. A check on him by Clallam County dispatch revealed, however, that M.P. waswanted on a felony rape warrant and should be considered armed. When M.P.entered the park at Lake Crescent, two rangers took over the pursuit throughthe park to a point just east of the park boundary, where state police haddeployed a spike strip across the roadway to flatten the vehicle's tires. One tire on his vehicle was flattened, and he pulled off the road about ahalf mile after crossing the spike strip. Two deputies armed with shotgunsgot out of their vehicles and ordered M.P. out of the car. After a shortperiod of time, the deputies heard a shot coming from the truck andimmediately returned fire with one round of 00 buckshot each. When theychecked the vehicle, they found M.P. unconscious and suffering from whatappeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head. Rangers providedmedical aid until an ambulance arrived, at which time M.P. was pronounceddead by a deputy coroner. Investigation disclosed that the fatal wound hadbeen inflicted by a black powder pistol and that neither of the rounds firedby the deputies had hit M.P. [Curt Sauer, OLYM, 2/5]

Thursday, February 13, 1997
97-51 - Olympic NP (Washington) - Search and Rescue; Three Fatalities

Rangers responded to a request for assistance from the Coast Guard station atLa Push in the early morning hours of February 12th. A 44-foot rescue boatwith a crew of four on a rescue mission had overturned at the mouth of theharbor just after midnight and a search was underway for the crew members. Surf, high winds, low visibility and a high tide made rescue effortsdifficult, and several searchers from cooperating agencies were injuredduring the search effort. Coast Guard helicopters located a crew memberwho'd been able to swim free of the surf on a nearby island at 3:15 a.m. Asecond was found unconscious and unresponsive on the beach 45 minutes later. Rangers Cole and Romer provided CPR all the way to the hospital in Forks, buttheir efforts to revive him proved fruitless. The bodies of the tworemaining crewmen were found in the water in coves on the island andrecovered by technical rescue teams. [Mark O'Neill, DR, Mora/OzetteDistrict, 2/12]

Thursday, March 20, 1997
97-106 - Olympic NP (Washington) - Storm Impacts

The park and surrounding area received more than 20 inches of rain at severalreporting locations between Monday, March 17th, and Wednesday, March 19th. The rains had been preceded by large amounts of wet snow in the high country,and the combination of runoff and rain led to severe flooding throughout thearea. Six major roads into the park were closed due to flooding and mudslides, and three sections of Highway 101 surrounding the peninsula wereimpassible to through traffic. Due to the on-going nature of the incident,the park has not yet been able to fully assess the damage, but it appearsthat at least two roads will require significant repair prior to re-openingand that all affected roads will require clean up. Quinault rangers areassisting a local community in the evacuation of residences caught by theflood. [Corkey McKeown, OLYM, 3/19]

Wednesday, September 10, 1997
97-542 - Olympic NP (WA) - Search in Progress

A major search is underway for J.D., 73, of Sequim, Washington, whohas been missing since he failed to return to his camp near Mount Baldy onthe evening of Saturday, September 6th. A total of 99 ground searchers, foursearch dog teams, four helicopters and one airplane are searching the area,which is on the boundary between the park and a wilderness area in OlympicNF. J.D. is in excellent health and physical condition, but legally blindin one eye. He's known to be an avid hiker and has previously hiked longdistances by himself in the Olympics. Rangers from the park and the nationalforest and members of seven volunteer SAR teams are engaged in the effort;over 2,250 hours of volunteer time had been recorded as of yesterdayafternoon. The incident is being managed under an ICS unified command. GaryGissell from the park and a county SAR coordinator are joint IC's. [BarbMaynes, PIO, OLYM, 9/9]

Monday, September 15, 1997
97-542 - Olympic NP (WA) - SAR Follow-up; Accident with NPS Deaths, Injuries

On the afternoon of Friday, September 12th, a Bell 205-A helicopter which wasparticipating in the search for J.D. crashed just outside of the parkin Olympic NF, killing three of the helicopter's eight occupants and injuringthe remaining five. One of the dead and all five of the injured are NPSemployees or volunteers. Killed were Taryn Hoover, 31, a seasonal employeefrom Olympic NP, the pilot, Kevin Johnston, 35, from Eugene, Oregon, and RitaMcMahon 52, of West Coast Search Dogs, from Aberdeen, Washington. Injuredwere seasonal employees Heidi Pederson, 32, and Cynthia Stern, 24, and parkvolunteers Christopher Cantway, 26, David Leeman, 26, and Robert Feldmann,27. As of yesterday morning, Cantway and Leeman had been treated andreleased, but the other three were still hospitalized. All are expected torecover fully. An investigation of the accident was begun on Saturday by ateam comprised of representatives from the NTSB, FAA, DOI Office of AircraftSafety, and Bell, the manufacturer of the crashed helicopter. The crashoccurred just after Johnston had picked up the other seven, all members of asearch team combing the Mount Baldy area for J.D., 73, who has beenmissing since September 6th. [Barb Maynes, PIO, OLYM, 9/12-14]

Monday, September 15, 1997
97-542 - Olympic NP (WA) - SAR Follow-up; Accident with NPS Deaths, Injuries

The park continues to deal with the impacts of the death of three people andthe injury of five others in last Friday's helicopter crash. Services havenot yet been scheduled for seasonal biotech Taryn Hoover, 31, who had workedin the park for the past four summers, mostly conducting field work onspotted owls and fisheries. Her family will be arriving in the park over thenext several days. Further information will be transmitted when it becomesavailable. Pilot Kevin Johnston, 35, is survived by his wife, S., and18-month-old daughter, K. The family has set up a memorial fund for K. Contributions can be sent to The K. Fund, Register Guard Federal CreditUnion, 1065 High Street #7, Eugene, OR 97401. Particulars on the thirdvictim, Rita McMahon, and on the status of the five injured employees will beavailable shortly. Critical incident stress debriefings (CISD) for thepark's staff are being coordinated by district ranger Dan Mason. He is beingassisted by two CISD trained psychologists and three other NPS employeestrained in peer support. So far, there have been three organized debriefingsfor a total of about 60 people and a general information session attended byabout 100 people. Mason and others have spoken one-on-one with a number ofpark employees, including the five survivors of the crash and family membersof all the helicopter's occupants. Expressions of support and sympathy topark staff would be appreciated. Media interest in the accident continues tobe very high. [Barb Maynes, PIO, OLYM, 9/15]

Wednesday, September 17, 1997
97-542 - Olympic NP (WA) - Follow-up on Helo Accident with Deaths, Injuries

Additional information has been received on the medical status of the fiveemployees injured in last Friday's helicopter crash and on addresses forsending get well notes to them and condolences to the survivors of those whodied in the accident. Christopher Cantway, a backcountry SCA and volunteerin his first year at the park, and David Leeman, a volunteer with the park'sfire management office, were treated and released from the hospital shortlyafter the accident. Both are recovering from their injuries. HeidiPedersen, who has been a member of the park's owl crew for the past threeyears, should be released from the hospital today and will spend at least thenext few weeks with friends in Port Angeles. Cindy Stern, an SCA member ofthe owl crew last year and a park employee this past summer, suffered abroken back and other injuries and will probably be in the hospital foranother couple of weeks. She is regaining feeling in her legs and should beable to walk again shortly. Robert Feldmann, a German national who worked asa volunteer campground host this summer, underwent oral surgery on Monday torepair a double fracture of his jaw. He also suffered lacerations to hisbuttocks, face and head and a fractured ankle. He will probably be releasedwithin two weeks and return to Germany. The three people who were killed were - Taryn Hoover, Kevin Peterson and Rita McMahon.

The park also wishes to express its thanks for all the supportive notes sentto members of the park staff. [Barb Maynes, PIO, OLYM, 9/16]

Thursday, September 18, 1997
97-542 - Olympic NP (WA) - Follow-up on Helo Accident with Deaths, Injuries

The correct name of the helicopter pilot who was killed in last week'saccident is Kevin Johnston. His wife is Sherri Johnston. The last name waspreviously incorrectly reported as Peterson. [Barb Maynes, PIO, OLYM, 9/17]

Friday, January 9, 1998
97-781 - Olympic NP (WA) - Search; Suicide

On November 2nd, a registration check was made on a vehicle which had beenparked for an extended period of time at the coastal backcountry trailheadparking area in the Ozette Subdistrict. The registration came back to aJ.B., who was reported missing from his residence in the Seattlearea in October. J.B. was reportedly suicidal, had a history of drugproblems, and had a handgun with him. A four-day search was conducted whichincluded SAR and body location dogs. No clues were found. On December 31st,two visitors were hiking over a coastal headland and came upon a day pack andhandgun which matched the description of items belonging to J.B. Asearch of the area on New Year's Day led to the discovery of his remains. [Dan Messaros, IC, SDR, Ozette Subdistrict, OLYM, 1/8]

Friday, May 8, 1998
98-193 - Olympic NP (WA) - Resource Violations

While on patrol near the Sol Duc Road on April 27th, a ranger saw three menstanding next to two vans with numerous light brown bags sitting on theground around them. The ranger first checked for weapons and identification(the men had neither), then asked if there were any others with them. He wasadvised that there were another four men in the forest. When the rangercontacted them, he found that one was carrying a bag of moss. Six more bagsof moss, each weighing 75 pounds, were found in the area. The men hadanother 50 unused bags in their possession. All had current Forest Serviceforest product permits for the adjoining national forest. The rangeraccordingly showed them the park's boundary signs. Although the men spokeonly Spanish, he pointed out that the signs are bilingual and that theyexplain in Spanish that it's illegal to take forest products from the park.They were cited for resource theft. [Curt Sauer, CR, OLYM, 4/28]

Friday, May 29, 1998
98-232 - Olympic NP (WA) - Rescue

Rangers and crewmen from the Quillayute Coast Guard station responded to arequest to rescue two stranded hikers at Taylor Point on May 24th. Two youngteenaged girls had become trapped by the incoming tide and sought refuge on acliff shelf about 20 feet above the ocean. Rangers in a Zodiac, supported bytwo USCG motor lifeboats, attempted to reach the pair, but high surf andsurge made it impossible to do so. They were eventually plucked from thecliff face by a USCG helicopter from Port Angeles. Ranger Cody Cole, who wasIC for the incident, had directed the park's technical rescue team intoposition for a high-angle rescue as a contingency in case the helicopterrescue effort failed. The girls suffered from minor hypothermia due to theirexposure to repeated soakings from large wave splashes. Their hikingequipment was lost to ocean surges. Although experienced in coastal hikingand aware of the danger signs directing hikers to use the headland trail, thegirls decided to try to beat the tide and walk the shoreline. [Mark O'Neill,DR, OLYM, 5/26]

Thursday, July 16, 1998
98-393 - Olympic NP (WA) - Former Ranger Sentenced for Theft

Former NPS ranger G.G., 48, was sentenced on July 10th following his guilty plea on charges of theft of public money. G.G. was sentenced to eight months in prison and three years' supervised probation and was ordered to pay $17,500 in restitution. G.G. had been a ranger at Olympic for about ten years until he resigned last November, and for several years had coordinated the park's fee collection program. During the period from April 1 to October 18, 1997, G.G. stole approximately $17,500 from the NPS. The stolen money was taken from fees deposited in fee canisters by campers in the park. Investigators have not been able to determine an exact figure, and G.G. doesn't know how much he stole from the park. Bill Frazier was the lead investigator for the park; assistant United States attorney Steven Gonzalez prosecuted the case. [Curt Sauer, CR, OLYM, 7/15]

Friday, August 7, 1998
98-469 - Olympic NP (WA) - Search and Rescue

On July 28th, the park was notified that J.G., 59, and R.G.,50, both of Seattle, were two days overdue from a planned six-day hikethrough the Bailey Range. Family members reported that the two had plannedto exit the backcountry on July 26th, but their backcountry permit indicatedthat July 28th was their planned return date. The families had last heardfrom the men via two cellular phone calls made early in their hike. A hastysearch and helicopter overflights on the 29th were fruitless, so the searchwas enlarged on the 30th. Technicians from US West Cellular were able todetermine the exact times and the locations at which the two cell calls hadbeen made. J.G. and R.G. were spotted from the air around 11:30 a.m.and were picked up and flown to a local airport. During the debriefing, themen said that they'd inadvertently put down the 28th instead of the 26th ontheir permit. The incident attracted significant media attention, whichpeaked during a press conference held by the two men. They both expresseddeep appreciation for the efforts of the park's staff. J.G., a free-lancewriter, is planning on writing an article describing their hike and rescue. A total of 23 people were involved in the search. [Barb Maynes, PIO, OLYM,8/4]

Thursday, September 10, 1998
98-577 - Olympic NP (WA) - Theft; Former Employee Arrested

On August 2nd, a Stihl chainsaw was reported missing from the Ozette rangerstation. Investigators subsequently contacted C.D., 23, aformer NPS employee, who confessed to the theft of the saw and numerous otheritems taken from the park. During a consent search and later warrant search,investigators recovered 87 items and groups of items with a cumulative valueof $11,124. C.D. has been indicted by a federal grand jury. The case isnow being processed by the U.S. attorney's office. [Mike Butler, CI, OLYM,9/9]

Tuesday, October 20, 1998
98-577 - Olympic NP (WA) - Follow-up: Theft by Former Employee

On August 2nd, a Stihl chainsaw was reported missing from the Ozette rangerstation. Investigators subsequently contacted C.D., 23, aformer NPS employee, who confessed to the theft of the saw and numerous otheritems taken from the park. During a consent search and later warrant search,investigators recovered 87 items and groups of items with a cumulative valueof $11,124. On October 15th, C.D. pled guilty to one count of receipt ofgovernment property in excess of $1,000, a violation of 18 USC 641. Sentencing is scheduled for December 4th. The maximum penalty for thisfelony violation is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. [Mike Butler,CI, OLYM, 10/19]

Friday, December 11, 1998
98-577 - Olympic NP (WA) - Follow-up: Theft, Arrest of Former Employee

On August 2nd, a Stihl chainsaw was reported missing from the Ozette rangerstation. Investigators subsequently contacted C.D., 23, aformer NPS employee, who confessed to the theft of the saw and numerous otheritems taken from the park. During a consent search and later warrant search,investigators recovered 87 items and groups of items with a cumulative valueof $11,124. C.D. was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury. OnDecember 4th, C.D. was sentenced to four months of in-house electronicdetention, with a provision that allows him to continue with his self-employment activities. The detention period will be followed by three yearsof supervised probation. C.D. was also ordered to pay a small assessmentand the cost of the in-house detention. The court decided against a finebecause of C.D.'s financial situation. [Mike Butler, CI, OLYM, 12/10]

Friday, June 4, 1999
99-232 - Olympic NP (WA) - Carjacking; Attempted Kidnapping

On the evening of Saturday, May 29th, two men, ages 22 and 16, approached awoman sitting in her van near a rented cabin at the Kalaloch Lodge, locatedon the coastal strip of Olympic National Park. The 22-year-old knocked onthe driver's window; while she was distracted, the 16-year-old entered thevan via the unlocked passenger's door and struck her with his fist. He thenunlocked the driver's door to allow the other man to enter. Although theycontinued the assault and tried to restrain her and drive away, she foughtback and managed to open a door and fall out, sustaining only minor injuries. The two men fled the area with the stolen van and drove north on U.S. 101toward Forks, Washington. Over the course of the next 20 miles, they strucka motorhome which was parked on the road shoulder, repeatedly rammed a secondvehicle, causing it to rollover and injuring the driver, and rammed a thirdvehicle numerous times before finally disabling the van. During the latterramming, they forced a state Department of Natural resources officer who wasresponding to the carjacking off the road. The men abandoned the van andfled into the woods. A search was begun by rangers and officers fromnumerous agencies. During the search, officers came upon a keg party withseveral minors participating, informed them of what had occurred, and toldthem to leave the area. While en route back home to Forks, these youngpeople picked up two men who were hitchhiking. They realized that the twomight be the men wanted for the carjacking and accordingly drove them to theForks police department, where they were placed under arrest and are beingdetained on state charges. The U.S. attorney in Seattle has been contactedand federal charges are pending. Criminal investigator Clay Butler was thelead investigator on the entire incident. [Bill Frazier, Supervisory CI,OLYM, 6/2]

Tuesday, August 17, 1999
99-463 - Olympic NP (WA) - Search in Progress

A search was begun late on August 13th for 18-year-old H.B. ofthe Netherlands, who has not been seen for almost a week. H.B. began aplanned six-day backcountry hike into the upper Hoh Valley on the 9th; he waslast seen on the 10th by several other hikers at Elk Lake, about 15 milesfrom the Hoh trailhead. H.B. was reported missing on August 13th by twobackcountry hikers who came upon a campsite at Elk Lake that appeared to havebeen abandoned for at least two days. Rangers found a number of items ownedby H.B. at the site, including his tent, sleeping bag, foam pad, backpackand other equipment. His passport and a plane ticket to the east coast forAugust 15th were also found in the tent. H.B. had been traveling andhiking in the Canada and United States since about July 20th. Thirty-sixground searchers are currently assigned to the search, including four searchdog teams. A helicopter is providing aerial reconnaissance. Weather hasbeen a factor in the search, with low clouds, temperatures in the 40s and50s, and periodic heavy rain. [Barb Maynes, PIO, OLYM, 8/16]

Thursday, August 19, 1999
99-463 - Olympic NP (WA) - Follow-up on Search in Progress

A search was begun late on August 13th for 18-year-old H.B. ofthe Netherlands, who had not been seen for almost a week. H.B.'s body wasfound on August 17th on a steep slope above Glacier Meadows in the upper HohValley. The cause of death has not yet been determined. Approximately 35ground searchers, four search dog teams and a helicopter took part in thesearch, which was conducted in extremely rugged and hazardous terrain. [BarbMaynes, PIO, OLYM, 8/18]

Thursday, August 19, 1999
99-482 - Olympic NP (WA) - Search

A second search was begun on Tuesday, August 17th, as the H.B. search(above, 99-463) was entering its fourth day. K.W., 24, ofPortland, Oregon, was reported overdue on Sunday night when she failed toreturn home from a planned two-day solo hike in the park's North ForkQuinault area. Fifteen searchers were assigned to this effort. K.W. wasfound when she walked into Kalaloch Lodge, a park concession facility locatedover 30 miles from her intended route. This summer's unusual and extensiveremaining snow and associated heavy fog caused K.W. to become disorientedand lose the trail she was following. She was later able to use a compassand map to reorient herself and follow a creek downstream to the Queets Riverand out to U.S. Highway 101. [Barb Maynes, PIO, OLYM, 8/18]

Friday, August 20, 1999
99-463 - Olympic NP (WA) - Follow-up on Search, Fatality

Investigators have determined the circ*mstances that likely led to the deathof 18-year-old H.B. of the Netherlands. It appears that H.B.set up his camp at Elk Lake on the evening of August 10th. He then took aday hike to Glacier Meadows on the morning of the 11th. H.B. was known tohike to high points to get good pictures. He evidently climbed an 800-footridge with 75% slopes to do so and nearly reached the top when he lost hisfooting n the loose dirt and rocks, slid backwards onto a snow chute, andfell about 500 feet onto rocky scree. [Curt Sauer, CR, OLYM, 8/19]

Thursday, December 23, 1999
99-738 - Olympic NP (WA) - Storm Impacts

Heavy rains on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula on December 15th caused flooding in several areas of the park. In the Mora Subdistrict, located on the coast, flooding led to the evacuation of several people from the LaPush reservation, which is located adjacent to the park. District ranger Mark O'Neill and ranger Cody Cole responded at the request of the Coast Guard and county sheriff's office. They employed the park's Zodiac to help move people from their residences in the flood area. Several people had attempted to walk through the waters, but were forced to turn back. Waters reportedly were more than two feet deep over LaPush Road, which is the only road access to the reservation. [Bill Frazier, Acting CR, OLYM, 12/17]

Friday, January 28, 2000
00-018 - Olympic NP (WA) - Poaching Convictions

D.P. of Elma, Washington, was convicted recently in federal district court for shooting a black-tail deer in the park in December, 1998. He was sentenced to five months in jail and ordered to pay $2,000. D.P. was also placed on probation for a year and lost his hunting privileges and possession of weapon privileges in the state of Washington. No time limit was placed on the loss of either privilege. M.F., B. "B." F., and E. "A." M. were convicted for killing and taking a cow elk in the Quinault District in the same month. They were sentenced to jail time, ordered to pay $2,000 each, and placed on a year's probation. Hunting and possession of weapons privileges were also revoked. Criminal investigator Clay Butler coordinated the investigations. [Curt Sauer, CR, OLYM, 1/27]

Thursday, May 25, 2000
00-225 - Olympic NP (WA) - Assist; Drug Arrest

The Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team (OPNET) recently asked for help from special agent Clay Butler in conducting surveillance of an anticipated drug transaction in a wooded area. On May 20th, Butler saw one person place narcotics in the identified area and a second person retrieve the package. These observations resulted in the arrest of a Washington state prison corrections officer, the wife of a prison inmate, and the seizure of four ounces of heroin, a quantity of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. [Mike Butler, SA, OLYM, 5/21]

Wednesday, May 31, 2000
00-234 - Olympic NP (WA) - Search

J.B., 22, of Forks, Washington, remains missing two days after his canoe tipped over on Lake Ozette in windy conditions and rough water. Bos and two companions, also from Forks, were canoeing on the lake on Monday afternoon when their canoe was swamped by wind-driven waves. The two other men were able to swim to shore; when J.B. did not appear, they hiked back to their car and drove to a nearby residence to report him missing. Rangers searched along the lake by boat and by walking and wading along the shore. An additional patrol boat was brought to Ozette from Lake Crescent late on Monday night to aid in the search. A team of five park divers joined them on Tuesday morning. [Curt Sauer, CR, OLYM, 5/30]

Thursday, June 1, 2000
00-234 - Olympic NP (WA) - Follow-up on Search

The body of 22-year-old J.B. of Forks, Washington, was found by members of the park's dive team on the morning of May 30th. It was found in the area where his canoe overturned due to wind and waves on the afternoon of the 29th. J.B. was not wearing a life jacket, and there were no life jackets or flotation devices in the canoe at the time of the accident. [Barb Maynes, PIO, OLYM, 5/30]

Tuesday, August 8, 2000
00-461 - Olympic NP (WA) - Assist to Agency: Officer Fatality

On the afternoon of August 5th, Clallam County deputy Wally Davis was shot and killed while responding to a disturbance call at a residence just outside Port Angeles. The suspect, armed with a shotgun and handgun, remained inside the house. Over the next 25 hours, 100 officers from agencies throughout western Washington aided local officers in his apprehension. Seven rangers assisted, providing logistical coordination and perimeter security. The man finally emerged from a gas-filled crawl space in the building after officers fired the last of numerous barrages of gas devices. At the request of the county sheriff, special agent Mike Butler has been assigned as logistics section chief on the incident team planning the funeral, scheduled for Thursday at 2 p.m. Several other park personnel are also assisting. Current estimates are that 2,000 to 2,500 officers and emergency service personnel will attend the services. [Curt Sauer, CR, OLYM, 8/7]

Friday, September 1, 2000
00-546 - Olympic National Park (WA) - Rescue

On the afternoon of August 24th, the Kalaloch Ranger Station received a phone call from a concession employee stating that there were two people - later identified as K.S., 13, and S.H., 37 - screaming for help in the ocean off the Kalaloch beach. Subdistrict ranger Keith Flanery immediately responded to verify the report and start organizing a rescue. Once on scene, Flanery called ranger Tristan Smith, asked her to bring the surf rescue gear, and told her to be prepared to swim. K.S. and S.H. were about 250 to 300 yards out in the ocean; the water temperature at the time was approximately 58 degrees and swells were running to four feet. K.S. had been in the water for an hour and was already hypothermic and struggling to stay afloat; S.H. had gone out to save her, but had been unable to get back to shore herself. A third person, B.H., was on the beach and was hypothermic and coughing up seawater. Flanery called for additional rescuers, kept the pair in the water in sight, and began EMS on the girl on the beach. When ranger Tristan Smith and maintenance employee Craig Smith arrived, they swam into the ocean and were assisted in the surf by rangers Jeri Riley and Carrie Boldosser. Park staff from the maintenance and resource education divisions provided needed assistance on the beach. Smith swam beyond the surf to the two victims and brought K.S. and S.H. to shore against an out-going riptide with the help of other rescuers. Riley and Flanery provided EMS to all three. K.S., who had no radial pulse by the time she reached the shore, was taken to Forks Hospital along with B.H. Every summer, rangers, maintenance employees, and resource educators participate in joint surf rescue training in preparation for such rescues. [Curt Sauer, CR, OLYM, 8/25]

Friday, September 29, 2000
00-619 - Olympic NP (WA) - Search and Rescue

Rangers began an investigation and search into the whereabouts of P.N. on Saturday, September 16th. P.N. was believed to be hiking somewhere in the northern section of the park, an area encompassing about 400,000 acres. He had failed to return home as planned and did not report for work on Saturday at his job as a DJ for KLSU in Seattle. A backcountry permit and other information turned up during the initial investigation. P.N. had entered the park on the 7th, intending to hike for six days and return on the 13th. His vehicle was found at the Boulder Creek trailhead on Saturday afternoon. The area was contained and hasty teams checked the Appleton Pass - Boulder Creek trail and campground area and the Olympic Hot Springs area. On Sunday, additional clues led searchers to focus on the Cat Basin and Cat Creek area. The tracks of a lone hiker and a recently abandoned campsite in lower Cat Creek were found late that afternoon. A SAR helicopter found an SOS in the snow on a ridge between Cat Creek and Schoeffel Creek around 4,000 feet a few hours later. The SOS, made of sticks, appeared to have been recently constructed. Rain, fog, clouds and darkness caused the air search to be suspended until the following morning. P.N. was spotted from the air, standing on a rock in Schoeffel Creek, just before 2 p.m. A radio was dropped so that instructions on the pending rescue could be relayed to him. A helicopter from Fort Lewis was summoned and hoisted P.N. out of the canyon. He was covered with bruises and minor cuts, had lost his tent, map and wrist watch, and had eaten much of his food. Media interest was intense, with three news helicopters documenting the search and rescue effort. P.N. made the mistake of hiking drainages rather than ridges after he became lost - a common error in the Olympics. [Dan Pontbriand, DR, Lake District, OLYM, 9/26]

Thursday, February 1, 2001
01-029 - Olympic NP (WA) - Search and Rescue

On Saturday, January 27th, F.H., 82, became separated from his son and grandson while hiking up the Queets trail. He was lagging behind them and could not catch up, so turned around and headed for a river crossing near the trailhead with the objective of waiting there for his companions. F.H. missed the crossing point, though, then lost the trail. He became disoriented while searching for the trail that evening, so camped under a tree near the river and the crossing. He had a Holofill sleeping bag, a poncho, a bag of bread and some cookies with him. On Sunday, F.H. continued hiking up a creek he had crossed, traveling in very dense forest with many downed trees, tangles of brush, and swamps. Saturday night had been very cold; Sunday brought heavy rains. F.H. had forgotten he had a poncho and slept in the rain in the sleeping bag that night. On Monday, he again began his search for the trail, hiking up the creek, out of the park, and into a dense second growth forest. He stopped and lit a fire after a park helicopter flew over his location but failed to see him due to the thick canopy. A television crew spotted his smoke while filming area shots for a search story that was to appear that night. They were able to identify him by zooming in with their camera, then direct the search helicopter to his location. F.H. was in very good condition and was reunited with his family. Twenty-five searchers and four dog teams participated in the search along with the helicopter. Two of the dog teams alerted to a canteen left behind by F.H. and had pointed the searchers in the right direction. [Curt Sauer, CR, OLYM, 1/31]

Tuesday, February 20, 2001
01-056 - Olympic NP (WA) - Search and Rescue

On February 17th, the park received a report of an overdue 16-year-old snowboarder who had failed to return after the final run of the day at the Hurricane Ridge ski area. He was to have met his mother around 4:30 p.m.; she waited for him for an hour, then notified rangers. A hasty search of areas used by snowboarders was begun by rangers, ski patrol members, and Olympic Mountain Rescue personnel. Rangers Mike Danisiewicz and Rob Palmer and SCA Kyle Tallmadge found a set of tracks heading downhill away from the ski area and the normal snowboard areas just before 11 p.m. and began following the tracks. They made voice contact with the lost snowboarder about 30 minutes later. He was wet, cold and tired, but otherwise unhurt. He thought he was headed towards the road and the ski area, but had traveled nearly a mile in deep snow the wrong way and was in a deep ravine. He was without food, flashlight or survival gear. The temperature was 29 degrees when he was found and moderate snow was falling; up to another half foot of snow was expected. An additional 24 searchers, four dog teams, and a helicopter (weather permitting) were on standby for a continued early morning search if the snowboarder had not been found. [Emergency Operations Center, OLYM, 2/19]

Thursday, April 12, 2001
Thursday, April 12, 2001
01-042 - Olympic NP (WA) - Drug Arrest

Port Angeles officers came to Pioneer Visitor Center on the afternoon of March 19th to check on a report that several people who had just left a known local drug house were parked in the lot there. An officer saw A.T. of Port Angeles injecting a needle into his arm; he was arrested and charged with possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia. A second person was also arrested but later released. A.T. was arraigned before a magistrate on March 20th and pled guilty to both counts the next day. He was sentenced to a year's probation, directed to participate in mental health treatment and substance abuse programs, and fined $20 in court fees. [Curt Sauer, CR, OLYM, 4/5]

Thursday, September 27, 2001
01-528 - Olympic NP (WA) - Burglary Arrest

On September 25th, rangers arrested T.M., 51, of Florida for theft of property from three ranger stations within the park. T.M. was arrested along the Elwha River trail about three miles from the Whiskey Bend trailhead. He had in his possession about $1,200 worth of property stolen from ranger stations at Enchanted Valley, Hayes River and Elkhorn. The stolen articles included a tent, climbing ropes, outdoor clothing, food and other items. The three rangers stations, all located within the park's wilderness area, were burglarized over the course of the past two weeks. T.M. was charged with three counts of possession of stolen property and with providing false information to law enforcement rangers. The investigation continues. [Barb Maynes, OLYM, 9/26]

Tuesday, October 16, 2001
01-557 - Olympic NP (WA) - Rescue

Four local kayakers with less than a year's boating experience decided to float an advanced section of the Elwha River a mile upstream from Lake Mills on October 6th. This highly technical section of river runs through a deep canyon with thousand-foot vertical walls of crumbling rock and numerous waterfalls and narrow squeezes. Even for advanced boaters, there is little margin for error. The foursome decided to try it due to the low river level. On the third drop, kayaker R.F.27, broached his boat in a narrow squeeze. He sustained a hip injury and torn abdominal muscles as he was slung by the water's force against an underwater rock face. R.F. was held there by the force of the river for about 30 seconds until he was able to wrestle himself out of his kayak. He was pulled from the river by his companions, who positioned him on a narrow rock ledge a foot above the river. Two of them then scrambled out of the canyon, located a hiker with a cell phone, and called 911 to report the accident. Ranger Daniel Pontbriand and park VIP Dr. Sam Baker scrambled down the steep canyon walls to R.F.'s location. Baker, a retired orthopedic surgeon, examined R.F. and could not rule out the possibility of a fractured pelvis or trochanter. A Coast Guard helicopter was summoned to evaluate the site for a possible hoist extraction. The skillful pilots of the Dauphin helicopter determined that they could safely hover above R.F. while bucking up-canyon winds and maintaining a rotor clearance of about 75 feet on either side. A Coast Guard swimmer was lowered 150 feet to R.F.'s location, followed by a stokes litter. R.F. was then hoisted to safety. Had it not been for the skill of the Coast Guard pilots, flight mechanic and rescue swimmer, rangers would have been faced with a lengthy and hazardous litter raising. [Dee Renee Ericks, DR, OLYM, 10/13]

Tuesday, November 6, 2001
01-587 - Olympic NP (WA) - Two MVA's; Multiple Fatalities

Rangers responded to a rollover motor vehicle accident on Highway 101 in the Lake Crescent District on October 21st. Although the driver and five occupants were uninjured, a check on the driver showed an active warrant out against him. He was placed in custody in one cruiser while his passengers were transported in a separate vehicle. While en route to the jail, the rangers came upon a second accident. The driver of a Mazda had lost control in a curve and hit a large RV head on. Three of the Mazda's occupants, including an eleven-year-old child, were killed on impact; the fourth, a five-year-old, suffered minor injuries. None of the four were wearing seatbelts. Neither of the occupants of the RV was injured. Speed and driving too fast for conditions were contributing factors in both accidents. [Dan Messaros, Acting DR, Lake Crescent District, OLYM, 11/4]

Tuesday, November 6, 2001
01-588 - Olympic NP (WA) - Ranger Bitten By Dog

On October 10th, ranger Laurie Axelson was conducting a welfare check on a park in-holder at Lake Crescent when she was attacked by one of three dogs she encountered while approaching the residence, a 90-pound Belgian shepherd. The dog approached Axelson aggressively before the attack and bumped her, then grabbed her right thigh and shook her. She broke free, but the dog then bit her left hand - Axelson's shooting hand. She again broke free and fired a single round from her .45 caliber service weapon; although she missed, the shot caused the dogs to flee. Next door neighbors who were house-sitting arrived within a few minutes of the attack, secured the dogs, and assisted her. Two park maintenance employees heard Axelson's radio call for assistance, responded, and arrived within a few minutes of the attack. Backup rangers arrived shortly thereafter and transported Axelson to a hospital 20 minutes away, where she was treated and released later that evening. Axelson's injuries included puncture wounds to her thigh and a severe avulsion to her left hand. She is currently on light duty and is expected to make a full recovery. The offending dog was quarantined and subsequently destroyed. [Dan Pontbriand, DR, Lake District, OLYM, 11/4]

Wednesday, January 30, 2002
02-022 - Olympic NP (WA) - MVA with Fatality; Negligent Manslaughter Arrest

C.T., 21, was killed in a single-vehicle accident on the Hurricane Ridge road on January 26th. C.T. was ejected from the soft-top jeep and was pronounced dead at the scene; a subsequent autopsy revealed that she had died as a result of trauma to her neck. Witnesses who had talked to driver A.G.,25, just moments before the crash said that they had watched him drive away and that the jeep had been swerving and slaloming down the road before rolling off the roadway. They believed that he was showing off on the icy roadway. A.G., who refused a blood test, was arrested and arraigned in federal court on charges of negligent manslaughter on January 27th. The FBI will be continuing the investigation, at their request. The park will assist as needed. The county sheriff's office also assisted throughout the park's investigation of the accident. [Tim Simonds, ACR, OLYM, 1/29]

Sunday, August 11, 2002
02-376 - Olympic NP (WA) - Drowning

The body of a 17-year-old Tacoma boy was found by a research vessel inthe Pacific Ocean a half mile off-shore from La Push on the morning ofThursday, August 8th. He had been the subject of an overnight searchafter his family reported him missing the previous night. The boy waslast seen Wednesday afternoon when he left for a hike on a rockyheadland north of Second Beach. When he failed to return from his hikeby late afternoon, his family looked for several hours, then notifiedauthorities around 9 p.m. The boy and his family had been camping onSecond Beach, a popular park site. Personnel from the park, Coast Guardand Clallam County SAR searched for the boy through the night. Thecoroner determined that he'd drowned, but also found numerous traumaticinjuries consistent with a climbing accident - his neck was broken andhe had brain contusions, fractured ribs, a punctured lung and numerousbruises and abrasions on his body. It's highly probable that he wasunconscious when he hit the water. [Barb Maynes/Mark O'Neill, OLYM]

Tuesday, February 25, 2003
Olympic National Park (WA)
Drug Arrests

On Tuesday, February 18, rangers joined agents and officers from DEA,the Postal Inspection Service, the Forest Service, Grays Harbor SO, andthe Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team in serving three searchwarrants simultaneously at residences in the Lake Quinault area. Two ofthe three residences are on North Shore Road within the park. R.M.and S.C. were arrested on charges of conspiracy tomanufacture and distribute psilocybin and psilocyn, both controlledsubstances, and manufacturing and aiding and abetting in the manufactureof psilocyn. Psilocybin and psilocyn are the active chemicals found inhallucinogenic mushrooms. Prosecutors allege that the men were involvedin a conspiracy to sell and distribute spores and instructions forgrowing the mushrooms via an internet mail order business based in theirhomes. Rangers and DEA and Postal Inspection Service agents have beeninvestigating this illegal operation for several years.
[Submittedby Barb Maynes, PIO]

Thursday, May 29, 2003
Olympic National Park (WA)
Fire at Kalaloch Lodge Store

During the early morning hours of May 26th, the night watchman forKalaloch Lodge discovered that the planter box in front of the KalalochStore was on fire and called 911. Clearwater FD was dispatched, butlocal employees were able to extinguish the fire with an extinguisherand garden hose before they arrived. Lodge employees accordingly calledthe fire department (about 30 minutes away) and told them they couldreturn to station. Rangers were notified in the morning. It appears thata cigarette was left in the planter box, which set it on fire. Rangershave talked with lodge staff about turning around fire departments enroute to structural fires and proper notification of rangerstaff.
[Submitted by Mike Warren, Structural Fire Manager, FMPC]

Wednesday, October 22, 2003
Pacific Northwest Parks
Record Rains Cause Washouts, Closures

Heavy rains that have fallen in Washington and elsewhere in theNorthwest over the past several days have caused some seriousproblems:

• Olympic NP - Heavy rain last Thursday led to extensive roaddamage throughout the park and the Olympic Peninsula. Most dramatic wasthe eight foot deep, 130 foot wide landslide that covered U.S. Highway101 around Lake Crescent. The slide not only covered both lanes of thehighway, but also pushed a log truck into Lake Crescent. The driver,43-year-old Robert Coyle of Forks, Washington, had finished his last runof the day and was heading home along the lake when his truck was pushedthrough the guard rail and into the lake by the debris flow. Although anon-swimmer, Coyle was able to reach shore by climbing through hiswindow and onto a series of logs that were part of the slide material.The park road crew, along with crews from the Washington StateDepartment of Transportation, cleared the mudslide on Friday andSaturday. The truck was removed from the lake on Saturday afternoon andthe road re-opened on Saturday evening. Elsewhere around the park, theHoh Rain Forest road and the Sol Duc road both remain closed due toextensive washouts. The Queets, Quinault North Shore, North Fork andGraves Creek roads are also closed due to flooding, damage and/or downedtrees. A flood watch is still in effect for the Olympic Peninsula andheavy rain is forecast to continue throughout most of this week.

For details on the storm's impacts on the Northwest, click on "MoreInformation" below, which will take you to the lead story in yesterday'sSeattle Post-Intelligencer.
[Submitted by Barb Maynes, Public Affairs,Olympic NP; Pete Cowans, Chief Ranger/Tim Manns, Chief Interpreter,North Cascades NP] MoreInformation...

Thursday, August 05, 2004
Olympic National Park (WA)
Cessna Crash Kills One, Injures Two

Campers in the park's Heart o' the Hills campground reported apossible plane crash just before 10 p.m. on Tuesday, August 3rd. Shortlythereafter, a Cessna 182 was reported overdue at Seattle's Boeing Field.A search was begun, but was hampered by darkness and poor weather. Itresumed yesterday morning. At 6:15 a.m., a 911 operator received a cellphone call from one of the plane's passengers; not long after, theCessna's wreckage was spotted from the air in an area of dense forestand steep terrain near the campground. A park rescue crew reached thesite of the accident at 9 a.m. and reported that two of the threeoccupants of the plane had survived; the third died in the crash. Namesare being held pending notification of next of kin. Officials from theNTSB, FAA and Cessna will be on scene today to investigate the crash.
[Submitted by Barb Maynes, Public Affairs Specialist]

Friday, August 19, 2005
Olympic National Park (WA)
Methamphetamine Distribution Arrest

Seven rangers from Olympic National Park and one law enforcement officerand dog from Olympic National Forest participated in a traffic operationon Highway 101 around Lake Crescent on July 8th. Just before midnight,rangers stopped a vehicle for a speeding violation. The Forest ServiceK-9 unit was called, and the dog, "Radar," hit on the engine compartmentbehind the driver's side headlight. A search resulted in theconfiscation of approximately 137.5 grams of methamphetamines packagedin separate bags and contained in a Tupperware container behind theheadlight assembly. The driver was arrested and charged in Tacoma,Washington with felony possession with intent to distribute. The driveris an undocumented alien and has waived his right to a detentionhearing. He remains in custody pending trial. [Submitted by Barb Maynes,Public Affairs Officer]

Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Olympic NP
Missing Hiker Found by Searchers

B.G., a 39-year old Port Angeles resident who hadbeen missing in the park since last Sunday night, was spotted by parkrangers in a helicopter at about 2:20 yesterday afternoon, then rescuedby a Coast Guard helicopter crew who hoisted him from the ground.Although he was apparently not seriously injured, he was transported tothe Olympic Medical Center for evaluation and possible treatment. Thesearch for B.G. began late Tuesday afternoon after he was reportedmissing by coworkers when he did not show up for work on Tuesday. B.G.told a friend that he was planning a day hike on Sunday, but did notgive details about his destination or other plans. Rangers located hiscar at the Boulder Creek trailhead on Tuesday evening. The Boulder Creektrailhead is at the end of the Olympic Hot Springs road in the ElwhaValley, about ten miles southwest of Port Angeles. The critical clue inthe search came when a park ranger contacted a hiker in the Sol DucValley who reported having seen B.G. on Sunday evening at AppletonPass between the Elwha and Sol Duc Valleys. This information enabledrangers to focus the aerial search on a specific area and B.G. wasfound shortly thereafter along Boulder Creek about one mile upstreamfrom Olympic Hot Springs. B.G. is an avid runner and has been trainingfor a high elevation marathon by running trails in the park. It isbelieved that he was planning a one-day training run on Sunday. He is areporter for the Peninsula Daily News in Port Angeles,Washington. Approximately 35 people were involved in the search,including nine volunteers from Clallam County Search and Rescue, avolunteer search dog team from Aberdeen and about 20 Olympic NationalPark staff members. A helicopter joined the search effort thisafternoon; additional dog teams and ground searchers had also reportedfor duty. [Barb Maynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Thursday, September 29, 2005
Olympic NP
Structural Fire at Lake Crescent Lodge

The roof on the Lake Crescent Lodge caught fire around 9p.m. on Saturday, September 24th. The local fire department wasdispatched, but the fire had been extinguished by concession employeesusing hose lines by the time they arrived. The damage was limited to afour foot by four foot section of roof, plus some water damage. Allindications are that the roof caught fire due to sparks from thechimney. There were about 60 people dining at the lodge at the time ofthe fire. The building was evacuated; there were no injuries. [MikeWarren, NPS Fire and Aviation Management]

Thursday, December 8, 2005
Olympic NP
Weapons and Property Theft Arrests

On December 5th, a park ranger on routine patrol made awelfare check on a suspicious vehicle on Camp David Jr. Road in the LakeDistrict of Olympic National Park. The ranger saw that one of the twomen in the pickup had attempted to hide a marijuana pipe, and theensuing search of the truck led to the discovery of a loaded Glock 9mmwithin easy access behind the front passenger seat. Several otherweapons, including a loaded shotgun, were found in the bed of the truck,along with a large quantity of other items. An NPS special agentresponded and impounded the pickup on suspicion that the items in thevehicle were stolen. Clallam County Sheriff's Office later confirmedthat the weapons and other property in the truck had been stolen from alocal business owner earlier that morning or the previous evening. Oneof the men, a convicted felon, was taken into custody on a warrant. Awarrant and charges are pending for possession of stolen property,ex-felon in possession of a firearm, and other charges. Clallam Countywill pursue the state Class A felony for burglary. [Barb Maynes, PublicAffairs]

Friday, January 20, 2006
Olympic NP
Queets Road Again Damaged; Closure Extended

Queets Road, closed since last March because of a major slide, was furtherdamaged late last week after extensive heavy rain. Another landslide in the samearea completely destroyed about 150 feet of the road and created a 200-footvertical drop to the river. Last March, a large amount of rock, clay and othermaterial broke loose from a point next to the road and slid about 100 feet downto the river. The roadbed was severely compromised and large cracks developed inthe road surface, making the road unsafe for vehicle traffic. A site inspectionby road engineers revealed that groundwater seepage on the hillside most likelycaused the slide. The recent prolonged rains added to the groundwater seepage; acreek is now flowing from the base of the new slide. National Park Serviceemployees have been developing an environmental assessment (EA) to analyze aproposal to reroute the road around the slide area. Initial public input wasgathered this past summer to help define the issues and alternatives to beaddressed in the EA. The EA will be released within the next several months forpublic review and comment and will consider the current repair challenge. Allother park roads remain open, with the exception of the Deer Park andObstruction Point roads, which are closed for the season, and the DosewallipsRoad, which is closed outside the park boundary due to a washout. The14-mile-long Queets Road is closed at the Matheny Creek bridge (milepost 8),leaving the last six miles of the road off limits to vehicle traffic. The Queetscampground, ranger station, trailhead and two boat ramps above the slide areclosed. [Barb Maynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Olympic NP
Pedestrian Killed in Accident

The driver of a Ford pickup truck lost control of his vehicle on a curve onHurricane Ridge Road in slippery conditions on the afternoon of January 14th.The truck left the road and hit two unoccupied vehicles and a 61-year-old womanwho was on foot. The woman was taken to the hospital with a broken femur andinternal injuries, but died while en route. The investigation continues. [TimSimonds, Chief Ranger]

Friday, March 3, 2006
Olympic NP
Couple Survive Vehicle's 450-Foot Plunge Off Road

On the afternoon of February 25th, park dispatch received a call from OnStarreporting a vehicle over a cliff on the Hurricane Ridge Road. Witnesses at thescene reported seeing tire tracks in the snow that ran off the roadway between aset of roadway tunnels. The witnesses established immediate voice contact withthe vehicle occupants, but due to vegetation, terrain and distance could not seethem. Olympic Mountain Rescue, the Clallam County Sheriff's search and rescueteam and the ski patrol from Hurricane Ridge Ski Area assisted. Rescuers wereable to descend 45- to 80-degree angle slopes to reach the occupants of a 1992Jeep Cherokee. The vehicle had rolled down steep slopes approximately 450 feetand over two cliff faces before landing on its top wedged between two trees. Thevictims were able to extricate themselves from the Jeep. Aided by rescuers, theyclimbed fifth class snow covered rock and steep slopes back to the road. Theyreceived only minor cuts and bruises in the accident. [Kevin Hendricks]

Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Olympic NP
Salal Poaching

A ranger and a ranger trainee were on patrol on the afternoon of April 8thwhen they spotted an unoccupied late model Isuzu Rodeo parked along the roadwaynear Lake Crescent. The rangers saw remnants of salal (Gaultheriashallon) foliage on the seats and floorboards of the vehicle and suspectedthat the people associated with the vehicle were illegally cutting salal , agreen leafy shrub valued for its use in the floral industry. Later in theevening, rangers contacted two men at the vehicle. Both denied picking anythingin the park, although they possessed all the implements commonly used bycommercial salal harvesters (rubber bands, clippers, and a cutting device wornon the finger like a ring). Lake District rangers searched the woods in theimmediate area, discovered three large bundles (186 pounds) of salal, and wereable to link the bundles to the two men. The men were cited for"gathering/possessing undesignated natural products." After consultation withthe assistant U.S. attorney, the men were detained and transported to PortAngeles to verify identification and check for possible violations ofimmigration laws. They were later released. Salal may be legally picked onadjacent private and USFS forest lands under permit, but is frequently harvestedunlawfully inside the park. [Barb Maynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Monday, April 24, 2006
Olympic NP
Suicide in Sol Duc Valley

The body of a 57-year-old instructor from Olympic College in Bremerton wasfound by hikers in Sol Duc Valley on April 12th. The man was last seen on March31st and a missing person's report had been filed on him on April 5th. Hisvehicle was found about a mile from the body. An investigation was conducted bythe park and the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office and an autopsy was conducted bythe Clallam County coroner. The coroner determined the cause of death to havebeen a self-inflicted injury and has ruled the death a suicide. [Barb Maynes,Public Affairs Officer]

Friday, June 2, 2006
Olympic NP
Injured Woman Rescued Following Three-Day Ordeal

On May 15th, an off-duty park employee was hiking the wilderness coast whenhe was alerted by other visitors to the presence of a seriously injured19-year-old woman lying behind a beach log in a fetal position. The woman wassuffering from dehydration, a broken leg, chest injuries, facial injuries andnumerous abrasions and bruising. She informed the employee that she had fallenabout 25 to 30 feet down a cliff three days earlier as she was attempting toclimb up high for a view of the area. Despite very spotty cell phone coverage inthe area, the employee was able to contact park dispatch. Due to the remotenessof the location and the difficulty in getting resources to that area in a timelymanner, the US Coast Guard was contacted for assistance. A Coast Guardhelicopter located the victim and evacuated her to Port Angeles, where she wasevaluated at a local hospital and subsequently airlifted to the regional traumacenter in Seattle. Since the woman was day-hiking away from her base camp withlimited supplies when the accident occurred, she lay injured for nearly threedays without food or water. [Barb Maynes, Public Affairs Specialist]

Thursday, June 29, 2006
Olympic NP
Search in Progress for Overdue Hiker

A search began Tuesday afternoon for an overdue hiker in the Staircase areanear Hoodsport. G.G., 47, of Olympia, Washington, was last seen at theStaircase Ranger Station on Saturday, June 24th. G.G., who is deputy directorof the state of Washington's Department of Retirement Systems, was reportedmissing on Sunday by a co-worker. Park rangers found his car still parked at theStaircase Ranger Station earlier on Tuesday. G.G. is described as being ingood health, with limited overnight hiking skills. He was believed to be on aday hike. Fourteen ground searchers looked for G.G. on Tuesday afternoon,including rangers from Olympic National Park and personnel from Olympic MountainRescue and the Lake Cushman Fire Department. Two search dog teams - one eachfrom Grays Harbor Search and Rescue and Pierce County Search and Rescue - alsoparticipated in the search. No clues were found. Searchers are asking anyone whomay have seen G.G. since Saturday to contact Olympic National Park at360-565-3120. G.G., stands 5'7", weighs 165 pounds, has salt-and-pepper hair,is clean-shaven, wears glasses, and was last seen wearing khaki shorts and aHawaiian shirt of green or blue colors. [Barb Maynes, Public AffairsOfficer]

Friday, June 30, 2006
Olympic NP
Search Continues for Overdue Hiker

More than 40 people continued the search Wednesday for missing hiker G.G.He was last seen by a ranger on Saturday, June 24th, when he parked hiscar at the Staircase Ranger Station. The Staircase area, located approximately19 miles northwest of Hoodsport near Lake Cushman, provides access to fourtrailheads. Wednesday's search included personnel from the park and OlympicMountain Rescue, as well as four search dogs and their handlers from PierceCounty Search and Rescue and Grays Harbor Search and Rescue. A helicopter and anWashington State Patrol airplane were also utilized. The plane, recentlyoutfitted with infrared sensors, can detect heat signatures on the ground. Thesearch area covered between 30 and 35 square miles, but no sign of G.G. wasfound. G.G. is described as being in good health and works out regularly. Hemoved to Olympia about a year ago, so he has limited overnight hiking experiencein this area. He was believed to be on a day hike. [Barb Maynes, Public AffairsOfficer]

Wednesday, July 5, 2006
Olympic NP
Search Continues for Overdue Hiker

The search for G.G., 47, of Olympia, Washington, entered itsseventh day on Monday. No sign of him has yet been found and no clues have beendiscovered regarding his travel direction. Over the course of that day:

Two search dog teams from Pierce County Search and Rescue extended theirsearch within the high probability zone, covering several areas not previouslyvisited by search dogs.

A contracted Jet Ranger helicopter from Northwest Helicopters continued thesearch by air.

Almost 40 ground searchers continued off-trail searches within the 30 to 35square mile search area.

Two kayakers again covered the waters of Bear Gulch.

None of these efforts resulted in evidence or indication of G.G.'swhereabouts. Four to six swift water rescue experts from Thurston County SARwere to join the search on Tuesday. These teams were to employ a specialunderwater camera in whitewater sections within the North Fork Skokomish River,enabling a search of areas that have been inaccessible to snorkelers and riversearch teams in previous efforts. Park officials are encouraging anyone who mayhave hiked in this area and seen G.G. on the weekend before last to contactthe park at 360-565-3120. G.G. is 5'7" tall, weighs 165 pounds, has grayinghair, wears glasses, and was last seen wearing khaki shorts and a Hawaiian shirtof green or blue colors. [Cat Hawkins Hoffman, Incident Information Officer]

Thursday, July 6, 2006
Olympic NP
Search For Overdue Hiker Scaled Back

On Tuesday night, search managers decided to scale back efforts to find G.G.,47, who has been missing since June 24th. Efforts to determine his travel plansor find any clues as to his whereabouts have been entirely fruitless. "We'veexplored both the logical and the more remote scenarios of what Mr. G.G. mayhave done, decisions he may have made, and routes he may have chosen, but noneof them produced results," said ranger Mike Danisiewicz, who headed the searcheffort. "No one knew of his plans, and we've found nothing to help determinewhere he might have gone. We've reached the limits of what we can do." Rangersfound G.G.'s car in the Staircase parking lot on the morning of Tuesday, June27th, and began a search that daily included 40 to 60 rescue workers in additionto planning and support personnel. The search area covered waters of the NorthFork Skokomish River, headwaters of Lake Cushman, forested slopes, highelevation meadows, and peaks surrounding the river valley. Ground and search dogteams, a helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft, kayakers, snorkelers, and riverrescue personnel combed the 35 square mile search area for eight days. Despiteexcellent visibility, swiftwater rescue experts found no clues from anunderwater camera search of whitewater reaches in the North Fork SkokomishRiver. Park and volunteer search and rescue personnel logged over 5,000 hours inground searches of the area. Although the major search is now suspended, parkrangers will continue a reduced search for G.G. over coming days. [Cat HawkinsHoffman, Incident Information Officer]

Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Olympic NP
Rangers Rescue Injured Hiker

Rangers rescued an injured hiker from the Upper Lena Lake area of the parkthis past weekend. On Saturday, July 8th, E.M., 51, of Port Orchard,Washington, hiked to Upper Lena Lake on a day trip. Heading back to thetrailhead at the end of the day, E.M. fell along the steep trail, sustaininga probable fracture to his right ankle. Other hikers left the area to contactemergency dispatchers (911), who notified park rangers of the incident. Tworangers hiked into the area, reaching E.M. around 11:30 p.m. Saturday nightand keeping him stabilized during the night. Several more rangers assisted withthe carryout on Sunday. Using a wheeled litter, rangers were able to transportE.M. over six miles and a 1500 foot drop in elevation along the steep trail.Volunteers from the Mason County chapter of the Backcountry Horsem*n assistedover the last mile and a half. [Cat Hawkins Hoffman, Public AffairsSpecialist]

Thursday, July 27, 2006
Olympic NP
Drowning In Lake Crescent

A 20-year-old Port Angeles man died on the afternoon of July 25th after anapparent drowning in the Devil's Punchbowl on the north shore of Lake Crescent.Jesse Thanem was reported missing by a friend at approximately 12:45 p.m. Thetwo had been swimming together for about ten minutes when Thanem disappeared.Following a quick search, Thanem's friend called 911. Several park rangers anddivers responded and quickly found Thanem's body in about 55 feet of water.Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful and Thanem was pronounced dead at thescene at approximately 1:25 p.m. [Barb Maynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Monday, September 18, 2006
Olympic NP/Mount Rainier NP
Investigation Into Car Clouts Culminates With Two Arrests

Over the course of this past summer, rangers from Olympic and Mount RainierNational Parks conducted a successful investigation into a rash of autoburglaries that occurred in May and June at trailheads in the two parks. Theinvestigation culminated with the arrests of two local residents on identitytheft and stolen property charges. Rangers identified 27 victims in the springcar clouts - 21 at Olympic and another six at Mount Rainier. A surveillanceoperation was begun at Olympic, but was unsuccessful. Investigators discovered,however, that credit cards stolen from visitors had been used in several storesin the Aberdeen and Olympia area. They traced a receipt from a Wal-Mart store toa purchase made by M.P. of Aberdeen, who was already a suspect inprevious burglary and larceny cases at Olympic. Based on this and otherevidence, an arrest and search warrant was issued for M.P. by the AberdeenPolice Department. In early July, Olympic rangers assisted Aberdeen officerswith the execution of the warrant at M.P.'s residence. A number of stolenitems (backpacks, tents, clothing, men's wallets, etc.) were found inM.P.'s room. Rangers cataloged and removed over 150 items from the home asevidence. During the search, an entrance receipt for Mount Rainier was seized.Mount Rainier rangers then retrieved and reviewed entrance station video footagewhich placed M.P. and a female companion, identified as A.C., atthe park on the date of the larcenies. They were also able to obtain banksurveillance photos showing A.C. attempting to cash stolen checks at twoseparate banks. Rangers believe that A.C. assisted M.P. and used stolenchecks and credit cards after the thefts. During a subsequent search of A.C.'sresidence, a stolen phone card was recovered as well as a notebook containingserial numbers for a laptop which had been reported stolen at Mount Rainier.M.P. has been charged with identity theft and possession of stolen propertyin state court; A.C. has been charged with identity theft. During interviewswith M.P., rangers obtained written statements admitting to the crimes.Rangers from the two parks are jointly managing the case. Federal chargesagainst M.P. and A.C. are pending. Click on "More Information" for arelated news story. [Barb Maynes, Public Information Officer]

HYPERLINK"http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2006/08/09/local_news/06news.txt"

Monday, October 16, 2006
Olympic NP
Death Of Maintenance Employee Dan Green

On the morning of Friday, October 13th, longtime park maintenance employeeDaniel R. Green died from severe head injuries sustained in an October 5th fallfrom a dump truck. Although no one witnessed his fall, other park employees werein the area and had seen and talked with him only minutes before finding himlying unconscious on the ground next to the truck's cab. First aid and emergencymedical care were provided on scene by park staff. He was then airlifted to theregional trauma center in Seattle, where he remained until his death. Anengineering equipment operator, Dan had worked for 26 years at the park. He wasloved and admired by his coworkers, friends and family, and will be rememberedfor his big heart, his ready smile and his sense of humor. An NPS seriousaccident investigation team will arrive in the park early this week. Criticalincident stress team peer counselors are already working with park staff andDan's family. Flags in all NPS areas in Pacific West Region will fly at halfstaff through sunset on the day of interment in his memory. Information aboutservices, memorials and how to send condolences to Dan's family will be madeavailable as soon as possible. [Barb Maynes, Public Information Officer]

Tuesday, November 7, 2006
Olympic NP
Park Roads Closed Due To Flooding

Like much of the rest of the Olympic Peninsula, Olympic National Park hasreceived significant rainfall over recent days. Flooding in many areas has ledto numerous road closures. Park staff will conduct damage assessments whenconditions allow and will work to reopen roads as soon as it is safe to do so.The following roads are currently closed because of storm impacts.

Hurricane Ridge Road - Closed due to rocks on the road.

Elwha Valley - The Olympic Hot Springs Road is closed at the Elwha entrancestation due to flooding.

Hoh Road - Closed at milepost 3 (outside the park boundary).

Quinault North Shore Road - Finley Creek Bridge has been damaged and isclosed. The road is closed east of Finley Creek.

Quinault South Shore Road - Closed outside the park boundary.

Quinault Graves Creek Road - Closed.

Quinault North Fork Road - Closed.

Ozette - The Ozette area is inaccessible due to flooding outside the parkboundary on the Hoko-Ozette Road.

Queets Road - Closed.

Mora Campground - Closed due to flooding.

Rialto Beach Road - Currently covered with water and closed.

Dosewallips Road - Closed due to previous damage and unsafe conditions.

Staircase Road - Same.

Deer Park Road - Same.

The Sol Duc Road, Kalaloch and Lake Crescent areas remain open, but travel isnot recommended because of heavy rain, limited visibility and the risk offlooding and rock falls. For current road information, people should call theOlympic National Park recorded road and weather information line at360-565-3131. [Barb Maynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Thursday, November 09, 2006
Olympic National Park (WA)
Floodwaters Recede But Some Roads Remain Closed

Floodwaters stemming from this week's heavy rains have receded, allowing parkstaff to begin damage assessments. Several park roads, including the road to theHoh Rain Forest, have not yet been fully assessed. "So far, conditions haveprevented us from reaching all areas, but we are working as quickly as possibleto reach all park roads and see what the damage is," said superintendent BillLaitner. A summary of known damage follows:

• Hoh Road — The road is closed at its intersection with Highway 101while Jefferson County and Olympic National Park continue to make damageassessments. Park staff, along with a road engineer from the National ParkService's regional office, visited areas of the Hoh Road yesterday and observedmajor damage at Twin Creek, where a 65-foot-long and 40-foot-deep section ofroad has been washed out. Further assessments along the Hoh Road were notpossible. A five-mile-long section of the road within the park has not yet beeninspected and the extent of damage is unknown at this time.
• Quinault North Shore Road — The east abutments of the Finley Creekbridge were compromised by floodwaters. The bridge is closed to all traffic andthe road remains closed east of the bridge.
• Quinault South Shore Road — The road has been damaged and is blocked bylarge amounts of debris a half mile inside the park's boundary. Crews hoped toclear the road and complete damage assessments yesterday.
• Hurricane Ridge Road — The road remained closed yesterday due to snowand icy conditions.
• Mora Road — The road remained closed yesterday due to flooding anddowned trees.
• Dosewallips, Staircase and Queets Roads — All three roads remain closeddue to previous damage and unsafe conditions. The Deer Park Road is closed forthe season.
• Elwha, Lake Crescent, Sol Duc and Kalaloch Areas — These areas areopen.

For current road information, call the Olympic National Park recorded roadand weather information line at 360-565-3131.

[Submitted by Barb Maynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Monday, November 13, 2006
Olympic NP
Progress Continues In Reopening Roads, Assessing Damage

Park crews continue to make progress in clearing roads and assessing damagefrom last week's heavy rains and floods. A road engineer from the FederalHighway Administration (FHWA) was in the park over the weekend to evaluatedamage to park roads and explore options for making repairs and restoringvehicle access. A summary of known damage follows:

Hoh Road - The road remains closed at its intersection with Highway 101 whileJefferson County and Olympic National Park continue to make damage assessments.Areas of significant damage have been found in both the county-owned andpark-owned sections of road. Significant damage occurred at Twin Creek, where a65-foot-long and 25-foot-deep section of road has been completely washed away.Options for restoring vehicle access are being explored with FHWA. Park crewsare also evaluating damage to the utility systems (water, electric, phone) andplanned on examining the remaining five-mile section of the road over this pastweekend.

Quinault North Shore Road - The east abutment of the Finley Creek Bridge wassignificantly damaged by floodwaters. Park crews are currently working tostabilize the compromised abutment to prevent further damage. The bridge remainsclosed to all traffic, as does the road east of the bridge.

Quinault South Shore Road - The road has been cleared and is passable. Debrisremains along the road shoulders and the road surface is rough, though, socaution is advised.

North Fork Road - The road is closed because of erosion in the vicinity ofthe campground.

Graves Creek Road - Crews were working late last week to remove fallen treesand gain access to the highway. Road damage was to be assessed over this pastweeken.

Dosewallips, Staircase and Queets Roads - These roads remain closed due toprevious damage and unsafe conditions. Deer Park Road is closed for theseason.

Elwha, Lake Crescent, Sol Duc, Mora, Ozette and Kalaloch areas - All of theseareas are open.

For current road information, call the Olympic National Park recorded roadand weather information line at 360-565-3131. [Barb Maynes, Public AffairsOfficer]

Monday, November 13, 2006
Olympic NP
Missing Backpackers Found By Searchers

A search was begun on the morning of Wednesday, November 8th, for two menoverdue from a planned one-night backpacking trip to Upper Lena Lake in thesoutheast section of the park. N.T., 41, of Silverdale, Washington, andJ.M., 38, of Bremerton, Washington, were scheduled to be at work on themorning of Monday, November 6th. They were reported overdue that afternoon. Ahelicopter flew over Upper Lena Lake later in the day and spotted a tentmatching descriptions of N.T. and J.M.'s tent, but no sign was seen of thetwo men. On Thursday morning, crews hiked into the woods and began looking forthe hikers, and several other searchers and a bloodhound were flown directly toUpper Lena Lake. The Upper Lena Lake Trail and the Putvin Primitive Trail toLake of the Angels, along with the areas surrounding both lakes, were closed toall entry to protect clues and evidence that might prove helpful in the search.A two-person search team found the men around 1:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon.They were in good condition, but cold, hungry and tired. Approximately 50searchers and support staff participated in the operation at its peak, includingstaff from both Olympic and Mount Rainier, crew members from the WashingtonConservation Corps, volunteers from Olympic Mountain Rescue, three volunteersearch dog teams, and a contracted helicopter. Mason County Fire District 17provided their Jorsted Creek firehouse as a base of operations for the searchand the Hama Hama Company provided land for a helicopter landing area. [BarbMaynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Olympic NP
Flood Damage Estimated At $3 Million

Even as rain continues to fall, park staff are working to complete damageassessments and reopen damaged roads where possible. Staff and engineers fromthe Federal Highway Administration completed initial inspections over this pastweekend. "Initial estimates have reached $3 million for repairing the damage wecurrently know about," said superintendent Bill Laitner. "As we assess parktrails, and with the forecast calling for continued rain and high winds laterthis week, we will likely see the repair bill go higher." Here's what's known atthis point:

Hoh Road - The world-renowned Hoh Rain Forest remains inaccessible, with noclear timeline for its reopening. Three sites along the road within the parkwere severely damaged by floodwaters along several tributaries of the Hoh River.The most significant damage occurred at West Twin Creek, where a 75-foot-longand 25-foot-deep section of road was completely washed away. At Taft Creek, a500-foot-long section of road was damaged; in some places, less than one trafficlane of road surface remain. A logjam has diverted another tributary, causing itto flow over the Hoh Road rather than under it. Additional damage occurredoutside the park boundary and the road is still closed at Highway 101 whileJefferson County crews work to reopen the county's section of road.

North Shore Quinault Road - High winds on Sunday left the North ShoreQuinault Road littered with an estimated 50 old growth trees that closed theroad and caused a power outage throughout the Quinault, Amanda Park and Kalalochareas. A park maintenance crew left Port Angeles at 1 a.m. on Monday morning tolend assistance to the thinly stretched staff stationed at Quinault. Emergencyaccess was restored by 9 a.m. that morning, allowing public utility districtcrews to begin repairs to downed and damaged wires. Park crews continued effortsto restore two traffic lanes from Highway 101 to Finley Creek Bridge yesterday.The bridge over Finley Creek was severely damaged last week; park crews hope tobegin repairs on the bridge by sometime today.

Quinault South Shore Road - The road has been cleared and is passable. Debrisremains along the road shoulders and the road surface is rough; caution isadvised.

North Fork Road - The section of the road at Quinault was damaged by floodingand remains closed. The North Fork Campground access road has been completelywashed out. The Graves Creek Road remains closed.

Hurricane Ridge Road - The road is undamaged, but was closed yesterday as acrew began snow removal. About 15 inches of snow fell over the weekend; more isexpected this week.

Dosewallips, Staircase and Queets Roads - The roads remain closed due toprevious damage and unsafe conditions. The Deer Park Road is closed for theseason.

For current road information, people should call the Olympic National Parkrecorded road and weather information line at 360-565-3131. [Barb Maynes, PublicAffairs Officer]

Friday, November 17, 2006
Olympic NP
Park Crews Work to Reopen Roads

High winds and rain on Wednesday brought down dozens of trees across parkroads and at least one building, adding to the already lengthy to-do list forpark crews trying to reopen park roads closed by last week's storms. Fallentrees blocked roads at Elwha, Heart o' the Hills, Lake Crescent, Sol Duc, Moraand Quinault. Park crews have already cleared and reopened several of theseroads, leaving the Sol Duc, South Shore Quinault, North Shore Quinault and HohRoads still closed. The Sol Duc entrance station was hit and seriously damagedby a fallen tree, while numerous other trees fell across the road; crews areworking to clear the trees and reopen the road. Members of the park fire crewand the Washington Conservation Corps are clearing trees from the South ShoreQuinault Road, where the scene is described as a "mess." Another crew is on theNorth Shore Road, working to restore access for several private landowners whoare blocked in by downed trees across the road. A member of the road crew fromLassen arrived yesterday to help Olympic crews stretched thin by recent stormdamage. The section of the Hoh Road within the park remains closed while parkstaff and Federal Highways Administration engineers explore options forrestoring emergency access across the 75-foot-long washout at West Twin Creek."Our first priority is to restore utility service to the Hoh Visitor Center andRanger Station area," said superintendent Bill Laitner. "We'd also like toretrieve several vehicles, including a visitor's rental car and personalvehicles owned by park employees, currently stranded above the washout." Formore information about options under consideration for restoring emergencyaccess on the Hoh Road, call the park at 360-565-3004. Olympic's trail systemhas not yet been assessed and conditions are unknown. Those planning hikes inthe park should be flexible in their plans and come prepared for probable traildamage. All visitors are urged to use caution when traveling through the parkand to come prepared for a variety of weather conditions. For current roadinformation, people should call the Olympic National Park recorded road andweather information line at 360-565-3131. [Barb Maynes, Public AffairsOfficer]

Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Olympic National Park (WA)
Access Restored To Quinault Area

The Finley Creek bridge along the Quinault North Shore Road, which washeavily damaged during the November 6th storm, reopened last Wednesday. Withboth the North Shore and South Shore Roads reopened, access has been restored tothe entire Quinault Loop. The Hoh Road and visitor area remain closed because ofextensive damage along that road. This temporary closure includes thecampground, trails, road and other facilities. Park staff and Federal HighwaysAdministration engineers continue to develop options for restoring emergencyaccess across the 75-foot long washout at West Twin Creek. All park roads arenow open with the exception of:

• Staircase Road — The road is closed outside the park due to unstablesoils caused by this summer's Bear Gulch 2 Fire.
• Dosewallips Road — Closed outside the park boundary because of awashout.
• Deer Park Road — Closed for the season.
• Sol Duc Road — Closed because of fallen trees and debris on theroad.
• Hoh Road — Closed, as noted above.
• Queets Road — Closed at Matheny Creek because of a slide andwashout.
• North Fork Road and Graves Creek Road in the Quinault Valley — Bothremain closed because of storm damage.

For current road information, people should call the Olympic National Parkrecorded road and weather information line at 360-565-3131.

[Submitted by Barb Maynes, Public Information Officer]

Friday, December 1, 2006
Olympic NP
Winter Storm Adds Challenges To Recovery Operations

Recent heavy snows on the Olympic Peninsula have increased the workload forcrews already stretched thin responding to flood and road washouts. Earlier thisweek, several vehicles belonging to park visitors were marooned in snow alongthe Whiskey Bend and Olympic Hot Spring roads in the Elwha Valley. Power linesare also down in the Elwha. Park rangers and roads and trails crews are workingto clear numerous trees that fell across several park roads under the snow load.After his pickup became mired in the snow along the Olympic Hot Springs road,one visitor abandoned the truck only to learn that a tree later crushed the cab.With the current focus on clearing downed trees, power lines, and stuck vehicles- and a snow advisory in effect through Thursday afternoon - plowing ofHurricane Ridge Road was to resume at the end of the week. Ridge Road will notbe open on Friday, but park crews hope to have the road cleared sometime onSaturday. As of Wednesday, the snow depth at Hurricane Ridge was 78 inches.Moderating temperatures over coming days are expected to produce an additionalaccumulation of wet snow and a very high avalanche danger. [Cat Hawkins Hoffman,Public Affairs Officer]

Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Olympic NP
Recovery Continues From November Storm

Thanks to a one-lane temporary bridge installed last week, administrativeaccess has been restored to the Hoh Rain Forest, allowing crews to begin repairsto the road and utility lines above the bridge. Owners of several privatevehicles trapped above the washout were finally able to remove then. The newbridge spans West Twin Creek, where a 75-foot long and 25-foot deep section ofroad and roadbed were completely washed away during the storm that struck thepark on November 6th. "In early January, after a well-deserved holiday break,our maintenance crews will begin repairs to the extensive road damage above WestTwin Creek," said superintendent Bill Laitner. "Barring additional damage fromfuture storms, we hope to restore public access to the Hoh by late winter orearly spring." Elsewhere around the park, some areas have reopened since theNovember storms, while others are still closed due to damage:

Quinault - Both the North Shore and South Shore Quinault Roads are open. TheGraves Creek and North Fork Roads remain closed because of storm damage.Additional trees fell during the last week's windstorm.

Queets - The Queets Road remains closed at the Matheny Creek bridge becauseof two large slides that occurred in 2005. An environmental assessment has beenreleased for public comment that analyzes the park's proposal to establish analternate route in the Queets area.

Coastal Areas - The Kalaloch, Mora and Ozette areas are all open.

Sol Duc - The Sol Duc Road is blocked by hundreds of fallen trees and debrisand is closed at its intersection with Highway 101. Crews will begin clearingthis road in January.

Lake Crescent - The area is open.

Olympic Hot Springs Road - The section of the road in the Elwha Valley isopen as far as the Glines Canyon Dam, but is closed beyond that because of snow.

Whiskey Bend Road - The road is closed.

Hurricane Ridge Road - The road was scheduled to reopen this past Friday andremain open through January 2nd.

Heart o'the Hills Campground - The campground sustained significant damagefrom fallen trees during a windstorm on December 15th and will be closed untilspring.

Dosewallips and Staircase - These areas remain closed outside the parkboundary due to damage and unsafe conditions. The Deer Park Road is closed forthe season.

For current road information, call the Olympic National Park recorded roadand weather information line at 360-565-3131. [Barb Maynes, Public AffairsSpecialist]

Monday, February 26, 2007
Olympic NP
Significant Headway Made In Recovery From Fall Storms

One by one, park roads and campgrounds are reopening for public useafter the severe storm damage of last November and December. Parkmaintenance crews, with help from the Washington Conservation Corps,local county and public utility district crews and National Park Serviceemployees temporarily reassigned from other parks, have succeeded inrestoring access to many areas. The status of many park trails is stillunknown; more information will be gathered this spring as the snow meltsand crews are able to make damage assessments. An overview of park roadsand conditions follows:

Hoh Road - Extensive progress has been made on the Hoh Road, with atemporary one-lane bridge now crossing West Twin Creek. Before theNovember 6th storm, West Twin Creek flowed through two large culverts(or corrugated metal pipes) under the road. High water and storm debrisplugged the culverts and led to a large (75 feet long and 25 feet deep)washout, now spanned by the new bridge. The temporary bridge will be inplace until a permanent repair can be completed. Installation of apermanent two-lane bridge is proposed for later this year or next. Thepark is currently seeking initial public input on this proposal to helpdefine the range of issues that should be considered in an environmentalassessment scheduled for release this spring. Two other sections of theHoh Road, at Taft Creek and Snyder Creek, were also seriously damaged. Anew culvert was installed last week at Taft Creek and a Port Angelescontractor was recently awarded the contract to place a new oversizedculvert at Snyder Creek. The new culvert will be installed in March.After the new culvert is in place, park crews will surface the road withgravel; paving will be completed later this year. Meanwhile, a crew fromthe Washington Conservation Corps has been clearing debris from the roadshoulders and campground while public utility district crews areinstalling new electrical cable and transformers to restore power. Newphone lines are also being installed. Once power is restored, park crewswill reactivate the water system and clean buildings for use. The HohRoad and campground are scheduled to reopen to the public by May 1st.More work awaits park maintenance crews on the Hoh River Trail, where200 trees block the first five miles of the trail.

Kalaloch, Mora, Ozette - The park's coastal areas, including theKalaloch, Mora and Ozette campgrounds, are open.

Quinault - Both the North Shore and South Shore Quinault Roads remainopen and are in good condition. The North Fork Road and North Forkcampground, which were severely damaged by heavy rain and flooding, haverecently reopened. With North Fork open, crews have turned theirattention to reopening the Graves Creek area, where a massive blowdownhas blocked the road.

Queets - The Queets Road is open as far as the Matheny Creek bridgeand is closed beyond that point. An environmental assessment wasreleased in December to examine the effects of a proposal to establishan alternate route to the upper Queets by this summer, using WashingtonDepartment of Natural Resources and U.S. Forest Service roads.

Sol Duc - The Sol Duc Road is scheduled to reopen by March 1st. Crewshave worked through much of January and February to clear the road ofthe hundreds of trees that blocked it after windstorms in late 2006. TheSol Duc campground will be open for primitive camping (vault toilets andno running water) on March 1st, with full services provided beginning onApril 6th.

Lake Crescent - The Lake Crescent area is open. The Spruce Railroadtrail and Marymere Falls trail have both been cleared, although thelower falls viewing platform is closed. The Fairholme Campground isscheduled to open on April 6th.

Elwha - The Olympic Hot Springs Road is open to the Glines Canyon Damand is closed beyond that point due to slumping along the road, whichwill be repaired later this spring. The Whiskey Bend Road is closed dueto washouts and is also scheduled for repairs this spring. The WestElwha, West Lake Mills, Griff Creek and Cascades Rock trails have allbeen cleared. The Elwha Campground is open, with Altair campgroundscheduled to open on May 25th.

Olympic National Park Visitor Center/Heart o'the Hills - The LivingForest and Peabody Creek loop trails have been cleared. The Heart o'theHills campground remains closed because of severe wind damage and fallentrees. A date has not yet been set for reopening this campground.

Dosewallips - The Dosewallips Road remains closed due to a washoutoutside the park boundary.

Staircase - The access road to Staircase (Forest Service Road 24) isclosed outside the park boundary because of unstable rock and landslidehazards created by last summer's Bear Gulch 2 fire. The situation willbe re-evaluated this spring by U.S. Forest Service road engineers.

Visitors to the park are urged to call the park's hotline(360-565-3131) for updates on road conditions before visiting Olympic.[Barb Maynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Park crews install a new culvert at Taft Creek along the HohRoad.

NPS photo by Jon Preston.

Monday, April 9, 2007
Olympic NP
Canoeist Capsizes, Succumbs To Exposure

A.D., 21, of Olympia, Washington, died early on themorning of Friday, April 5th, at the Forks Community Hospital followinga canoeing accident in Ozette Lake. A.D. suffered coldwater exposureafter the canoe he and his partner were paddling capsized south of EaglePoint in Ozette Lake. A.D. was part of a party of four from Olympiausing two canoes on a weekend camping trip on the shores of Ozette Lake.Hearing calls for help after A.D.'s canoe capsized, Ozette residentsresponded and transported the four canoeists to a local residence toawait help. A.D. had been in the 46-degree water for over 15 minutes andbecame increasingly non-responsive. A Coast Guard helicopter divertedfrom a training mission in the Neah Bay area to respond to theemergency. As Coast Guard personnel provided emergency medical care, thehelicopter transported A.D. to the Forks Airport, where he was met byambulance and taken to the Forks Community Hospital. He was pronounceddead at 12:30 a.m. [Cat Hawkins Hoffman, Public Affairs Officer]

Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Olympic NP
Hoh Rain Forest Road Reopens

The park continues its recovery from the impacts of thestorm that hammered much of the area last November. Yesterday, the HohRoad reopened following a six-month-long storm damage closure. The roadhad been closed since November 6th, when heavy rain and floodwatersseverely damaged it in three places. The most significant damageoccurred at West Twin Creek, where a 65-foot-long and 25-foot-deepsection of road completely washed away. A temporary one-lane bridge nowspans the creek. Two other creeks also flooded, damaging nearly 1,000feet of roadway. Visitors are being asked to use caution when travelingthe road and visiting the Hoh area, as additional repair work willcontinue throughout the summer. In particular, the one-lane bridge overWest Twin Creek will require motorists to yield to oncoming traffic*ntil a traffic light is installed later this month. The Hoh campgroundis open and Hoh Visitor Center will open on Friday. It will be openFriday through Sunday, then open daily for the summer beginning on May25th. Park trails, including the Hoh River trail, also sustained heavydamage during the fall and winter storms. All hikers should check forcurrent trail information by calling the Wilderness Information Centerat 360-565-3100. For current road information, people should call theOlympic National Park recorded road and weather information line at360-565-3131. [Barb Maynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Olympic NP
Man Succumbs After Lake Mills Canoe Accident

D."O."R.O., 48, died on the afternoon of Monday, May 28th,after his canoe capsized, sending him into the water along with hiscompanion, E.M., 42. The accident was reported to rangers at about 1:30p.m. after a couple fishing in the area observed an overturned canoenear the south end of the Lake Mills reservoir in the Elwha Valley.Rangers responded and found E.M. onshore and D.R.O. unresponsive in thewater. Accident investigators credit D.R.O. with saving E.M.'s life byhelping her into the swamped canoe after it capsized. D.R.O. thendeclined to re-enter the canoe himself, fearing that it would sink underhis additional weight. "This terrible accident underscores the risksassociated with canoeing and water recreation," said superintendent BillLaitner. "Afternoon winds can quickly transform a peaceful outing into aharrowing or even tragic experience, and cold water is a constant hazardfor water enthusiasts." Although winds often remain relatively - anddeceptively - calm at the north end of Lake Mills near the boat launch,winds frequently come up in the afternoons on the lake's south end.Winds of up to 25 miles per hour were blowing at the south end of thelake at the time of the accident, creating one-and-a-half to two-footwaves. [Barb Maynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Olympic NP
Three Cited For Colt's Foot Poaching

Park rangers recently contacted three people who werecollecting unidentified plants along U.S. Highway 101 near LakeCrescent. The trio had cleared a large area of the plants, which weigheda total of approximately 117 pounds when collected and bagged by therangers. The collectors told the rangers that they were gathering theplants - later identified as colt's foot (Petasites frigidus var.palmatus) - in order to make tea. They were cited for illegalcollecting and released. Colt's foot is used medicinally by NativeAmericans as a tea and as a poultice, and is also used for culinarypurposes (especially ash of the plant as a salt substitute). The leavesof related species are eaten, including an exotic species from Asia.While the park has experienced problems with unlawful collection ofsalal, moss, mushrooms, cedar bark and other natural products, thecollection of colt's foot is a new phenomenon. [Barb Maynes, PublicInformation Officer]

Thursday, June 21, 2007
Olympic NP
Follow-up On Storm Recovery

The park's popular Heart O' the Hills campground will reopen thisFriday after a six-month closure. The windstorm of last December 15thfelled hundreds of trees in the campground, damaging signs, picnictables and other campground amenities. "Reopening the Heart O'the HillsCampground marks an important step in our storm damage recovery," saidsuperintendent Bill Laitner. "Our crews have worked hard all winter andspring to restore public access to the park - their work, and thecontributions of volunteers, have enabled us to welcome visitors backfor the summer season." While vehicle access has been restored to allpark areas damaged by the storms of 2006, trails and trail bridges maystill be damaged. Those planning to hike in the park are advised tocheck with the Wilderness Information Center for up-to-date conditionreports. Current trail conditions are also available at the park'swebsite, HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/olym" www.nps.gov/olym. In otherpark facility news, the Deer Park Road and campground are now opened forthe summer season, along with the Hurricane Hill Road. The ObstructionPoint Road is open as far as Waterhole; snow and weather conditions willdetermine an opening date for the full road. The Queets Road remainsclosed at the Matheny Creek bridge due to a landslide. Restored accessto the upper Queets Valley is anticipated later this year via analternative route. The Dosewallips Road is closed outside the parkboundary due to a washout on Olympic National Forest land; the U.S.Forest Service and Federal Highways Administration plan to release anenvironmental impact statement later this year to examine options forthe future of the Dosewallips Road. [Barb Maynes, Public AffairsOfficer]

Friday, July 6, 2007
Olympic NP
Search In Progress For Overdue Hiker

A search was begun on the Fourth of July for M.A.,a 45-year-old visitor from the Boston area, who was reported to be twodays overdue from a day hike in the Sol Duc area. The park was notifiedthat morning by a friend of M.A.'s from the Seattle area. It'sbelieved that M.A. camped at the Sol Duc campground on Monday night,then began a hike to Seven Lakes Basin or High Divide on Tuesdaymorning. M.A. is 5 feet 4 inches tall, has brown hair and blue eyesand a scar on the front of her neck, and may be wearing black or lightblue hiking pants and carrying a red/orange backpack and an ice axe.Eight people began the ground search on Wednesday and were joined byadditional searchers in the air. Yesterday, the operation expanded to 30searchers, a helicopter and a dog team. M.A. is described as astrong, experienced hiker who is in good health. The park asks thatanyone who may have seen M.A. at the campground or on the trail tocontact park dispatch at 360-565-3115. [Kathy Steichen]

Monday, July 9, 2007
Olympic NP
Major SAR For Overdue Hiker Comes To Happy Conclusion

The search for 45-year old M.O. came to asuccessful conclusion on Saturday afternoon when M.O. called the parkfrom the Lake Mills area, reporting that she was tired and hungry butwas otherwise fine and did not need medical attention. M.O. set outto hike the 18.5-mile-long High Divide trail on Monday, July 2nd. Aftertraversing the High Divide, which is still covered with heavy snow,M.O. lost the route near Heart Lake and spent most of the next threedays traveling through thick vegetation, up and down the extremelyrugged Cat Creek Basin and Mt. Fitzhenry. She had carried extra foodwith her and ate the last meal on Friday evening. On Saturday, she madeher way to Lake Mills in the Elwha Valley. As she headed north along theshoreline, she thought she heard an airplane, but rather it was amotorboat that she successfully flagged down. The boat's operator tookher to a boat ramp, where she called 911. Park staff drove her to parkheadquarters, where she was reunited with her family. M.O. began herhike on Monday; on Wednesday morning, friends in the Seattle areanotified the park that she was overdue. The search for M.O. began onWednesday and continued through Saturday. Staff and volunteers fromOlympic National Park, Washington State Patrol, Thurston County SheriffSwiftwater Rescue Team, Olympic Mountain Rescue, Grays Harbor Search andRescue Dog Team, and Island County Search Dogs were involved in theeffort. [Kathy Steichen, Public Affairs Officer]

Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Olympic NP
Vehicle Pursuit And Head-On Collision

On July 7th, the Lake Crescent ranger responded to a callfor assistance from the Forks Police Department and Clallam CountySheriff Office regarding a driver who was traveling at speeds over 90mph along Highway 101, weaving in and out of traffic and nearly hittingseveral cars head on. J.H. had eluded capture earlier in the dayafter being caught in the act of burglarizing a Forks church andattempting to steal a church van. He was later spotted in a stolenpickup truck, but escaped from a felony vehicle stop prior to enteringthe park. A ranger pursued J.H. for three miles around Lake Crescentuntil he missed a corner and hit a small Saturn head-on. Immediatelyafter the collision J.H. attempted to flee the scene on foot, but theranger was able to take him into custody after a brief struggle with theassistance of a Good Samaritan. The occupants of the Saturn, who werevisiting the park from Illinois, were transported by ambulance to thehospital in Port Angeles and later released with only minor injuries.J.H. is currently being held in the Clallam County jail on charges ofburglary, theft, taking a motor vehicle, evading, reckless driving,driving under the influence of methamphetamine, possession of meth,possession of paraphernalia, and possession of stolen items. [JacileeWray, Acting Public Information Officer]

Thursday, August 30, 2007
Olympic NP
Car Stop Leads To Significant Drug Arrest

Rangers, assisted by Forest Service law enforcementofficers, conducted a traffic enforcement operation on US Highway 101around Lake Crescent on Friday, August 24th. Rangers contacted a driverfor a speeding violation and a Forest Service officer with a dogassisted. The dog detected drugs inside the vehicle, at which point thedriver immediately fled up a steep slope. He was soon caught and takeninto custody. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of more than ahalf pound of marijuana, a half pound of methamphetamine, a quarterpound of cocaine, a cutting agent, and $15,800 in cash. The 2007 LincolnNavigator was also seized. The driver has a long history of violentcriminal activity and has been a subject of interest in an ongoingOlympic Peninsula multi-agency drug investigation. [Barb Maynes, PublicAffairs Officer]

Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Olympic NP
Multi-Year Drug Investigation Concludes With Arrests, Seizures

On Tuesday, August 28th, investigators from an interagencynarcotics enforcement team that included NPS personnel culminated aninvestigation of several years duration into a major drug traffickingorganization operating along the northwest coast of Washington.Investigators from numerous local Olympic Peninsula agencies worked withagents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the National ParkService and the Drug Enforcement Administration to make simultaneousarrests of the leaders and conspirators of this organization and executesearch warrants of their residences. During these raids, theorganization's top leaders were arrested, including five illegal Mexicannationals. Over two-and-a-half pounds of crystal methamphetamine, a halfpound of cocaine, a half pound of marijuana, four firearms, and morethan $26,000 in cash were seized. All arrestees were transported toTacoma, Washington, for their initial hearing and were turned over tothe U.S. Marshals Service. The U.S. Attorney is considering the chargesto be filed against those arrested. Another member of the organizationwas arrested in a traffic enforcement operation in the park on August24th (click on "More Information" for a copy of that report). Over ahalf pound of marijuana, a half pound of methamphetamine and a quarterpound of cocaine were seized in that arrest. The total amount of drugsand money taken off the street on the Olympic Peninsula as a result ofthis investigation comes to over $40,000 in cash and several pounds ofmethamphetamine and marijuana. The street value of the methamphetaminealone has been placed at over $108,000. [Barb Maynes, Public AffairsOfficer]

HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=3473"

Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Olympic NP
Update: Recovery From 2006 Storm Continues

Eleven months after the rain, wind and floods of lastautumn, crews continue to make repairs to park roads and otherfacilities. This week, a contractor will begin installing a permanentbridge over West Twin Creek on the Hoh Road, while another contractorhas been selected to remove stockpiled timber and storm debris elsewherein the park. The Hoh Road was severely damaged by rain and floodwaterslast November, with the most significant damage at West Twin Creek,where a 65-foot-long by 25-foot-deep section of road, along with twoculverts, completely washed away. A temporary one-lane bridge was placedacross the creek last winter, replacing the culverts and restoring fishaccess. "Not only will this bridge provide visitors with continuedaccess into the Hoh Rain Forest, it replaces two aged culverts thatblocked fish passage to the upper creek," said superintendent BillLaitner. "I extend my thanks and appreciation to park staff and ourpartners for their creativity and hard work in restoring access to bothhumans and fish." Before beginning work on the bridge, workers willremove the damaged culverts that were washed downstream. After thebridge is installed, the temporary bridge will be removed and the arearehabilitated. The road is scheduled to remain open throughout theconstruction period, although several short closures may be requiredduring placement of the bridge girders. The project is scheduled to becompleted by early to mid-January. Meanwhile, a contractor will beginwork later this month to remove timber and storm debris from the Elwhaand Sol Duc areas. Visitors are urged to use caution as large truckswill be used to haul the timber and debris out of the park. [BarbMaynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Thursday, September 20, 2007
Olympic NP
Missing Hiker Found After Two-Day Search

A search began on Tuesday for a solo hiker who wasreported missing on Sunday, September 16th. J.S., 60, hadplanned a seven-day trip through the Bailey Range, a well-knownoff-trail route through rugged and remote terrain. J.S. was describedby friends and family members as a strong and safety-conscious hiker whoplans and prepares carefully for his hikes. A map and description ofJ.S.'s itinerary, which he prepared before leaving home, providedsearchers with important information about his planned route and campsites. J.S. was last seen on Monday, September 10th, when he left theSol Duc Hot Springs Resort to begin his hike at the Sol Duc trailhead.He planned to traverse the Bailey Range and end his hike on Sunday,September 16th, at the North Fork Quinault trailhead. Searchersconcentrated their efforts along J.S.'s intended route, with fourobservers searching from a helicopter and approximately 15 on theground. The search ended happily around 12:30 on Wednesday afternoonwhen he was spotted by the crew of a helicopter near Bear Pass in thesouthern Bailey Range, about five miles north of Low Divide. Thehelicopter was able to land nearby. When searchers contacted J.S.,they found that he was in relatively good condition, though sore andslightly injured from a minor fall. He was flown out of the park and wasevaluated by ranger-EMTs. He declined further medical treatment. [BarbMaynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Monday, October 15, 2007
Olympic NP
Missing Fisherman Found By Searchers

A search for an overdue fisherman in the Sol Duc Valleycame to a happy conclusion on Friday when C.K. was found safeand well along the North Fork Sol Duc River. C.K., a lieutenant withEast Jefferson Fire-Rescue, went fishing on Thursday afternoon with twofriends along the river, which is located about 30 miles west of PortAngeles. The section of river they were fishing is remote and accessibleonly by trail. The three began their fishing/hiking trip at the NorthFork Sol Duc trailhead, about a mile south of Salmon Cascades along theSol Duc Road. They planned to fish and walk downstream along the riverabout three miles to the point where it meets Sol Duc Road. Afterwalking down river for about a mile, C.K. and his fishing partnersseparated, with C.K. continuing downstream while the other tworeturned to the trailhead. When C.K. failed to meet his twocompanions that evening, a hasty search was begun and continued untildark. The search resumed early Friday morning, with many of C.K.'sco-workers working on their own time to assist park staff with thesearch. C.K. was located, tired but in good health, at approximately12:45 p.m., just shy of his intended destination. [Barb Maynes, PublicAffairs Officer]

Wednesday, November 28, 2006
Olympic National Park (WA)
Access Restored To Quinault Area

The Finley Creek bridge along the Quinault North Shore Road, whichwas heavily damaged during the November 6th storm, reopened lastWednesday. With both the North Shore and South Shore Roads reopened,access has been restored to the entire Quinault Loop. The Hoh Road andvisitor area remain closed because of extensive damage along that road.This temporary closure includes the campground, trails, road and otherfacilities. Park staff and Federal Highways Administration engineerscontinue to develop options for restoring emergency access across the75-foot long washout at West Twin Creek. All park roads are now openwith the exception of:

• Staircase Road — The road is closed outside the park due tounstable soils caused by this summer's Bear Gulch 2 Fire.
• Dosewallips Road — Closed outside the park boundary because ofa washout.
• Deer Park Road — Closed for the season.
• Sol Duc Road — Closed because of fallen trees and debris on theroad.
• Hoh Road — Closed, as noted above.
• Queets Road — Closed at Matheny Creek because of a slide andwashout.
• North Fork Road and Graves Creek Road in the Quinault Valley —Both remain closed because of storm damage.

For current road information, people should call the Olympic NationalPark recorded road and weather information line at 360-565-3131.[Submitted by Barb Maynes, Public Information Officer]

Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Pacific Northwest Parks
Storm Hammers Region, Causing Some Park Problems

The storm that struck the Pacific Northwest early this week causedsome problems in parks throughout the region, with the most seriousoccurring at Olympic. Here's a roundup:

Olympic NP - High winds and heavy rains dropped treesthroughout the park and caused a record-breaking rise in the ElwhaRiver. The river reached a record high level on Monday when it peaked at24.65 feet, 4.65 feet above flood stage. The previous high stage wasrecorded in November 1949, when the river peaked at 24.2 feet at theMcDonald Bridge gage. The river rose 14 feet in the 24 hours thatpreceded its record-setting stage. At the river's peak stage, 32,500cubic feet per second (cfs) of water was flowing past the McDonaldBridge gage; 24 hours earlier, the flow was only 658 cfs. The riverlevel began dropping yesterday, and was predicted to drop below floodstage by late afternoon.

On Tuesday, park crews began cutting their way through numerousdowned trees in an effort to access park entrance roads, make damageassessments, and begin repairs to damage caused by the storm. OnlyKalaloch was open yesterday, and the park was not recommending travel tothat area. With Highway 101 closed at Lake Crescent and Highway 112 onlyrecently reopened, staff have been challenged in reaching the park'swest side destinations. Yesterday morning, maintenance and ranger staffwere ferried across Lake Crescent by boat in order to reach the area.The summary of known damage follows:

Elwha Dam - Shortly after the river hit its peak, floodwater beganentering the Elwha Dam powerhouse. Bureau of Reclamation employees putEmergency Response Level 1 into effect, which is primarily anotification and preparation phase. All appropriate emergency contactswere notified. The next step would have been to evacuate the powerhouse,but this didn't happen because the waters began to drop. Assessments onTuesday revealed only minor damage to one of the log booms at the dam,which can easily be repaired. At the height of the flood, the operatorswere holding back some water behind the Glines Canyon Dam further upriver, while all ten spill gates were open at the Elwha Dam.

Hurricane Ridge Road - Crews have cleared two rockslides from theroad and are assessing possible damage to the Hurricane Ridge VisitorCenter. Wind speeds of up to 86 miles an hour were recorded on the ridgeon Monday. The Heart O' the Hills campground remains closed due toearlier damage from a November 12th windstorm.

Elwha - The Olympic Hot Springs Road is closed at the park boundaryas crews continue to assess flood damage. Rangers report that many sitesin the Altair campground have been washed away by the high flows.

Lake Crescent - Highway 101 is closed around Lake Crescent betweenmileposts 222 and 232. The westbound lane of Highway 101 was severelydamaged when a debris flow blocked a culvert and diverted water over theroad about four miles west of Barnes Point.

Sol Duc Road - A mudslide 5 feet deep and 60 feet wide is coveringthe Sol Duc Road about a half-mile south of Salmon Cascades. Damagebeyond that point has not yet been assessed.

Hoh Rain Forest - The Hoh Road is closed, with water flowing over theroad at Snyder Creek within the park as well as outside the parkboundary. Just over 14 inches of rain were recorded at the Hoh VisitorCenter in the past 48 hours.

Mora - The Mora area remains closed pending damage assessments.

Quinault Rain Forest - Over seven inches of rain fell in the QuinaultValley between December 2nd and 3rd and high winds toppled many trees.The North Shore Quinault Road is closed by downed trees and electricallines and crews are working today to reopen the road. The North Fork andGraves Creek Roads remain closed.

Ozette - The Hoko-Ozette is closed with downed trees and powerlines.

Dosewallips, Staircase and Queets Roads - The roads remain closed dueto previous damage and unsafe conditions. The Deer Park Road is closedfor the season.

Further information about park roads and facilities will be releasedonce it is available. For current road information, people should callthe Olympic National Park recorded road and weather information line at360-565-3131.

[Chuck Young, Chief Ranger, MORA; Barb Maynes, Public AffairsOfficer, OLYM; Dave Brennan, Chief Ranger, CRLA; Dennis Stanchfield,Maintenance, NOCA; Karen Newton, PWRO]

Thursday, December 6, 2007
Olympic NP
Update On Recovery From Storm Impacts

The park continues to recover from the severe storm that struck theregion earlier this week. As park crews gain access to roads andfacilities, additional damage has been discovered in some areas, whileother roads have reopened. Phone and electrical service are still out inthe park's western areas. A summary of known damage follows:

Hurricane Ridge Road - A major slide near the Switchback Trailbrought mud, debris and water over the road. Once the slide was cleared,workers were able to spot several areas of extensive damage to the roadshoulder along the downhill lane. The road will remain closed thisweekend to allow crews to fully assess the damage and begin repairs. TheHeart O' the Hills campground is closed due to earlier damage from theNovember 12th windstorm.

Quinault Valley - The North Shore and South Shore Quinault Roads areclosed due to downed trees and electrical lines. Crews are continuing tocut their way through the trees to reopen the roads. There is noelectrical or phone service at Quinault. The North Fork and Graves CreekRoads remain closed and have not been assessed yet.

Hoh Road - The Hoh Road is closed at its intersection with Highway101. One lane of the road was washed out within Jefferson County; minordamage has also occurred within the park.

Elwha - The Olympic Hot Springs Road, the Whiskey Bend Road and Elwhacampground have all reopened. Elwha Valley's Altair campground was notas severely damaged as initially thought; receding floodwaters haverevealed many sites to be damaged by the flooding, but no sites orstructures were lost. The Altair campground is closed throughout thewinter season.

Lake Crescent area - Highway 101 has reopened in the Lake Crescentarea. Both the East Beach and Camp David Junior roads are open andcleared.

Sol Duc Road - The Sol Duc Road remains closed due to a mudslideabout a half-mile south of Salmon Cascades.

Mora - The Mora area has reopened, including the Mora campground.

Ozette - The Ozette area is closed with downed trees and powerlines.

Dosewallips, Staircase and Queets Roads - The roads remain closed dueto previous damage and unsafe conditions.

Deer Park Road - The road is closed for the season.

Groups and individuals interested in volunteering to help the parkwith storm recovery are urged to check the park's website. Once damageassessments are complete, volunteer opportunities will be posted atHYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/olym" http://www.nps.gov/olym . Forcurrent road information, people should call the Olympic National Parkrecorded road and weather information line at 360-565-3131. [BarbMaynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Thursday, December 13, 2007
Olympic NP
Storm Damage Keeps Hurricane Ridge Road Closed

Damage to Hurricane Ridge Road increased this week as the slopebeneath the road continued to erode following last week'srecord-breaking storm. The road will remain closed this weekend as crewsinstall Jersey barriers and traffic safety signs and continue monitoringthe stability of the road and the slope beneath it. Initial assessmentsmade last week revealed damage to the road shoulder; an inspection onTuesday showed that the road itself is being undercut. The most heavilydamaged site is located just above the Switchback Trailhead, about twomiles below Hurricane Ridge. A total of three sites along the road havebeen reduced to one lane. The damage was initially caused by a majorslide near the Switchback Trail that brought mud and debris onto theroad. The slide caused water to overflow the road, leading to extensiveerosion and slumping along the downhill edge. A road engineer from theFederal Highways Administration was to join park maintenance officialson Wednesday to inspect the three areas of slope failure and road damageand develop a strategy for repair. Other Olympic National Park roads arealso closed due to storm damage. A summary follows:

Sol Duc Valley - The Sol Duc Road remains closed due to a mudslideabout a half-mile south of Salmon Cascades, along with downed trees.

Hoh Road - The Hoh Road is closed at milepost 7.8 within JeffersonCounty (outside the park boundary), where one lane of the road waswashed out. Minor damage has also occurred within the park.

Queets - The Queets Road is closed due to water damage and downedtrees. The park road crew is working this week to restore access to theQueets.

Quinault Valley - The North Shore Road is open from the Highway 101intersection to just past the Clark Spur Road. Beyond that point theroad is closed to all traffic due to downed trees and other damage. TheSouth Shore Quinault Road is closed at the park boundary; 400 feet ofroadway were washed away by the December 3rd flooding and many trees aredown. The Graves Creek Road is closed with severe damage at sixlocations, including areas where the road is completely gone. The NorthFork Road is littered with downed trees and remains closed.

Staircase - While the Staircase area is closed for the winter season,park crews have made an initial damage assessment. The Staircase accessroad outside the park boundary is covered with gravel and debris as aresult of last week's storm and flooding. Within the park, both theStaircase Road and Staircase Campground sustained damage from floodingalong the North Fork Skokomish River.

Elwha, Lake Crescent, Mora and Ozette Areas - These areas remainopen. Visitors are urged to use caution when traveling through the park,though, and to come prepared for a variety of weather conditions.They're also advised to be prepared for damaged trails and downed trees.

Groups and individuals interested in volunteering to help the parkwith storm recovery are urged to check the park's website. Once damageassessments are complete, volunteer opportunities will be posted on thepark's volunteer page at HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/olym"http://www.nps.gov/olym. For current road information, people shouldcall the Olympic National Park recorded road and weather informationline at 360-565-3131. An online photo gallery of storm damage is postedat HYPERLINK"http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/current-closures.htm". [BarbMaynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Olympic NP
Lost Skier Rescued From Hurricane Hill

On the afternoon of Saturday, December 29th, R.K.,53, became disoriented while skiing in blizzard conditionsnear Hurricane Hill. He stopped and dug a snow cave, then called thepark via cell phone to report his situation. Rangers were able to talkto him only briefly before the call was dropped, but were able to gathersome information about his surroundings and probable location. A searchwas conducted for him the evening, primarily along Hurricane Hill Road,and two rescuers attempted to sky beyond the road's end. They had toturn back, though, due to the blizzard and hazardous avalancheconditions. Six rescuers skied to the hill on Sunday morning in three tofour feet of deep powder snow, high winds and very poor visibility. Theyreached R.K. around 1 p.m. and found him to be in good condition.He was able to ski out with his rescuers. About a dozen park staff, tenvolunteers from Bremerton-based Olympic Mountain Rescue, employees ofthe Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club and personnel from the U.S. CoastGuard Air Station Port Angeles participated in the search and rescueeffort. [Barb Maynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Monday, February 4, 2008
Olympic NP
Update On Recovery From December Storm

Despite nearly two months of intensive work by park crews, damagefrom the record-breaking storm of December 3rd continues to restrictpublic access to many park areas. An overview of damage follows:

Quinault Rain Forest - Portions of the North Shore and South ShoreRoads remain open, but the Quinault Loop Road is inaccessible. Toprotect public safety and allow safe operation of heavy equipment,sections of the North Shore, South Shore, North Fork and Graves CreekRoads are closed to all public entry, including foot and bicycle access.Restoring access to the Quinault loop is one of the park's toppriorities. Barring any future storms, plans are to reopen the loop roadwith temporary repairs by the end of March. The North Shore Road iscurrently open from Highway 101 approximately 11 miles to Clark Hill,giving area residents access to their homes. The road is closed to allpublic access east of the gate at Clark Hill to allow work crews andheavy equipment to make repairs. The South Shore Road is open fromHighway 101 to the park boundary, but is closed to all public accessbeyond that point because of extensive damage. A 750-foot-long sectionof road washed out during the December 3rd flood and another150-foot-long section of road is covered by rock and debris. Otherdamage includes bank erosion and numerous trees blown down across theroad. Although long term repairs will be necessary to maintain access,park crews are planning to make emergency repairs in order to restorepublic access by the end of March. The North Fork Road was covered byhundreds, if not thousands, of trees during the windstorm. While parkcrews have succeeded in clearing about half of the road's length, morework is needed before the road can be opened. The campground sustainedsome flood damage and downed trees. The Graves Creek Road was severelydamaged in three locations along its 6.3 mile length from floodwaters ofthe Quinault River. The road was also damaged at six other locations byheavy rain, runoff and downed trees. The park is developing alternativesto permanently repair the damaged roadway to provide more sustainableaccess along the South Shore Road and Graves Creek Road. Options mayinclude the design and placement of engineered log jams and bank barbsalong portions of the roadway to better protect the road whileprotecting and improving habitat for fish.

Queets Valley - The Lower Queets Road is currently closed because ofsnow, but has been open as far as Matheny Creek. The road has beenclosed beyond that point since 2005 due to a landslide. Access to theUpper Queets Valley is expected to open by the end of March, althoughthe campground will likely open later to allow crews time to repairstorm damage.

Hoh Rain Forest - The Hoh Road is closed outside the park boundarybecause of flood damage. There is currently two feet of snow at the HohRain Forest Visitor Center. Weather and snow conditions permitting, theroad is expected to open by the end of February.

Coastal Destinations - The park's road-accessible coastaldestinations (Kalaloch, Mora, Ozette) are open, including all roads,campgrounds and trailheads. Coastal trails and wilderness travel routeshave not been fully assessed, so hikers should use caution and beprepared for washouts.

Sol Duc Valley - The Sol Duc Road is closed because of snow and a mudand debris slide that crossed the road just above Salmon Cascades. Parkcrews anticipate opening the road by March 1st - in time for springopening of the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort.

Lake Crescent - All roads in the Lake Crescent area are open, butvisitors are urged to use caution when hiking as trails in the area havenot yet been fully assessed.

Elwha Valley - Roads in the Elwha Valley are in generally goodcondition, but may close in the event of snow or ice. The ElwhaCampground is open. The Altair Campground sustained some damage fromflooding during the December 3rd storm, but is scheduled to open overMemorial Day weekend for the summer season.

Hurricane Ridge Road - Weather and road conditions permitting,Hurricane Ridge Road is open Friday through Sunday through March 30th,along with Presidents Day, February 18th. The road may close at any timebecause of heavy snow, high winds, high avalanche danger or a fullparking lot. The road was damaged by rain and runoff during the December3rd storm, leading to three sites that are now only one lane in width.These sites will be repaired during the two-year repaving project set tobegin this spring.

Dosewallips Road - The road remains closed because of a washoutoutside the park boundary.

Staircase - Staircase Road is closed for the season. It sustainedmajor damage during the December storm, both within and outside of thepark boundary. Staff from Olympic National Park are working closelywith Olympic National Forest personnel to develop a strategy forreopening the road by the summer season. Five riverside sites in theStaircase Campground were lost to floodwaters along the North ForkSkokomish River, but the campground is expected to open for the summerseason.

Park Trails - With over ten feet of snow at the park's higherelevations, little is known about many of the park's trail conditions.More information will be available once snow begins to melt later in theyear. Hikers are urged to use caution and to be prepared for numerousdowned trees as well as damaged or washed out trails, along withchangeable winter weather conditions. When available, current trailcondition reports are posted at the Olympic National Park website,HYPERLINK "http://www.nps.gov/olym/".

[Barb Maynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Friday, March 14, 2008
Olympic NP
Suicide Victim Found On Shore Of Lake Crescent

Rangers and an NPS special agent checked out a report of abody found on the shoreline of Lake Crescent on February 22nd. The man'sbody was found with a fatal gunshot wound, evidence indicating anapparent suicide. Although the investigation was hampered by lack ofidentifying documents or an associated vehicle, the body was nonethelessidentified within several hours through a collaborative effort byinvestigators and members of the public in the immediate area.Information found at the scene revealed that the weapon had beenpurchased recently at a store in Port Angeles, and the agent was able toobtain footage of the man purchasing the weapon. Autopsy informationfurther confirmed his identity. A chilling aspect of the investigationis that the man had carried his shotgun undetected through the groundsof Olympic Park Institute, an educational facility with numerouschildren, educators and staff on site. [Mark O'Neill, Lake DistrictRanger]

Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Olympic NP
Park Truck Driver's Actions Avert Tragedy

A park dump truck laden with sand lost its brakes lastFriday morning on the grade down Mount Angeles road heading into PortAngles. It crossed Park Avenue and Lauridsen Boulevard, passing schoolchildren waiting to cross the street, then turned onto its side at NightStreet, skidding for a block before coming to a stop just short of theEighth Street intersection. Witnesses praised driver Paul Duce forslowing the truck down as much as he could be dumping its load to reduceweight and lowering the blade of his snowplow onto the pavement. Theblade appeared to catch the curb near Ninth Street, tipping the truckonto its side. Duce was treated and released from Olympic MedicalCenter; nobody else was hurt. According to news reports, at least a halfdozen people told police that Duce should be given an award for hisactions. Duce, a park employee since 1982 and a heavy equipment operatorthe past five-and-a-half years, spreads sand regularly on often-snowyHurricane Ridge Road and removes rocks that have slipped to thepavement. He was on his way back from that duty when he discovered hisbrakes didn't work. He called 911 to tell Port Angeles police hecouldn't stop the truck. When he saw cars waiting at the traffic lightat Race and Eighth streets, he knew he'd have to tip the truck. Parkspokesperson Barb Maynes quoted him as saying, "I wasn't going to runinto the back of those people without doing something to try to stop."David Goldstein of Port Angeles was driving his car directly in front ofDuce's truck. "I looked back in my mirror. It was rather unsettling tosee sparks from his plow blade," Goldstein told police. "He probablysaved my life. His quick thinking and actions probably saved my life andthose of others." [Peninsula Daily News]

HYPERLINK "http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080504/NEWS/805040302"

Thursday, July 10, 2008
Olympic NP
Injured Climber Rescued From Mount Deception

On the afternoon of July 4th, a backcountry ranger onpatrol on the rugged east side of the park received a report that a17-year-old boy had fallen approximately 100 feet while descending MountDeception and had sustained serious head injuries. The ranger enlistedassistance from a nearby mountaineering group in order to reach thevictim's position while a US Coast Guard rescue helicopter was launchedfrom Air Station Port Angeles. The USCG helicopter located the boy justas the backcountry ranger was arriving at the scene of the accident,which was in a narrow chute on the south side of Mount Deception. Thehelicopter was forced to divert for additional fuel prior to attemptingthe hoist, so the ranger, one of the Good Samaritan mountaineers and theinjured climber's partner treated and stabilized him. The Coast Guardhelicopter returned a second time, but again had to abandon its rescueeffort because the helicopter's hoist cable was not long enough to reachthe victim, who was at the bottom of the chute. A Navy rescue helicopterfrom Whidbey Island Naval Air Station with longer hoist capability wasdispatched to the park and reached the scene as darkness fell. Facedwith the probability that the boy would not survive the night, the Navycontinued operations until well after dark, performing a night hoist inthe steep canyon. The boy was successfully hoisted aboard the helicopterjust before 11 p.m. and flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.At last report, he was in serious but stable condition. [KevinHendricks, Chief Ranger]

Monday, July 28, 2008
Olympic NP
NPS Firefighter Killed On Iron Complex Fire

Andrew Palmer, an 18-year-old National Park Servicefirefighter based in Olympic National Park, was killed Friday whileclearing trees in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in northernCalifornia.

Director Bomar has ordered that all flags throughout theNational Park System - except for those on the National Mall - belowered to half staff and remain at half staff until the funeral.Employees should also wear black ribbons on their badges, if available,and may wear black mourning devices if in civilian clothes.

Director Bomar issued the following statement on behalf ofthe 20,000 men and women of the National Park Service.

"The collective hearts of the National Park Service go outto Andrew's family. While the loss of any member of the NPS team is asad event, Andrew's life was only beginning. He was filled with theenergy and passion of youth, and he sought to give back to our nation byprotecting the land from the ravages of fire. He took on a difficultjob, and served our nation well, in the finest tradition of the NationalPark Service. His courage and spirit will live on in all of us, and willinspire us to do all we can to preserve the special places in ournation."

Olympic National Park staff have been deeply saddened bythe tragedy. Superintendent Karen Gustin added her sentiments to thedirector's: "We mourn Andy's death and offer our support and deepestcondolences to his family."

Palmer's four-person engine crew was dispatched lastTuesday, July 22nd, to the Eagle Fire, part of the Iron Complex inShasta-Trinity National Forest. Last Friday was their first day on thefire line. Palmer was fatally injured when he was struck by a fallingtree.

An accident investigation team is being assembled and willbe co-led by National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service personnel.More information will be released as it becomes available.

The rest of Palmer's crew returned to Olympic NationalPark earlier on Saturday. A critical incident stress management team isnow in the park to provide support and assistance to the park's firecrew and staff.

Condolences should be sent to Bob and Janet Palmer, 1536Washington Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368. A fund will be establishedby the Wildland Firefighter Foundation in Andrew's name. The foundationis on-line at HYPERLINK "http://wffoundation.org/".

Additional information on the funeral and on the date forflags to be returned to full staff will appear in future editions.

Friday, August 1, 2008
Olympic NP
Andy Palmer Memorial Service Update

A memorial service celebrating the life of Andrew Palmer will be heldat 10:00 a.m. on Monday in McCurdy Pavilion at Ford Worden State Park inWashington. Andy, 18, was fatally injured in a tree falling accidentwhile on a fire assignment in Northern California. The Palmer familywelcomes those who mourn Andy's loss to attend the service. In lieu offlowers, donations may be made in Andy's name. A scholarship fund hasbeen created in Andy's memory to be shared by the Port Angeles and PortTownsend High Schools. Make your donations to the Port Townsend HighSchool Scholarship Foundation, 538 Calhoun Street, Port Townsend, WA98368. Donations may also be made to the National Wildland FirefighterFoundation HYPERLINK "http://wffoundation.org/"http://wffoundation.org/.

Fort Worden is on the Olympic Peninsula in Port Townsend, Washington.The nearest large airport is Seatac. The Edmonds to Kingston ferry isthe most direct ferry route to the area. Allow additional travel timedue to road work on the peninsula and traffic congestion related to theservice. All uniformed personnel are asked to meet at the McCurdyPavilion at 8:45 a.m. Fire Service agencies bringing engines should planto meet at Blue Heron Middle School, 3939 San Juan Ave in Port Townsend.The engine procession will depart the school at 8:30 a.m. An area insidethe pavilion will be designated for the media. Media representativesplanning to attend should arrive by 9:00 a.m. in order to check in andset up prior to the service. The Palmer family will not be available totalk to the media the day of the service. The service is scheduled tolast approximately one hour with a reception following. Flags are to beflown at half staff through dusk on Monday and will be returned to fullstaff thereafter. [Patti Wold, IO, Western IMT]

Thursday, September 4, 2008
Olympic NP
Rangers Rescue Injured Man from Bailey Range

A 41-year-old Auburn man was airlifted from the Bailey Range onSunday, August 31st, after falling about 150 feet down a steep slope.T.L. sustained multiple injuries, but was able to walk, with assistancefrom rangers, to a helicopter. He was flown to Fairchild InternationalAirport in Port Angeles, then transported via ambulance to OlympicMemorial Hospital. Rangers were alerted to T.L.'s injury atapproximately 11:20 a.m. on Sunday morning when the park's dispatchcenter was contacted by a personal locator beacon (PLB) service with theinformation that T.L.'s PLB had transmitted a 911 message. The 911message included T.L.'s precise location, using GPS coordinates. Threerangers responded by helicopter and found T.L. just south of Eleven BullBasin. Although he was still able to walk, the terrain was extremelysteep and unstable and rangers used a technical rope rescue in order tobring him to the helicopter landing area. The helicopter met the injuredman at approximately 7:10 p.m.; he reached the Fairchild InternationalAirport at about 7:30 p.m. Personal locator beacons use satellitetechnology to transmit location and brief messages. More information canbe found by going to HYPERLINK "http://www.sarsat.noaa.gov/" andclicking on "Emergency Beacons." The Bailey Range is an extremely ruggedarea of the park's wilderness and is recommended only for veryexperienced and fit hikers who are comfortable with route-finding andtraveling on steep, exposed slopes and loose rock. T.L. is described asbeing very experienced and fit; he fell after losing his balance onloose rocks. T.L. was in his second day of a planned five-day traverseof the trail-less Bailey Range. [Barb Maynes, Public AffairsOfficer]

Friday, September 26, 2008
Olympic NP
Three Lost Hikers Rescued From Mount Angeles

Park staff coordinated the rescue of three young peopleoff the summit shoulder of Mount Angeles on September 21st. Afterreaching the mountain's summit, they began their descent in fog, whichobscured the route and caused them to become disoriented. They attemptedto walk down the steep eastern shoulder, but eventually gave up. Justbefore darkness, one of them called 911, contacted park dispatch, andasked for help. Rangers were able to make voice contact, but were unableto lead them down due to darkness and steep terrain. Rangers and trailcrew members hiked in with rescue equipment the next morning, but theeffort failed because of fog and steep, unstable terrain. Five rangersthem climbed above the trio via the southeast ridge and were able toreach them. With improving visibility, the rangers were able to climbwithin 125 feet of them, but could not close the final distance. Becauseof waning daylight, lack of adequate anchors, and steep and unstablerock, an air evacuation was ordered. A helicopter from Whidbey IslandNaval Air Station arrived just before darkness and hoisted them out. Allwere wet and cold but otherwise okay. [Barb Maynes, Public AffairsOfficer]

Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Olympic NP
Injured Hiker Rescued

On September 2nd, a 65-year-old man from Montesano,Washington, fell 20 feet while traversing above the Elwha Snowfinger onthe Bailey Traverse. The man complained of head and back pain, somembers of his party of three activated their emergency SPOT beacon. Thepark had a light plane in the air doing wildfire reconnaissance at thetime - it was diverted to the reported location and spotted the group ofthree on a steep hillside signaling for help. Assistant FMO Todd Rankinand ranger Mike Danisiewicz were flown close to the location byhelicopter and Danisiewicz was able to scramble up the hillside to theinjured man and begin an assessment. He determined that a hoistevacuation would be required due to the hazardous terrain and extent ofthe man's injuries. Whidbey Island Naval Air Station responded with aBlackhawk and flew the man to Seattle's Harbor View Hospital. Hesuffered no internal injuries, but required eight liters of fluidbecause of severe dehydration. [Colin Smith, Chief Ranger]

Thursday, October 8, 2009
Olympic NP
Dive Team Assists In Murder Investigation

On September 28th, park dive team members recovered aweapon from the Bogachiel River near La Push, Washington. The ForksPolice Department asked that the team search for the gun, as it was acritical piece of evidence in a homicide case that had occurred a fewdays previously. The weapon was found by park dive officer Mark O'Neilland diver Mike Kalahar in 22 feet of water after a search that lastedabout two hours. The weapon was turned over to an investigator fromForks PD. A suspect has been charged in the case. [Mark O'Neill, LakeDistrict Ranger]

Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Olympic NP
Storm Causes Multiple Road Closures

A strong storm brought high winds and heavy rain and snowto the Washington coast and northwest interior of the state last week,knocking out power and causing road and area closures. A number of roadswere soon closed on the west side of the park so that trees could beremoved and damage could be assessed:

Hoh Road - The Hoh Road was closed at the park boundary.

Quinault Valley Roads - The North Shore Road was closeddue to downed trees and electrical lines, and the Graves Creek and theNorth Fork Roads were closed while awaiting assessments. There was alsono electrical service along the north shore of Lake Quinault.

Lower Queets Road - The road was closed due to water on the roadway.

Hurricane Ridge Road - The Hurricane Ridge Road was closeddue to snow. Park crews worked on clearing two slides.

As of yesterday, most of the roads had been cleared andreopened - Hoh, Sol Duc, North Shore and South Shore Quinault Roads,North Fork Road, Lower Queets Road. But the Graves Creek and UpperQueets Roads remained closed. It continues to be very wet and very snowyat higher elevations. There are 15-foot drifts in the Hurricane Ridgeparking lot - nearly unheard of for this early in the season. Forcurrent road information, people should call the Olympic National Parkrecorded road and weather information line at 360-565-3131. [BarbMaynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Thursday, July 8, 2010
Olympic NP
Park Volunteer Rescued After Serious Injury

A backcountry volunteer sustained a severe knee lacerationwhile post-holing through a snow-covered boulder field on Saturday, June26th. He suffered muscle and tendon damage and could not walk out on hisown. Rangers from the Lake, Sol Duc, Elwha, Hoh, and Mora subdistrictsresponded. The ensuing rescue evolved into an arduous overnight carryoutin sections of steep, difficult terrain. The injured volunteer wasevacuated by ambulance the next morning and taken to the Olympic MedicalCenter in Port Angeles for treatment. He is recovering nicely. [ColinSmith, Chief Ranger]

Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Olympic NP
Park Staff Assist In Fatal USCG Helicopter Crash

Rangers and members of the park's dive team responded to arequest for assistance in recovering US Coast Guard personnel involvedin a helicopter crash off shore of the Quileute Indian Reservation nearLa Push on July 7th. The Jayhawk helicopter broke into pieces andcrashed into the ocean after striking power lines suspended between theshore and James Island at the mouth of the Quillayute River. Members ofthe dive team, supported by a USCG boat crew, recovered the body of thefourth and last member of the flight crew to be accounted for in themulti-agency search effort. [Mark O'Neill, Park Dive Officer]

HYPERLINK "http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012308470_coptercrash09m.html"

Monday, October 18, 2010
Olympic NP
Hiker Fatally Injured In Encounter With Mountain Goat

Hiker R.B., 63, of Port Angeles died onSaturday afternoon after sustaining injuries in an encounter with amountain goat. The incident remains under investigation. Park staff wereon scene shortly after the initial report and provided emergency medicalassistance. R.B. was transported by Coast Guard helicopter toOlympic Medical Center in Port Angeles, where he was pronounced dead.Rangers responding to the incident were able to locate the goat, confirmits identity, and kill it. The goat will be transported to a veterinarypathologist for full analysis. The incident occurred on Klahhane Ridge,which is located near Hurricane Ridge, about 17 miles south of PortAngeles. [Colin Smith, Chief Ranger]

Thursday, October 21, 2010
Olympic NP
Investigation Continues Into Fatal Goring Of Hiker

The park is continuing foot patrols on and near KlahhaneRidge following Saturday's incident in which a 63-year-old hiker diedafter sustaining injuries from a mountain goat. Rangers and wildlifebiologists will be walking the Switchback Trail and Klahhane Ridge areadaily through the fall, closely observing other goats for any signs ofa*ggression towards people. Throughout the summer, rangers patrolled theKlahhane Ridge area four to five times each week. During these patrols,they monitored goat behavior and talked with hikers about theirobservations of goat behavior. Klahhane Ridge is about 17 miles south ofPort Angeles and is a popular hiking destination. It is also home toapproximately eight mountain goats, some of which are quite accustomedto seeing people. "We want to be sure that no other goat is behavingaggressively towards people," said Superintendent Karen Gustin."Saturday's tragic event was extremely unusual and we are doingeverything we can to learn as much as possible about it and to make surewe're doing everything we can to prevent something like this fromhappening again." The goat that fatally gored R.B. was killedshortly after the incident, following positive identification by therangers on scene. A necropsy of the goat was conducted Sunday evening bya veterinary pathologist and tissue samples were collected for fullanalysis. A preliminary report is expected within about a week. Theincident remains under investigation. [Barb Maynes, Public AffairsOfficer]

Monday, November 1, 2010
Olympic NP
Investigation Into Fatal Goat Goring Continues

The preliminary investigation of the October 16th fatalmountain goat goring near Klahhane Ridge has concluded and the findingswere consistent with initial accounts of the incident. Witnesses andothers in the area at the time describe an aggressive male mountain goatthat approached, followed and fatally gored R.B. while he washiking. Following the fatal encounter, the goat stood over R.B.until several visitors, including an off-duty National Park Serviceemployee, succeeded in scaring off the goat. First aid and CPR wereadministered at the scene and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter transportedR.B. to Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles, where he waspronounced dead. Following the incident, the goat was positivelyidentified by park rangers and destroyed. A necropsy and comprehensivetissue analysis were conducted on the goat and preliminary results havebeen released. A wide range of tests, including the initial visualexamination during necropsy, followed by microscopic study of the majororgans and a battery of diagnostic tests, have not revealed any signs ofdisease or other physical abnormalities. The goat is estimated to haveweighed over 350 pounds. Tests for rabies virus, encephalitis virus,plague and tularemia revealed no evidence of those diseases. Saltconcentrations in the animal's urine were within normal limits. Tissueanalysis showed that the goat was in breeding condition or "rut."Additional diagnostic tests for several diseases are still ongoing,including listeria and chronic wasting disease, as are several chemicalassessments for key nutrients. Rangers and wildlife biologists conducteddaily goat behavior monitoring patrols during the week of October 18th,but these have not continued since snowfall began on October 24th -nearly two feet of snow is now on the ground at Hurricane Ridge. Up toeight goats were seen in a day but there were no observations ofa*ggressive mountain goat behavior. Some goats appeared to be habituatedto human presence, but quickly moved away when people yelled or wavedtheir arms. Patrols will resume this fall if weather and snow conditionspermit. Once winter weather begins, mountain goats typically move totheir winter range, which varies from herd to herd. Winter range forgoats in the Hurricane/Klahhane area is primarily along a rocky,windswept ridge north and east of Klahhane Ridge. Park biologists, incollaboration with biologists from neighboring land and wildlifemanagement agencies, have solicited and have been receiving informationabout mountain goat-human interactions from across the animals' range.Park staff will incorporate all new information learned through thisincident into the park's nuisance and hazardous animal plan. [BarbMaynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Monday, March 14, 2011
Pacific Coastline Parks
Tsunami Causes Little Damage To Parks

The 8.9 earthquake that struck Japan last Friday - thefifth largest quake in the world since 1900 and nearly 8,000 timesstronger than the one that recently devastated Christchurch, New Zealand- produced a tsunami that crossed the open and came up on the shores ofpark beaches from Guam to the West Coast. No visitor or employeeinjuries have been reported. The following summarizes reports submittedfrom all affected areas:

Olympic - No impacts - the surge there was less than a foot.

[Dean Ross, Deputy Chief of Emergency Services, WASO;Karen Gatewood, Acting Regional Chief Ranger, PWRO; Steve Chaney,Superintendent, REDW; Kim Coast, Acting Chief Ranger, GOGA; JohnQuinley, Public Affairs, ARO]

Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Olympic NP
Injured Hiker Evacuated From Lake Crescent Area

A 15-year-old boy who sustained leg injuries in a falllate Sunday afternoon has been flown out of the area in a coordinatedrescue effort involving rangers and U.S. Coast Guard and Clallam CountySearch & Rescue personnel. The boy was day hiking on the PyramidPeak Trail with members of his family on Sunday when he fellapproximately 150 feet down a 400-foot rock slide that crosses thetrail, sustaining leg injuries that prevented him from walking out. Thepark was notified of the accident around 4 p.m. and had a rescue teamonsite by 7 p.m. A second team of rangers arrived shortly thereafter.Due to the extremely steep terrain and inclement weather, an after-darkrescue was ruled out, so the rangers set up an overnight shelter for theboy and his father and stayed with them through the night. Weatherconditions remained favorable throughout Monday morning, and a U.S.Coast Guard rescuer was lowered to the ground with a rescue basket inthe late morning. Personnel from the park and county SAR team and theCoast Guard rescuer prepared the hiker to be airlifted out. He was thenhoisted in the basket up to the helicopter and transported to PortAngeles. The Pyramid Peak Trail is located on the north side of LakeCrescent and approximately 20 miles west of Port Angeles. [Barb Maynes,Public Affairs Officer]

Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Olympic NP
Rangers Assist In Local Homicide Investigation

On April 12th, the Mason County Sheriff's Office askedrangers to assist with a domestic homicide which occurred at a LakeCushman residence just outside the southeast corner of the park. A localresident had reported that he had shot his wife at her request due toher failing health. Rangers were requested because of an extendedresponse time by sheriff's deputies. Ranger Ken Davis was first on sceneand provided containment while waiting for Mason County deputies toarrive. The man was cooperative when contacted and taken into custody.Davis also assisted with clearing the inside of the house andoutbuildings. The victim was found inside the house and pronounced deadon scene. Mason County is conducting the investigation. [Colin Smith,Chief Ranger]

Monday, May 14, 2012
Olympic NP
Missing Hiker Found After Three Day Search

The search for a missing hiker came to a successfulconclusion early Saturday morning when he was hoisted from a drainagenear the Irely Lake loop trail by a county sheriff's office rescuehelicopter. D.S., 55, was dehydrated, slightly hypothermic andtired, but otherwise appeared in good condition. He was transported to alocal hospital for further examination.

D.S. was reported overdue on Wednesday morning when hefailed to return to work after a planned day hike on the trail. He'dbegun his day hike on Monday afternoon with the intention of returningthat afternoon. When he reached Three Lakes around 9 p.m., he attemptedto loop back to the trailhead via a shortcut, but deep snow on theridges and steep terrain in the drainage trapped him near the creek.

The park began a search for him on Wednesday afternoon. OnThursday, observers in a search helicopter spotted tracks in the snowthat led to the drainage near the Irely Lake loop trail. Groundpersonnel began tracking D.S. from that point. A King County heatsensing HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FLIR" FLIR helicopter was brought in on Friday night toassist in the search. The helicopter's crew spotted a light sourcearound midnight and D.S. was located with the FLIR about a half hourlater. A second helicopter with a hoist was brought in at first lightand lifted D.S. out.

Over 40 people were involved in the search, includingpersonnel from Olympic National Park and Olympic Mountain Rescue. Theywere aided by a German shepherd search dog team from Pierce County andpersonnel searching from the helicopters.

[Rainey McKenna, Public Affairs Specialist]

Thursday, August 30, 2012
Olympic NP
Missing Hiker Found By Searchers

The search for 32-year-old hiker T.B. came to asuccessful conclusion yesterday evening when he was hoisted from adrainage of the North Fork of the Sol Duc River by a U.S. Coast Guardrescue helicopter. T.B. sustained an injury to his left ankle butotherwise appeared to be in good condition. He was transported toOlympic Medical Center in Port Angeles for further examination. T.B.was reported overdue on Sunday evening when he failed to return from aplanned three-day backpack trip in the Sol Duc area of the park. He leftfrom the Aurora Ridge trailhead on Friday morning, planning to hikeAurora Ridge and Happy Lake Ridge and return by way of the North Fork ofthe Sol Duc River by Sunday afternoon. On Saturday, he fellapproximately 150 feet down the side of a drainage, sustaining theinjury to his left ankle. "He did all the right things," said IC KristinKirschner. "Once he realized he would not be able to get out of thecanyon under his own power, he stayed where he was, made himself asvisible as possible, built a large signal fire, and waited for help."Search efforts by park SAR teams began on Tuesday morning. On Wednesdayafternoon, search teams on the ground reported hearing a sound similarto gunshots. The searchers were able to direct a helicopter to thelocation of the sound and at approximately 3:35 p.m. visual contact wasmade with T.B. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter that was hoist capablewas brought in at approximately 6 p.m. to hoist T.B. from thedrainage. Approximately twenty personnel from Olympic National Park wereinvolved in the search, aided by a helicopter from HiLine HelicoptersInc. [Rainey McKenna]

Monday, October 15, 2012
Olympic NP
Rangers Participate In Interagency Enforcement Operation

Over a two-day period in mid-September, rangersparticipated in an interagency enforcement operation to "cooperativelydevelop, test and evaluate procedures and protocols in responding tothreats to our national borders" and ports on the Olympic Peninsula. Toassist in this effort, rangers conducted a traffic emphasis during twonight shift patrols on Highway 101, the most heavily used throughway fortraffic between Port Angeles and seaports to the south and west. Theymade over 106 vehicle stops and issued citations for a variety oftraffic, vehicle, drug and paraphernalia possession related violations.Several individuals with misdemeanor warrants out against them - and onewith a felony warrant - were taken into custody and transported to theClallam County jail. Search dogs and detectives from OPNET (the localdrug task force) assisted in the effort. Other agencies involved in thenorth Olympic Peninsula-wide effort included US Customs and BorderProtection (including both air and marine units), the Coast Guard,Washington State Patrol, Clallam County Sheriff's Office, Port AngelesPolice Department, Sequim Police Department, Neah Bay Police Department,Civil Air Patrol, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, and Elwha PoliceDepartment. [Colin Smith, Chief Ranger]

Thursday, October 18, 2012
Olympic NP
Highway 101 Closed Along Lake Crescent

Highway 101 along Lake Crescent was closed yesterdayfollowing a rock slide that occurred while construction crews wereworking on a rock bolting and scaling project on the cliff face next tothe road. Two men sustained minor injuries and an excavator was damagedby the falling rocks. Rocks up to six feet in diameter have covered a 10foot stretch of the road. Due to the nature of the loose rock,geotechnical engineers have been called in to examine the rock face anddetermine if it is stable enough to continue construction and reopen theroad. Until they determine that US 101 can be safely reopened, motoristswill be detoured onto State Routes 112 and 113. Current road informationis available by calling Olympic National Park's information line at360-565-3131 or online at the park's HYPERLINK"http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/current-road-conditions.htm"road conditions web page. [Barb Maynes, PublicAffairs Officer]

Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Olympic NP
Rangers Assist In Interagency Fugitive Arrest Operation

During the week of February 11th, protection rangersparticipated in a three-day-long interagency operation lead by the USMarshals Service to locate and capture fugitives with felony warrants inClallam and Jefferson Counties. Warrants were served in Port Angeles,Port Townsend, Sequim, Neah Bay, and Forks. Rangers worked with themarshals, Clallam County and Jefferson County Sheriff's Officesdeputies, Port Angeles PD, Sequim PD, Elwha PD, and WashingtonDepartment of Corrections officers, and US Homeland Security agents.During the serving of one of the warrants by a ranger and otherofficers, evidence was uncovered that the man arrested had been involvedin a large mail theft operation. Over 10,000 pieces of mail wererecovered in the arrest. [Colin Smith, Chief Ranger]

Thursday, July 11, 2013
Olympic NP
Search For Lost Foreign Visitor Comes To Successful Conclusion

On July 3rd, a day hiker used his cell phone to connectwith park dispatch and report that he had climbed up a steep slope, wasafraid to move, and needed assistance. A social economist from Poland,he had just attended an international economics symposium in Seattle andentered the backcountry equipped with only a water bottle, compass, map,and cell phone.

He spent the night in the backcountry without aflashlight, matches or warm clothing. During the second operationalperiod of the search, 24 hours later, searchers contacted him anddetermined that he was climbing out of the Ennis Creek drainage.

He was found to be in relatively good condition, havingsustained only minor scratches and bruises and having been thebeneficiary of exceptionally mild weather.

[Mark O'Neill, Acting Chief Ranger]

Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Olympic NP
Climber Killed In Fall On Mount Olympus

Early on the morning of Saturday, July 20th, park dispatchreceived a report that a climber had been seriously injured in a fall onMount Olympus. A short time later, the park received word that otherclimbers, including a paramedic, had reached the man and determined thathe'd died of his injuries.

The 28-year-old man was on the east face of the summitpeak on Mount Olympus when the accident occurred. The fall was witnessedby members of another climbing group that was on the mountain at thetime.

Rangers were flown via helicopter to Snow Dome on MountOlympus and climbed through melting and challenging snow conditions toreach and recover the climber's body. It was airlifted out to PortAngeles that evening.

[Barb Maynes, Public Affairs Specialist]

Friday, August 30, 2013
Olympic NP
Rangers Search Ozette Area For Overdue Day Hiker

Rangers are searching the Ozette area for a 71-year-oldSeattle man who's been missing since August 22nd.

B.J. headed out on that date for a planned two-to three-day trip to the Olympic Peninsula. Before leaving home, hespoke of plans to day hike on the Ozette Loop Trail. He was reportedoverdue the day before yesterday.

Rangers immediately began a hasty search for B.J. andlocated his truck in the Ozette Ranger station parking lot. Hasty teamssearched the Ozette Loop Trail, beach areas and Lake Ozette, and ahelicopter search was also conducted until dark. Six ground search teamsand two search dog teams were in the field yesterday to continue thesearch. A team also searched Lake Ozette via boat.

B.J. has white hair in a ponytail and blue eyes and is5'10" tall. Family members describe him as active and physically fit. He is believed to have been wearing blue jeans and to be carrying ablack day pack.

Anyone with clues or information regarding B.J.'swhereabouts is asked to call Olympic National Park at 360-565-3120.

[Barb Maynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Friday, September 6, 2013
Olympic NP
Rangers Continue Search For Missing Day Hiker

Rangers continue to investigate the disappearance of dayhiker B.L.J. of Seattle, Washington, who was reportedoverdue on Wednesday, August 28th. An intensive search of the LakeOzette area and adjacent Pacific Coast shoreline has failed to uncoverany clues to B.L.J.'s whereabouts.

Rangers continue to search for indications of B.L.J.'splans or location. A photo of B.L.J. has been sent to hikers who hadbackcountry permits for the north coast and Ozette area and may have hadcontact with him.

B.L.J., 71, left his home in Seattle and traveled to theOlympic Peninsula on Thursday, August 22nd. Family members reportedB.L.J. overdue on August 28th. Rangers located B.L.J.'s truck in theOzette Ranger Station parking lot immediately following receipt of thatreport.

Ground searchers and a helicopter were involved in thesearch effort on the first day, with additional ground searchers, boatsearchers and two search dog teams added on Thursday. On August 30th,five teams of ground searchers and three dog teams from Pierce CountySearch and Rescue continued the intensive effort to find B.L.J.

Search efforts have been concentrated in the area of thepopular nine-mile Ozette/Cape Alava/Sand Point/Ozette triangle hike,covering over 25 miles of the park's Pacific Coast from Shi Shi Beachsouth to the Norwegian Memorial, the Lake Ozette shoreline and nearbyroads and trails.

[Rainey McKenna, Public Affairs Officer]

Friday, July 18, 2014
Olympic NP
Pursuit Through Park Ends With Assault On Deputy

On July 10th, rangers responded to the report of a stolenvehicle about to enter the park from the west peninsula community ofForks, Washington.

Ranger Art Sandison spotted and pursued the vehicle onHighway 101 along the shores of Lake Crescent. The operator made a panicU-turn in the middle of the road, forced logging trucks and othervehicles off the roadway, and fled back toward Forks at high speeds.

Shortly after a county deputy joined in the pursuit, thedriver pulled over, stopped, and exited the vehicle. He refused to obeycommands until the deputy warned him that he would deploy his taser.When they attempted to handcuff him, though, he began to physicallyresist.

During the ensuing struggle, the deputy's taser wasknocked from his hand and picked up by the man, who attempted to fire itat the deputy. Sandison interceded, using his own taser to subdue theman and take him into custody.

Forks PD, Clallam County SO and the NPS will be chargingthe man with an assortment of offenses, including theft, first degreeassault, attempting to disarm a police officer and resisting arrest.

[Mark O'Neill, East District Ranger]

Monday, September 8, 2014 - REVISED
Olympic NP
Search Underway For Missing Backpacker

A search was begun late Saturday for K.H., a 64-yearold Bainbridge Island man who was two days overdue from an intendedsix-day, 39-mile hike in the northeast corner of of the park.

K.H. began his hike on Saturday, August 30th, setting outfrom the Obstruction Point Trailhead near Hurricane Ridge. Familymembers expected to meet him at the USFS Slab Camp Trailhead lastThursday afternoon. He was reported overdue on Thursday evening.

K.H.'s planned itinerary was to hike through Grand Valleyto Grand Pass, then continue over Cameron Pass, pass through DoseMeadows to Gray Wolf Pass, and follow the Gray Wolf Trail into theBuckhorn Wilderness in Olympic National Forest.

K.H. is described as being 6'5" tall and weighing 220pounds. He's carrying a blue backpack and wearing a blue MountainHardware stocking cap. He's believed to be carrying a blue-gray tent andto have orange flip flops and a fishing pole tied to his pack. Anyonewho's seen him or knows something about his possible whereabouts isasked to call the park at at 360-565-3120.

As of late yesterday, there were 16 searchers in thefield, including National Park Service employees and volunteers, plusvolunteers from Olympic Mountain Rescue, Clallam County Search andRescue, and German Shepherd Search Dogs.

[Barb Maynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Olympic NP
Missing Backpacker Emerges From Backcountry

Backpacker K.H., who had been missing for nearlyfour days in the northeast section of Olympic National Park, walked outto the Whiskey Bend Trailhead in the Elwha Valley yesterday morning.

K.H., who'd been the subject of a major search, was tiredand had suffered minor scrapes and bruises, but was otherwise okay.

K.H. was last seen by two other hikers in the Grand Valleyarea about four miles from his starting point at Obstruction Point. Hetold searchers that he lost the trail in very foggy, rainy conditions inthe area of Grand Pass and found himself heading west into the LillianRiver drainage rather than into the Cameron Creek drainage asplanned.

He said that once he realized his mistake and was able todetermine his location, he decided to continue hiking downstream alongthe Lillian River, knowing that he would eventually find the LillianRiver Trail, which would lead him to the Elwha River Trail and theWhiskey Bend Trailhead.

K.H.'s ad hoc Lillian River route involved eightmiles of extremely strenuous off-trail travel, which was much morerugged, difficult and time-consuming than he had anticipated, takingnearly four days longer than he had originally planned for his hike. Hereached the Whiskey Bend Trailhead this morning, where he encountered agroup of hikers who gave him a ride to the Elwha Ranger Station.

K.H. was well-equipped with food, a water filter, maps andcompass, the " HYPERLINK"http://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/wilderness-travel-basics.htm""CP_JUMP_30628" Ten Essentials" andappropriate gear.

K.H. began his hike on Saturday, August 30th, setting outfrom the Obstruction Point Trailhead near Hurricane Ridge. Familymembers expected to meet him at the USFS Slab Camp Trailhead onThursday afternoon.

Searchers who contributed to the effort include NationalPark Service employees and volunteers, an aircraft and crew fromWashington State Patrol, and volunteers from Olympic Mountain Rescue,Clallam County Search and Rescue, German Shepherd Search Dogs, KitsapCounty Search and Rescue and numerous community members.

[Barb Maynes, Public Affairs Officer]

Monday, December 29, 2014
Olympic NP
Major Search In Progress For Missing Day Hiker

Yesterday marked the fifth day of an ongoing interagencysearch for a 60-year-old Port Angeles man who failed to return from aday hike he took in the park last Monday.

Searchers from the park, Olympic Mountain Rescue, TacomaMountain Rescue, Clallam County SAR, Jefferson County SAR, and two dogteams from German Shepherd's Search Dogs continued to search the OlympicHot Springs area over the weekend.

J.G., who frequently hikes the two-and-a-half-miletrail to the hot springs, went for a day hike there on Monday, December22nd. On Wednesday, December 24th, around 10:00 p.m., friends reportedJ.G. overdue when he did not show up for Christmas Eve dinner.

Three NPS searchers began the search that evening andcontinued through the night. On Christmas Day, two two-person teamssearched for J.G. Several friends of J.G.s, including thereporting party, assisted in the efforts on both Thursday and Friday.

On the afternoon of Christmas Day, J.G.'s day pack waslocated 50 feet off trail about a half mile from the trailhead. OnFriday, eight search groups, including three dog teams, searched untildark. The park also attempted to use J.G.'s dog in the search, butthe dog was not able to indicate where J.G. might be.

On Saturday, 21 searchers and two dogs resumed the effortto find him. The search teams completed a grid search within 500 feet ofthe location where J.G.'s day pack was found. They covered the entiresearch area in a grid pattern about ten feet apart, but no clues werefound.

Park incident team members spoke to a couple on Saturdaywho had a conversation with J.G. at the hot springs. They believe heleft the springs around 4:00 p.m. on Monday, which would mean he hikedback in the dark.

On Sunday, three teams were in the field and were joinedby a group of J.G.'s friends. No sign of him was found. The searchwill be suspended today, but the investigation will continue.

Anyone who was at the Olympic Hot Springs, on the trail,or at the parking lot last Monday is asked to contact park dispatch at360-565-3115. Even the smallest piece of information might help in thesearch.

[Jacilee Wray, Acting Spokesperson]

Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Olympic NP
Body Of Missing Hiker Found

On Sunday, January 25th, searchers, aidedby several dog teams, located and recovered the body of missing hikerJ.T.G. in very rugged terrain near the Boulder Creektrailhead.

J.T.G., 60, of Port Angeles, Washington,was the subject of an intensive five-day search that began on ChristmasEve.

J.T.G.'s remains were found by a searchdog team in a very steep, rugged and densely forested area about a thirdof mile from and nearly 1,000 vertical feet above the trail. Aninvestigation at and around the scene showed no indications of foul playor wildlife interactions.

J.T.G. was last seen by other hikersaround 4 p.m. on Monday, December 22nd, at Olympic Hot Springs. He wasreported missing on December 24th when he did not arrive at a ChristmasEve dinner as planned.

J.T.G.'s daypack was found on December25th about a half-mile from the trailhead. Despite the five-day searchinvolving over 20 people and several search dog teams, no other clueswere located until Sunday.

Six dog teams from the all-volunteergroup German Shepherd Search Dogs searched on Saturday; two teamssearched on Sunday.

[Barb Maynes, Public Information Officer]

Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Olympic NP
Search In Progress For Missing Man

A search is underway for 22-year-old J.G., who was reportedmissing last week. Hikers found his bike and camping gear on the Sol DucHot Springs Road near the Sol Duc River.

Rangers and crews from Olympic Mountain Rescue have been searching atwo- to four-square-mile area around where J.G.'s gear was found.

Crews couldn't do a thorough search of the area early on because ofthe river's conditions. The river is currently running high, cold andfast.

J.G.'s uncle has said that the family doesn't typically worry aboutJ.G. when he's in the outdoors because of his experience. He is known togo camping alone in foul weather and in the mountains.

Source: Peninsula Daily News.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Olympic NP
Follow-up: Search For Missing Man Moves Out Of Park

The for 22-year-old Jacob Gray, which began on April 6th,transitioned to a limited continuous search on April 14th. This meansthat rangers will continue to follow up on any clues that emerge, butare not actively searching for him.

The focus of the search has shifted to U.S. Forest Service land onthe south side of the Sol Duc River, and is being coordinated by theClallam County Sheriffs Department.

Gray's unattended bicycle and camping gear were reported to the parkon the afternoon of Thursday, April 6th, and rangers conducted a hastysearch in the area of the bicycle, including the bank of the Sol DucRiver. On the following day, rangers made contact with Gray's family andwidened their search to include the road corridor of the Sol Duc RiverRoad.

Concentrating their search around the river, which has been runningfast, cold, and high, rangers continued the search from April 8th toApril 10th. On the afternoon April 11th, members of Olympic MountainRescue joined the search and on April 12th extended the search area tothe left side of the river outside the boundaries of the park, therebyincreasing the search area to roughly four square miles. On theafternoon of April 13th, a search dog team from Everett Mountain Rescueout of Snohomish County searched the left side of the river bank.

Source: Public Affairs, Olympic NP

Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Olympic NP
Three Bodies Found And Recovered In Park

The park has announced that two of three bodies discovered in thepark recently have been identified. The deaths occurred in threeseparate incidents.

A man whose body was found near the Norwegian Memorial on June 1sthas been identified as W."D."W., 60, of Kingston.W.W.'s body was discovered in a boulder field near the memorial onthe remote coastline southwest of Lake Ozette. An autopsy ispending.

W.W. had a backcountry permit showing a solo hike through thecoastal area.

A hasty team of protection rangers, backcountry rangers and firepersonnel located the body. The team stayed on scene overnight and ahelicopter was called in the next day for recovery.

A body that was found near Lake Cushman on the opposite side of thepark was confirmed to be that of missing hiker Z.K. Z.K., a20-year-old Evergreen State College student from Livingston, New Jersey,had been missing since early April. His body was discovered about twomiles north of Lake Cushman by a hiker, also on June 1st.

Z.K.'s identity was confirmed by dental records provided by thefamily. The results of a Friday autopsy were inconclusive, buthypothermia has been deemed probable.

Meanwhile, a woman whose remains were found with a minivan 200 feetdown an embankment along Obstruction Point Road near Hurricane Ridge onJuly 2nd has not yet been identified.

Her body was recovered after a park visitor reported seeing what hebelieved to be trash down an embankment along the steep-sided road.Rangers rappelled down the embankment to recover the body.

Documents found inside the vehicle matched the identification of amissing woman from Issaquah, Washington. Final identification is pendinga forensic analysis.

Source: News story, Peninsula Daily News.

Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Olympic NP
Woman And Dog Found Alive After Six-Day Search

A woman and her dog who had been stranded in the park for six dayswere both found alive and well this past Sunday afternoon. They werefound in the Lillian River drainage off Obstruction Point Road.

A helicopter crew from Northwest Helicopters found S.E.G.,71, and her terrier-Chihuahua dog, Yoda, and within minutes a groundcrew made its way to them with food and water.

S.E.G. told the search and rescue team that she had been in the parksince the afternoon of July 17th and that she had survived by drinkingwater she found nearby. Except for minor scratches, she wasuninjured.

The search began Saturday after a ranger who was patrolling foundS.E.G.'s vehicle at the Obstruction Point trailhead. S.E.G. was firstreported missing to the Clallam County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday,but hadn't been seen since July 17th.

There were 19 people searching for her Sunday afternoon near theObstruction Point trailhead, an area about eight miles southeast of theHurricane Ridge Visitor Center that is accessible via a rugged dirtroad.

National Park Service employees, Clallam County Search and Rescue,and Kitsap County Search and Rescue helped with the search. A search dogwas also on scene Sunday.

Source: News story, Peninsula Daily News.

Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Olympic National Park
Navy Helicopter Crew Rescues Injured Hiker

An Ohio man who was injured in a fall on Mount Olympus on Tuesday, October10th, was rescued by a Navy helicopter crew the next day. The man had fallendown a 300-foot chute at an elevation of about 6,000 feet.

The solo climber, who was in his 30s, was rescued from the slopes of the7,980-foot peak by Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Search and Rescue. The manfell near Snow Dome on the Blue Glacier route. He was able to communicate withpark rangers with a satellite phone.

Olympic Mountain Rescue volunteers began the 22-mile trek to the site late onTuesday. When rescuers arrived, they found that the man had severe hypothermia,a dislocated shoulder and a broken tibia.

He was flown from the mountain to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.Source: News story, Peninsula Daily News.

Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Olympic National Park
Man Sought In Kidnapping And Sexual Assault Investigation

Detectives with the Port Angeles Police Department and NPS special agents areinvestigating a possible kidnapping and sexual assault that occurred in the parkin early October.

A woman reported being kidnapped at gunpoint from a street in Port Angeles bytwo men in a pickup truck. The men reportedly drove her to a wooded area withinOlympic National

Park and sexually assaulted her.

One of the men is described as approximately 6'04" tall, thin build, scruffy,with red hair.

The other man is described as approximately 5'10" tall with a pot-belly,brown hair, and a brown beard. They were driving an older-model single-cabpickup truck, sky blue in color with a silver stripe on the side.

Investigators are seeking information about a person of interest inthis incident. Anyone with information on the incident can call or textthe ISB Tip Line at 888-653-0009, submit a tip online at www.nps.gov/ISB, emailthe information to nps_isb@nps.gov, post a message at Facebook@InvestigativeServicesNPS, or send a tweet toTwitter@SpecialAgentNPS.

Source: News release, Investigative Services Branch.

Wednesday, November 15, 2017
Olympic National Park
Hiker Dies After Falling Off Mount Storm King

A 21-year-old Oregon man has died after a fall off Mount Storm King inWashington state.

The man was hiking with a partner in Olympic National Park last Friday whenhe slipped on a rock while descending a slope with rocky terrain. He fell 20 to30 feet and tumbled another 100 feet or so upon landing.

The man's hiking partner, who was taking a different route down the mountain,witnessed the fall and reported it to authorities.

A search and rescue team began looking for the fallen hiker on Friday andlocated his remains on Saturday morning.

Source: News story, Associated Press.

Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Olympic National Park
"Cold Case" Conviction Made In 2001 Child Sexual Abuse Case

A man who committed aggravated sexual assault on a child in Olympic NationalPark in 2001 will serve more than eight years in prison. C.B., 46,will then serve 10 years of supervised release. He must also comply with DNAcollection and lifetime sex offender registration.

"The nature of this offense is extremely odious," the federal judge said atthe time of sentencing.

The victim and her mother reported the assault to local law enforcement in2012. C.B. operated Log Cabin Resort within the park on Lake Crescent whenthe incident occurred.

A special agent with the Investigative Services Branch opened aninvestigation into this cold case, which was particularly sensitive due to thevictim's young age at the time. Despite C.B.'s denials, investigators wereable to collect evidence pertaining to his crime. Careful and determined stepson the part of investigators and the victim led to C.B. admitting his crimein May 2016. C.B. was also implicated in further allegations of sexualassault on another child.

"For fifteen years the defendant denied sexually abusing the two youngvictims in this case, compounding a horrific betrayal," said the US attorney whoprosecuted the case. "I commend the courage of the victims and the commitment ofthe Park Service investigator who took what was considered a cold case anddeveloped the evidence necessary to convict."

Source: News release, Investigative Services Branch, Washington Office.

Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Olympic National Park
Storm Causes Damage And Leads To Closures

A storm that hit the park last week, coupled with increased runoff from warmtemperatures and melting snow, caused flooding and significant road damage thatclosed the Olympic Hot Springs Road in Elwha Valley. The road remains closed tovehicle traffic beyond the Madison Falls parking area.

The increased flow, which peaked at over 18,000 cfs, caused a change in theriver pattern, sending substantial flow towards the road. This resulted in abreach of the road's low water crossing and additional damage to the road at theparking area near the former Elwha campground.

Over the past two years the park has worked to maintain access into the ElwhaValley through road repairs and a temporary bridge. It has also begun theplanning process for the future of the Olympic Hot Springs Road to addresslong-term, sustainable access. Part of this process includes analyzing variousoptions, such as modifying the current roadway or relocating it to an areaoutside the floodplain. The planning process will yield alternatives, one ofwhich will be implemented in 2020 and 2021.

The storm also resulted in additional road closures across the park. TheUpper Hoh Road was damaged by the Hoh River, resulting in a washout at mileposteight outside the park. Jefferson County public works department will handlerepairs there. All park facilities in the Hoh Rain Forest are closed. Alandslide on the Staircase Road also resulted in a closure just outside the parkboundary at the Bear Gulch Picnic Area.

Source: News release with photo, Olympic NP.

Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Olympic National Park
Two Men Sentenced For Theft Of Wood From Park

Two men have pleaded guilty to theft of timber from Olympic NationalPark and have been sentenced to serve prison time and pay restitution. Afederal judge handed down the sentences at two recent courthearings.

The case dates from November, 2013, when three men entered the parkat night and felled a big leaf maple tree. A witness who saw the menwearing headlamps and heard the sound of their chainsaws reported theincident to the park. A ranger responded the next day and found evidenceof the crime. The witness again heard chainsaws the following night andagain alerted the park; responding rangers found the three men cuttingand loading the felled maple into a vehicle and arrested them.

An NPS special agent investigated and discovered a receipt thatrevealed that the men had sold the wood to an area music wood supplier("music wood" is used to make instruments). Wood retrieved from thatsupplier matched the wood from the felled maple. The value of the woodwas placed at nearly $9,000.

M.D.W., 63, will serve 30 days in prison, and M.H., 50, will serve 60days in prison. Hutto will then serve two years probation. Both men mustalso pay restitution in the amount of $17,533. The third man involved inthe crime is currently incarcerated on unrelated charges and isscheduled for sentencing at a later date.

Source: US Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washingtonnews release.

Wednesday, May 2, 2018
Olympic NP
Interagency Investigation Results In Burglary Conviction, Property Recovery

Last fall, the park experienced a series of burglaries and thefts ofgovernment property. Rangers and Border Patrol agents began an extendedsurveillance operation that culminated with the arrest and conviction of29-year-old A.T. of Port Angeles for second degree burglary.

The subsequent cooperative investigation by the Port Angeles PoliceDepartment, Clallam County Sheriff's Office, OPNET, the U.S. Attorney'sOffice for the Western District of Washington and the National ParkService led to several federal and state search warrants being served inthe Port Angeles area. These warrants resulted in six additionalarrests, including the federal indictment of Anthony Cannon and RebeccaDoninger (both of Port Angeles) on second degree burglary charges, andthe recovery of thousands of dollars of stolen government and personalproperty from thefts within the park and the local community.

A.T.'s conviction was the result of a plea agreement in which hereceived a sentence of time served in federal detention, an order to pay$16,297.54 in restitution to the victims of his crimes, and a federalsupervision period of three years. A.T. was sentenced on March30th.

Source: Olympic NP.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Olympic National Park
Pilot Who Crashed In Olympic Mountains Rescued By Navy

A Navy helicopter crew from Whidbey Island rescued a civilian pilotwho crashed his plane into a mountainside in the park on May 2nd.

The Navy search-and-rescue crew received a report of a private planecrash in the upper elevations of the Olympic Mountains early thatmorning. Minutes later, the team of five lifted off from Naval AirStation Whidbey Island in an MH-60S chopper and headed toward thesuspected location of the downed aircraft.

While enroute to the crash site, the helicopter rescue crew receivedthe phone number of the pilot and was able to contact him to pinpointhis exact location.

The team arrived on scene just after 9 a.m. and immediately saw thecrashed private plane in the snow on the side of a ridgeline. The pilotwas spotted atop a ridge about 175 yards above the wreckage, where hehad climbed after the crash. He was hoisted aboard the helicopter, thenflown to Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles for treatment.

Navy officials said it was the second rescue of 2018 for the WhidbeyIsland-based search-and-rescue team, which has also conducted twosearches and two medical evacuations this year.

Source/full story: KOMO News.

Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Washington National Parks
NPS Helicopter Crew Makes Three Rescues In Three Parks In One Day

A National Park Service helicopter crew conducted three rescuemissions in a single day over the weekend before last — one rescuein each of Washington state's three large national parks.

The first distress call came in at 9 a.m. Sunday, reporting an18-year-old backpacker with respiratory distress in the northwestsection of the North Cascades National Park wilderness. By midday theclouds had lifted enough for the helicopter crew to get through to thehiker and hoist him aboard from the rugged terrain below. He was thenflown to the hospital for treatment.

The pilot and crew then responded to Olympic National Park in thelate afternoon to perform a medical evacuation of a 55-year-old man whohad gotten lost after going out for a day hike on Tuesday, six daysearlier. Rangers had hiked into the area on foot and found the man atabout 2:30 a.m. on Sunday. But the man was found to be too weak totravel, and the terrain proved very difficult for ground-based rescue.So the helicopter crew flew in and evacuated the man to a localhospital.

Source: KOMO News.

Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Olympic National Park
Two Arrested For Stealing From Fee Collection Boxes

R.E., 30, and B.D., 28, are each facing federalmisdemeanor charges after rangers arrested them around 3:30 a.m. onSaturday, July 14th, as they were attempting to remove entrance feemoney from a fee canister in the Sol Duc Valley.

Rangers, who were aware of previous thefts in the area, caught thepair in the act. R.E. and B.D. admitted to stealing from the lockboxes throughout the park on other occasions as well.

The charges filed in federal court accuse the pair of stealing fromcanisters June 30th, July 1st, July 8th and July 9th and attempting tosteal again on July 14th. The exact amount of money stolen from the feecanisters on the various occasions has not yet been determined.

R.E. is charged with four counts of theft of government property,one count of attempted theft of government property, one count ofpossession of burglary tools and one count of simple possession ofmethamphetamine. B.D. is charged with one count of theft of governmentproperty and one count of attempted theft of government property.

Source: Peninsula Daily News.

Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Olympic National Park
Two Men Charged With Theft And Burglary From Park

Two Port Angeles men — J.B., 32, and B.H., 34— have been charged with burglarizing Olympic National Parkentrance stations and stealing more than $2,000 worth of property fromthem.

B.H. is facing three counts of theft of government property and twocounts of second-degree burglary. J.B. is facing one count each oftheft of government property and second-degree burglary.

The National Park Service began investigating the pair for a seriesof thefts after a Clallam County deputy pulled B.H. over for speeding ina school zone while driving a stolen 2018 GMC Yukon earlier this month.J.B. was a passenger, but was not arrested at the time.

Deputies found a generator in the back of the vehicle that wasbelieved to have been stolen. Inside backpacks found in the vehicle wereburglary tools, eight stolen credit cards, ten checks written to OlympicNational Park, two military identification cards, four social securitycards and a Washington state ID card. There also was a tool kit withtools labeled "USDI NPS ONP."

Source: Peninsula Daily News.

Wednesday, December 5, 2018
National Park System
Follow-ups On Previously Reported Incidents

Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in thisnewsletter:

Olympic NP — J.B. has pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court tobreaking into a park entrance station and using an acetylene torch toattempt to open a safe. J.B. pleaded guilty to charges of theft ofgovernment property and burglary. He said that he and co-defendant B.H.,who is being held in the Clallam County jail on various burglary andtheft charges, broke into the Heart o' the Hills entrance station inSeptember so that they could steal money and property. The governmentwill recommend that J.B. be sentenced to seven months in federal prison,although he is facing a maximum of up to ten years for the burglarycharge and up to ten years for the theft of government property charge.He'll be sentenced in February. B.H. has been charged with three countsof theft of government property and two counts of burglary, but has notyet appeared in federal court for this case. Source: Peninsula DailyNews.

Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Olympic NP
Search Underway For Missing Woman

Rangers are still searching Lake Crescent by boat daily for the bodyof 35-year-old L.L., who disappeared on Memorial Day while paddlingher white inflatable unicorn raft. It's been deemed "very likely" thatshe drowned, as there's no indication that she left the lake on herown.

L.L.'s overturned raft was soon seen west of Barnes Point and she wasreported missing just before 6 p.m. Rangers immediately searched thelake by boat, but without success. They also learned that a woman hadbeen seen carrying a deflated unicorn raft out of the woods around thetime that L.L. was last seen, but that she wasn't L.L. The woman droveaway in a dark colored SUV between 5:20 p.m. and 6 p.m. from a lakesidepullout near Mile Marker 226.

Dive teams searched for L.L. for two days after Memorial Day, butcurtailed their efforts upon realizing that a submersible remoteoperating vehicle (ROV) would be needed to reach the lake's lower depths(Lake Crescent is 690 feet deep at its maximum depth, and from 300 to500 feet deep where L.L. was last seen). They'll soon be getting anassist from Glen Canyon NRA, which has an ROV that's used in searches of560-foot-deep Lake Powell.

Anyone who visited the shores of Lake Crescent from Barnes Point toFairholm on May 27th between noon and 6 p.m. and saw anyone using awhite unicorn personal inflatable raft is asked to call or text OlympicNational Park on the investigative tip line, 888-653-0009.

Source: Paul Gottlieb, Peninsula Daily News.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Olympic NP
SAR Personnel Rescue Man From Elwha River

A man who tried to take his bicycle across the Elwha River wasrescued by emergency crews after the fast-moving river swept him awayand carried him downstream.

The unidentified man, reportedly in his 50s or 60s, was plucked offan island in the river by a regional swiftwater rescue team more thanthree hours after he was swept down the waterway. The man still had hisbike. Although he was not injured, he was taken to Olympic MedicalCenter as a precaution.

Witnesses saw the man get carried down the river late on the morningof July 9th and advised park staff. Initial efforts to find him by SARcrews proved fruitless, so a Life Flight Network air ambulance wassummoned to assist. The helicopter's crew spotted him on an island andrescuers got him to shore by about 3 p.m.

Source: Paul Gottlieb, Peninsula Daily News.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Olympic NP
Teenager Rescued From Rock In Sol Duc River

Personnel from the park and several Clallam County fire districtsrescued a 15-year-old boy who was stuck on a rock in the Sol Duc Riveron the afternoon on September 2nd. The boy was cold and wet butotherwise unharmed.

It's not clear how the boy got stuck out on the rock, which wasdirectly below the bridge overlooking the Sol Duc waterfall. The fallsare about a mile hike from the trailhead, which is located on Sol DucHot Springs Road about 13 miles south of U.S. Highway 101 near LakeCrescent.

Source: Jesse Major, Peninsula Daily News.

Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Olympic NP
Runner With Broken Leg Crawls Ten Hours To Reach Help

A trail runner who broke his leg on the Duckabush Trail on themorning of Saturday, February 22nd, facilitated his own rescue bycrawling for more than 10 hours to reach help.

J.O., 26, was running on the trail when he slipped on an icypatch and fell. He later reported that he knew right away that somethingwas wrong when he saw his foot flop to the side. He then decided tocrawl toward a spot where he'd seen several people camping about threemiles into the trail.

He then crawled for nearly seven hours before his phone received atext signaling that he'd reached a spot where he had cellphone service.J.O. tried dialing 911 three times before the call went through andthen continued to crawl for another four hours before he saw theflashlights from a rescue crew around 4:30 a.m. on Sunday morning.

The search and rescue crew covered J.O. with blankets and hotpacks to prevent hypothermia and got him to a spot where a Coast Guardhelicopter could land so he could be airlifted to a hospital.

Once he arrived at the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, surgeonsplaced a rod into his tibia and a plate and screws into his fibula. Theyalso treated the skin on his knees, rubbed raw from the hours ofcrawling. He was released from the hospital Sunday afternoon in asplint; it will take about 12 weeks for his leg to fully recover.

Search and rescue crews say J.O's incredible grit anddetermination likely prevented more serious injuries.

Source: KOMO News.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Olympic NP/Mount Rainier NP
Man Sentenced To Jail Term For Thefts From Visitor Vehicles

M.W.P., 41, who has been convicted of breaking into at least fourdozen cars at more than seven trailheads and parking lots at MountRainier, Olympic and elsewhere, was sentenced in U.S. District Court inTacoma to two years in federal prison following a 25 month state prisonterm.

On March 28, 2019, M.W.P. and his girlfriend smashed windows andstole thousands of dollars of equipment from vehicles parked at theGraves Creek Trailhead and Fletcher Canyon Trailhead in Olympic NationalPark — the beginning of a month-long theft spree.

M.W.P. and his girlfriend used credit and debit cards stolen from thevehicles to make purchases at various stores — the overallfinancial damage was more than $50,000. Their crime streak came to anend when M.W.P. was caught shortly after walking out of a store where heused victims' bank cards. He was found to have a tool used to break carwindows and three credit cards in a victim's name in his possession.

When officers searched his residence, they found that he had beenstockpiling much of the gear he stole or selling it online and used thestolen debit and credit cards to buy items such a flat screen TVs,gaming systems, a drone, and clothes.

M.W.P. reportedly has a 15-year history of property crimes in andaround Olympic National Park, such as burglary, identity theft, andtrespassing.

Source: KXRO News.

Wednesday, April 15, 2020
National Park System
Follow-ups On Previously Reported Incidents

Below are short follow-ups on incidents previously reported in thisnewsletter.

Olympic NP/Mount Rainier NP — A man who broke into dozens ofvehicles at Mount Rainier and Olympic has been sentenced to two years infederal prison after he serves a more than two-year state prison term.M.P., 41, broke into at least four dozen cars at more than a half dozendifferent trailheads and parking lots in the two parks. Over amonth-long period starting in late March 2019, M.P. smashed windows andstole from parked vehicles. He then used stolen credit and debit cardsto make over $50,000 in purchases at various stores. M.P. was arrestedafter walking out of a store where he used victims' bank cards. Source:KOMO News.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020
National Park System Coronavirus Response Update

Parks are slowly and carefully reopening following what appears tothe pandemic's peak. The summary that follows focuses briefly onarticles of note on a few large parks and how they're dealing with thereopening. Click on the related URL's for details:

Olympic NP/Mount Rainier NP/North Cascades NP — The parks areplanning for phased reopenings of certain day-use facilities this month.Sarah Creachbaum, superintendent of Olympic, summarized the situationfor Washington parks: "The opening of each of the parks is necessarilypredicated on being able to outfit our employees with adequate PPE(personal protective equipment), with adequate cleaning supplies to keepthe restrooms clean, and with adequate enforcement to keep people fromcrowding around restroom areas." Source: Rob Ollikainen, Peninsula DailyNews.

For information on the status of other parks in the system, go to theService's "Active Alerts In Parks" webpage and use the search engine tofind information on a particular site.

Wednesday, June 3, 2020
National Park System
Parks Begin Reopening From Pandemic Closures

This week's update consists of a random sampling of reports on parkreopenings extracted from various news source:

Olympic NP — All coastal areas remain closed to all parkvisitors until further notice. The coastal area closures include allpublic areas, trails, beaches, and facilities at Kalaloch, Mora andOzette.

For information on the status of other parks in the system, go to theService's "Active Alerts In Parks" webpage and use the search engine tofind information on a particular site.

Sources: Krista Langlois, National Geographic; KTVH News; KOMONews.

Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Olympic NP
Injured Woman Rescued From Mount Angeles

On July 10th, a Coast Guard helicopter crew helped rescue an injuredhiker from Mount Angeles. The 62-year-old woman had injured her ankle onthe mountain and could not safely descend from a 5,000 foot elevation.Rangers could not safely carry her down the mountain with a stokeslitter due to the terrain.

A USCG MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew responded to assist. Theyhoisted the woman into the helicopter and transported her back to theairbase.

"This was a really challenging rescue," said a member of the CoastGuard rescue aircrew. "Our partners at Olympic National Park did afantastic job caring for the woman by preparing her for and assistingher with the difficult hoist. We are happy to be able to help."

Source: KOMO News.

Wednesday, September 2, 2020
Olympic NP
Stolen Plane Crashes In Park

A small plane that was stolen in Jefferson County last Tuesdaycrashed near La Push, critically injuring the operator, who was pulledfrom the wreckage nearly 12 hours later by a Navy rescue team and flownto Harborview Medical Center.

Deputies said they received a report on Tuesday of a suspiciousperson trying to rent a plane at Jefferson County International Airportin order to fly to Astoria, Oregon. The man, identified as R.J.,59, couldn't show a pilot's license or insurance, though. Hethen went to a second plane rental business at the airport calledTailspin Tommy's. That company's co-owner, Nataliya Yeshyrina, spokewith R.J. for nearly an hour, but ultimately declined to authorize therental due to the lack of proper documents.

Deputies say surveillance video shows R.J. later entering TailspinTommy's office, where deputies believe he stole the Cessna's keys.Investigators were notified of the missing plane on Tuesday evening.Yeshyrina said R.J. fueled up before taking off and described watchingthe plane's erratic flying on radar. The plane's GPS showed it wasflying over the national park, but the transmissions quit about milesnorth of Hoquiam. Investigators said that a person reported a possibleplane crash near La Push around 10:30 p.m. When they arrived, theyconducted a search but couldn't find the crash site in the heavilyforested area.

On Wednesday morning, a helicopter crew with the U.S. Navy locatedthe stolen plane and the injured pilot, who was unconscious. The pilotwas taken to Harborview Medical Center and listed in critical conditionWednesday.

The investigation remains ongoing, with the FBI working with theNational Park Service to determine if R.J. will face any federalcharges.

Source: Michael Spears, KIRO 7 News.

Wednesday, August 11, 2021
Olympic National Park
Backpacker found alive after four day search

On August 4, C.K., 56, went missing. She was backpacking witha group of 4 other hikers near Home Sweet Home camp in the southeasternregion of the park, and became separated as the group hiked toward CampPleasant. Aviation resources were not able to search until the fourthday due to weather and low cloud cover, but on August 8, a King CountySheriff's Office helicopter spotted her in the basin to the east of Mt.Steel, and was able to land and transport her to safety. The searchinvolved personnel from NPS (Olympic and North Cascades), OlympicMountain Rescue, Tacoma Mountain Rescue, Mason County Search and Rescue,and Washington State Search and Rescue Planning Unit. Source: Komo News,Olympic National Park, The Olympian

Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Olympic National Park
Heat victim airlifted

On August 10, a hiker became ill due to heat. Her hiking partnerwalked out and reported the incident to park dispatchers. Two rangershiked in and spent the night with her, and she was unable to hike out onher own. The next morning, a helicopter airlifted her from Grand Valleyoff Obstruction Point Road to Fairchild International Airport, and shewas taken by ambulance to Olympic Medical Center. Source: PeninsulaDaily News

Wednesday, September 8, 2021
Olympic National Park
Armed man claiming "revolution" arrested after 2-day search

On August 29, a man began acting erratically after usingmethamphetamine. After dropping his kids off at his brother's house, heleft notes with two acquaintances, outlining his grievances with theWhite House, describing his difficulty purchasing ammunition, andoutlining "an imminent revolution" to be started in Texas and on theOlympic Peninsula. He and his girlfriend drove to the Deer ParkCampground, where the man is suspected to have started a fire. Hiserratic behavior continued, and he allegedly assaulted his girlfriendbefore walking into the woods "screaming and yelling." She reported himto law enforcement and expressed concern that he might act violently toward anyone representing the government. The NPS closed several roadsnear Port Angeles out of fear to public safety. County sheriff'sdeputies, the NPS, and the FBI searched for the man for two days, andeventually found him and took him into custody in Deer Park. Source:Peninsula Daily News

Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Olympic National Park
Missing backpacker found after a week

On September 16, a backpacker was reported overdue by a familymember. The hiker had a wilderness permit for September 8-12, and hiscar was located at the planned trailhead. Search personnel from OlympicMountain Rescue, Tacoma Mountain Rescue, Washington State Search andRescue Planning Unit, the Coast Guard, and the NPS (Olympic and NorthCascades) responded to the incident. The search continued through cold,rainy, windy weather until searchers made voice contact with him in aravine near Mount Olson on September 19, and a Coast Guard helicopterwas able to hoist and transport him to Olympia Regional Airport, wherehe was taken to the hospital for medical evaluation and care. Source:Olympic National Park, Seattle Times

Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Olympic National Park
Sexual assault perpetrator receives 7 years in prison

A 36-year-old was sentenced in federal court to 87 months in prisonfor the August 2020 rape of a 14-year-old at a gathering of family andfriends in the park. The perpetrator was a trusted family friend of thevictim and victim's family. Source: National Park Service InvestigativeServices

Wednesday, November 3, 2021
Olympic National Park
Day hiker missing

A 78-year-old visitor was reported as missing on October 23. He hadlast been seen on October 19 and friends reported that he intended to doan off-trail day hike on October 20 between the Graves Creek Campgroundand Graves Creek corral. His vehicle was found parked at the GravesCreek Campground. The hiker is said to be experienced with off-trailtravel and familiar with the area. Teams from the NPS and local agencieshave engaged in over 2,000 hours of searching. A relativelyrecently-opened sardine can had been found in the area on October 31,but no other clues have been found, and the search was scaled back to"limited continuous mode" on November 1. The NPS is asking the publicfor any information they might have. Source: KING, Peninsula DailyNews

Wednesday, January 12, 2022
Follow-ups on Previously Reported Incidents

Olympic National Park — The suspect who allegedly warned peopleabout a revolution, ran around carrying many guns, set a fire, andassaulted his partner at the Deer Park campground on August 29, 2021 hashad his federal indictment delayed by a U.S. magistrate judge for asecond time due to ongoing treatment at an in-patient facility. Thesuspect has been at the facility since being released from a federaldetention center for the charges. The new deadline is April 4. Source:Peninsula Daily News

July 27, 2022
Olympic National Park
Climber found deceased

A 38-year-old began a solo backpacking trip on July 16, on a route fromRoyal Basin to Home Lake with plans to climb Mount Mystery, Hall FossPeak, and Little Mystery. The individual was reported missing after notreturning from the three-day trip. Search and rescue teams from OlympicNational Park and Olympic Mountain Rescue, as well as an NPS helicoptersearched for two days. Staff on the helicopter found the individualdeceased on the southern end of the Mount Mystery, approaching the DelMonte ridgeline. The Jefferson County coroner will determine the causeand date of death. Source: U.S. News and World Report

July 27, 2022
Olympic National Park
Follow-up on Previously Reported Incident

On July 13, a 42-year-old pleaded guilty to interfering with afederal communications system. Under the terms of a plea agreement,prosecutors will recommend no more than ten months in prison at asentencing that will take place on October 7, 2022 (the judge, however,may impose any sentence up to the statutory maximum). The case stemsfrom an incident in the park that occurred August 29-31, 2021 (CoalitionReport, September 8, 2021). The individual took methamphetamine, arrivedat a stranger's home with several guns and handed the stranger a letterwith concerns about political events and difficulty getting ammunition,claiming there would be a revolution. The individual then drove theirpartner to Olympic National Park, where the perpetrator felled a tree toblock a road. The individual told their partner that they would die inthe "revolution," causing that person to call 9-1-1. The perpetratorthrew a can of soup at them, cutting their leg. The perpetrator thenstormed into the woods with nine firearms and 3,500 rounds ofammunition. The park evacuated the area and began a search for theindividual. That afternoon, the individual disabled the Blue Mountainradio repeater site. Two days later, a drone located the individual inthe park, and the person shot at the drone. Ultimately, law enforcementwas able to negotiate a surrender with no injuries to anyone. Source:The United States Attorney's Office: Western District of Washington

September 7, 2022
Olympic National Park
Visitor dies after jumping off cliff

On August 23, a 43-year-old jumped off a 40-foot cliff at "Devil'sPunchbowl" on Lake Crescent. The individual landed in the water and thenwas unable to climb out on the rocky shoreline. The individual wentunder the water and never resurfaced. Patrol boats and a dive team fromthe Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe Public Safety and Natural Resource diveteam searched the area and were able to locate the victim's body fourhours later. The incident is under investigation by the NPS. Source:KOMO News, Olympic National Park

September 7, 2022
Olympic National Park
Backpacker killed by tree fall

On August 30, a tree fell on a tent occupied by a 34-year-old at abackcountry campsite at Elk Lake. A visitor notified emergency servicesvia a satellite device. NPS staff utilized a helicopter the next morningto transfer the victim's body to the Jefferson County Coroner's Office.Source: Olympic National Park

October 19, 2022
Olympic National Park
Fishing closed due to drought

On October 6, the park enacted an emergency closure of recreationalfishing due to "severe low-flow conditions." The closure will continueuntil river conditions have improved. Source: Olympic National Park

October 19, 2022
Olympic National Park
Clam harvest canceled

On October 12, the park announced that the recreational razor clamharvest at Kalaloch beach will not be held this year due to thecontinued small size of the clams. Biologists from the park, QuinaultIndian Nation, Hoh Indian Tribe, and Washington State Department of Fishand Wildlife conducted surveys that found that the clam population hasvery few clams over 4 inches long due to poor adult survivorship.Biologists suspect this may be due to a bacterial gill pathogen calledNIX. The last full harvest season at Kalaloch was 2009, with either fullor partial harvest closures since then. Source: Olympic National Park

October 19, 2022
Olympic National Park
Follow-up on Previously Reported Incident

As reported in the September 8, 2021 Coalition Report, a 42-year-oldindividual was accused of appearing at a stranger's house while high onmethamphetamine, handing that person a letter with concerns about thegovernment and belief in an imminent revolution, then driving with theirpartner into the park, starting a fire, felling a tree to block a road,throwing a can of soup at their partner when they called 911, headinginto the woods with several guns and 3,500 rounds of ammunition, thendisabling the park's Blue Mountain radio repeater. The incident lastedseveral days and required the closure of that section of the park. Theincident ended without further violence, with the individualsurrendering to law enforcement. On October 7, 2022, the individual wassentenced in U.S. District Court to three years of probation forinterfering with a federal communications system during an armedstandoff. The individual has agreed to make restitution to those harmed,including individuals who were affected by the closure of the park. Therestitution will be determined at a later hearing. Source: The UnitedStates Attorney's Office: Western District of Washington

November 16, 2022
Olympic National Park
Hiker missing

On October 30, a 35-year-old embarked on a two night backpacking trip toPyrites Creek and Enchanted Valley. The individual did not return, and asearch was started by NPS personnel and a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter onNovember 3. During the search, 19 agencies were involved, includingground searchers, dog teams, drones, boats, and helicopters. Searchefforts were somewhat impeded by storms and flood warnings. On November10, the park announced that the search has moved into "limited andcontinuous operation." Source: The Olympian, Radio Pacific

December 14, 2022
Olympic National Park
Rivers closed to fishing

On December 1, the park announced that the Quinault River within thepark will be closed to sport fishing due to chronic low abundances ofwild steelhead. Closures on the Queets and Salmon have been ongoingthrough the fall and will also continue. Source: Radio Pacific,Inc./MyClallamCounty.com

January 25, 2023
Olympic National Park
Pre-emptive storm closures

On January 12, the park pre-emptively closed several campgrounds androads due to incoming inclement weather, with potential flooding andtreefall. They remained closed through January 15. Source: The Leader

April 26, 2023
Olympic National Park
Storm damage

On April 13, the park announced the immediate closure of North ShoreQuinault Road just north of the Quinault River bridge. The road wasdamaged by a storm in November 2021 and "continued settling" of the roadsurface has now made it impassable to vehicles. Source: Peninsula DailyNews

April 26, 2023
Olympic National Park
Missing person located

On April 14, a 73-year-old was reported as missing in the park. Theindividual had been last seen leaving the Kalaloch Lodge at 9pm. Theindividual was known to have short-term memory loss. The WashingtonState Patrol issued a "Silver Alert" to be on the look out for theirrental car. On April 15, the individual was located inside the park.Source: Fox 13

May 10, 2023
Olympic National Park
Lodge burns down

On May 7, the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge was destroyed by a fire. Thelodge has been closed to the public since April 3 for a rehabilitationproject. The lodge was fully engulfed in flames when a law enforcementranger on patrol came across the scene. No one was in the structure andno injuries were reported. Clallam County (WA) Fire District 2 and PortFire Department responded to the fire. By the time they arrived, thebuilding had already collapsed to its foundation and has been describedas a "complete loss." As of May 8, the building was still smoldering,but contained to its footprint. The park is hiring a third-partyinvestigator to help determine the origin and cause of the fire. TheHurricane Ridge Road from the Heart of the Hills Campground remainsclosed to the public. Source: National Parks Traveler, KOMO News,Olympic National Park (5/7, 5/8)

June 7, 2023
Olympic National Park
Follow-up on Previously Reported Incident

After assessing the damage sustained to the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodgeduring a fire (see 5/10/23 Coalition Report), the park has announcedthat the entire Hurricane Ridge area will remain closed for ongoinginvestigation and hazards. The cause of the fire is still unknown.Source: MyNorthwest

June 21, 2023
Olympic National Park
Missing backpacker found

On June 5, a 44-year-old began a three-day, 40-mile backpacking trip,starting from Deer Ridge Trailhead. The family had contact with theindividual via text the morning of June 6. The individual was due backin Seattle by midday on June 7, but did not arrive. On June 9, the NPSbegan a ground search, including personnel from the park's Search andRescue team, Washington State SAR Planning Unit, Quilcene Fire & Rescue,Snohomish County Volunteer SAR, Kitsap County ESAR, Jefferson CountySAR, Olympic Mountain Rescue, Pierce County ESAR, Tacoma MountainRescue, Clallam County SAR, Mount Rainier National Park, U.S. ForestService, and the U.S. Coast Guard. On June 10, the individual exited thewilderness with the assistance of other hikers, via the DosewallipsRiver Trail. The individual was driven to Quilcene, Washington, wherethey met with medical responders, park staff, and family. Source:Olympic National Park, KOMO

June 21, 2023
Olympic National Park
Kayaking fatality

On June 9, two individuals were kayaking on Lake Crescent near the LogCabin Resort. The kayak of a 37-year-old began taking on water untilthey were forced to abandon it and enter the water. The other kayakerattempted to rescue the person in the water, but their kayak overturnedand they also entered the water. The second individual was able to swimto shore, but the 37-year-old was unable to. Neither individual wore alife jacket. Staff from the Log Cabin Resort responded with a boat tothe place they were last seen, but were unable to locate them. Stafffrom the NPS and Clallam County Fire District 2 searched the area forseveral hours, but were unable to find them. As of June 13, theindividual was not found and is assumed to be deceased. Source: OlympicNational Park

July 5, 2023
Olympic National Park
Sexual abuse of minor

On June 28, a 34-year-old was indicted by a federal grand jury for twocounts of sexual abuse of a minor. The individual is accused of meetinga 15-year-old through a social media app, sexually molesting them duringa first encounter, and raping the individual during a second encounter.The alleged assaults took place in the park. The case is beinginvestigated by the Investigative Services Branch of the NPS and thePort Angeles Police Department. Source: United States Attorney's Office:Western District of Washington

July 5, 2023
Olympic National Park
Follow-up on Previously Reported Incident

The 37-year-old individual who disappeared after falling into the waterwhile kayaking on Lake Crescent on June 9 (see 6/21/23 Coalition Report)was found deceased on June 21. Christian Aid Ministries supported theNPS with the use of a remote operated underwater vehicle and theindividual's body was found at a depth of 394 feet. Source: The NewsTribune

July 5, 2023
Olympic National Park
Follow-up on Previously Reported Incident

On June 27, the park reopened the Hurricane Ridge area. It had beenclosed after a fire destroyed the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge on May 7(see 5/10/23 Coalition Report). Parking will be limited to 175 cars at atime and 315 daily vehicles due to limited restroom capacity, providedthrough portable toilets. The fire investigation is ongoing. The daylodge area is fenced and closed to the public for safety. Once theinvestigation is complete, a clean-up process will begin. Source:Olympic National Park

July 26, 2023
Olympic National Park
Fishing closure

On July 15, the park enacted recreational fishing closures on theQuillayute, Dickey, Bogachiel, South Fork Calawah, Sol Duc, and NorthFork Sol Duc Rivers and their tributaries due to low-water conditionsand salmon returns that appear to be "well below the preseasonforecast." Source: Olympic National Park

July 26, 2023
Olympic National Park
Backcountry fatality

On July 20, an individual was reported overdue from a solo backcountrytrip on the Bailey Range Traverse, an off-trail route across the"interior of the Olympic Mountains." The NPS began a search, includingground teams, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter, and the park's A-STARhelicopter. On July 22, the U.S. Coast Guard located the individual'sbody below Stephen Peak. A ground team was able to confirm theindividual's identity. The A-STAR helicopter utilized a short-haul toextract the individual's body. Source: National Parks Traveler

Wednesday, August 9, 2023
Olympic National Park
Cougar attack

On July 29, an 8-year-old was attacked by a mountain lion while campingwith family at Lake Angeles in the Heart O' the Hills area nearHurricane Ridge. The child's parent yelled and screamed at the animaluntil it abandoned its attack. NPS staff responded to assess andstabilize the patient. The 8-year-old survived with minor injuries andwas taken to the local hospital for further evaluation. Park staff areattempting to track and locate the mountain lion, and they have saidthat they will euthanize it and have a necropsy performed to lend cluesto the attack. The Lake Angeles area, Heather Park area, and severaltrails in the vicinity were initially closed. The Switchback and SunriseRidge Trails have reopened, while the Lake Angeles/Heather Park Loopremains closed. Source: Outsider, Olympic National Park

September 6, 2023
Olympic National Park
Wildfires

On August 28, a lightning strike started the Hurricane Fire, burning inthe Hurricane Ridge area. As of September 5, the fire was about 4 acresand 75% contained The Hurricane Ridge Road closed for several days andreopened on September 2.

A separate strike the same day started the Eagle Point Fire in theObstruction Point Area. As of September 5, it was about 70 acres insize. The Obstruction Point Road and trailhead closed for several daysand reopened on September 2. After large growth on September 2, theObstruction Point Road closed again to all traffic.

On September 1, three other fires were located in the park from areconnaissance flight: Diamond Mountain Fire (20 acres, 3 milesnortheast of Anderson Pass), Low Divide Fire (4.5 acres, in the NorthFork of the Quinault drainage), and Delabarre Fire (1 acre, 3 milessoutheast of Mount Christie).

On September 2, a small fire near Martins Lake was spotted by areconnaissance flight. As of September 2, it was estimated at 0.1 acres.

Source: Olympic National Park (8/30, 9/1, 9/2, 9/5)

September 20, 2023
Olympic National Park
Wildfires

On August 28, a lightning strike started the Hurricane Fire, burning inthe Hurricane Ridge area. As of September 17, the fire was about 4acres. The Hurricane Ridge Road closed for several days and reopened onSeptember 2.

A separate strike the same day started the Eagle Point Fire in theObstruction Point Area. As of September 17, it was about 123 acres insize. The Obstruction Point Road and trailhead closed for several daysand reopened on September 2. After large growth on September 2, theObstruction Point Road closed again to all traffic.

On September 1, three other fires were located in the park from areconnaissance flight: Diamond Mountain Fire (30 acres, 3 milesnortheast of Anderson Pass), Low Divide Fire (274 acres, in the NorthFork of the Quinault drainage), and Delabarre Fire (1,500 acres, 3 milessoutheast of Mount Christie).

On September 2, a fire near Martins Lake was spotted by a reconnaissanceflight. As of September 17, it was estimated at 93 acres.

On September 14, the Mount Queets Fire was detected, near the summit ofthe mountain. As of September 17, it was estimated at 4 acres.

There are various closures to trails across the park. Source: OlympicNational Park (8/30, 9/1, 9/2, 9/5, 9/17)

October 4, 2023
Olympic National Park
Wave causes hiker fatality

On September 25, three individuals were hiking along Rialto Beach when awave "overpowered" the group. One individual disappeared from sight.Emergency services were contacted, and a search ensued, involving theNPS, Coast Guard, La Push Tribal Police Department, Quileute Fish andWildlife, Forks Emergency Services, and Clallam County Sheriff's Office.A ground team found the individual deceased on land later that day. Dueto "extremely dangerous weather conditions," recovery of theindividual's body was delayed until September 27. The incident is underinvestigation by the NPS. Source: Olympic National Park

October 4, 2023
Olympic National Park
Wildfires

The following seven fires were all caused by lightning strikes theafternoon of August 28. Heavy precipitation and cooler temperatures fellacross the park the week of September 25, reducing fire activity. As ofOctober 2, the fires were as follows:

Hurricane Fire: 4 acres
Eagle Point Fire: 123 acres
Diamond Mountain Fire: 30 acres
Low Divide Fire: 340 acres
Delabarre Fire: 4,165 acres
Martins Lake Fire: 122 acres
Mount Queets Fire: 7 acres

There are various closures to trails across the park. Source: OlympicNational Park

October 4, 2023
Olympic National Park
Follow-up on Previously Reported Incident

On October 16, a contractor, American Abatement and Demo, will begin thedemolition and removal of the remaining debris from the Hurricane RidgeDay Lodge, which was destroyed by a fire on May 7 (see 5/10/23 CoalitionReport). The area will be closed temporarily during the work, which isexpected to run through November. The park plans to install temporaryfacilities to allow for winter operations this year. Source: OlympicNational Park

October 18, 2023
Olympic National Park
Drowning

On October 11, a 52-year old was in the tidal zone at Ruby Beach withfamily during low tide when they were swept underwater by a wave. Theindividual's 17-year-old child jumped in to try to rescue theindividual, followed by the victim's partner. The two were able to pullthe victim to shore after fighting against a strong current and clingingto rocks. The two individuals and several bystanders performed CPR forabout 40 minutes before medics arrived and continued lifesaving efforts.A helicopter transported the individual to Olympia Medical Center, wherethey were pronounced dead. The NPS is investigating the incident.Source: Seattle Times

November 29, 2023
Olympic National Park
Follow-up on Previously Reported Incident

Hurricane Ridge Road reopened on November 23. It has been closed sinceOctober so that crews could demolish and remove the remainder ofHurricane Ridge Day Lodge, which burned in May (see 5/10/23 CoalitionReport). Source: The Seattle Times

December 27, 2023
Olympic National Park
Landslide

On December 14, the park announced that a landslide damaged and coveredparts of the Spruce Railroad Trail near the Daley-Rankin Tunnel. Thetunnel portal structure and bridge are also damaged. The trail is closeduntil further notice for debris removal, assessment, and repairs.Source: Olympic National Park

January 24, 2024
Olympic National Park
Follow-up on Previously Reported Incident

On January 19, the NPS released its report of the investigation of theorigin and cause of the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge fire on May 7, 2023.The fire likely originated in the northeast portion of the building, buta specific source could not be determined. The building was a "totalloss." Source: Olympic National Park