Morning Report Excerpts - 1994
The Morning Report includes accidents and incidents in the National Park System. Here are reports I thought people might find interesting.
93-510 - Zion (Utah) - Follow-up on Rescue
On July 15, 1993, Dave Fleisher, 27, and Kim Ellis, 37, drowned in two separate incidents about an hour apart on private property in Kolob Creek adjacent to the park. The two victims, a surviving adult and five teen-age Explorer Scouts were on a four-day hike which was scheduled to conclude in the park on July 17th and had a permit for the last night of their trip through Zion Narrows. After they were reported overdue, an extensive helicopter search in very rugged terrain was initiated. The six survivors were located and rescued on July 19th through a cooperative effort by Washington County sheriff's officers and the park's SAR team. The body of Kim Ellis was retrieved the same day; Fleisher's body was not located and retrieved until ten days later because of extremely high, cold water and steep narrow terrain. The latter recovery effort, directed by district ranger Dave Buccello, was one of the most technically demanding and hazardous retrievals undertaken by the combined county/park SAR team.
The 12-day incident generated over 300 media inquiries, including live TV coverage from five stations in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, and made the 1993 top ten story list for two of the three network affiliates in Salt Lake City. On January 3rd, the park received multiple tort claims for millions of dollars from attorneys representing families of both victims and survivors and passed them on to DOI's solicitor in Salt Lake City. The solicitor's office has up to six months to rule on the case. Attorneys for the families filed copies of the claims directly with the Utah media, which has generated many additional inquiries to the park. Media reports also indicate that the families are working with a movie studio on the development of a feature film. [Denny Davies, PIO, ZION, 1/7]
More info: High Country News Article.
94-28 - Arches (Utah) - Paleontological/Minerals Theft Investigation
Arches rangers have been involved in a nine-month-long multi-agency investigation of the theft of paleontological and mineral resources from state-owned lands just west of the park. Based on information received last spring, rangers contacted four individuals - longtime Moab rock shop owner, fossil hunter and Canyonlands concessioner Lin Ottinger; Ottinger's female companion; and Doran and Eileen Wade of Rock Springs, Wyoming - who were excavating dinosaur bones and chert in the Dalton Wells area. After obtaining consent, a search of the Wades' vehicle revealed dinosaur bones which had been collected at this site. Subsequent investigations by Arches rangers, BLM rangers and Grand County sheriff's officers resulted in state charges being filed against Ottinger and the Wades. Charges for theft of paleontological resources were quickly dismissed by the county judge, who unfortunately was unaware of the precedent-setting nature of the citations issued - the first known citations invoking the state's relatively recent paleontological protection act. The state proceeded with charges against Ottinger in district court, contending that he had collected mineral resources from state land without a permit. The case will go to trial this spring. This is the first time such a case involving protection of mineral resources has been taken to district court in Utah. [CRO, ARCH, 1/14]
93-142 - Dinosaur (Colorado/Utah) - ARPA Conviction
In June of 1992, NPS rangers, BLM investigators, and local law enforcement officers following up on some information provided by an informant discovered an excavated archeological site on federal land near Vernal, Utah. The persons suspected of looting the site - Wilma and Ricky Brooks of Vernal, Utah - had been under surveillance for similar depredations in the park and elsewhere on federal lands in the area. The informant also told officers that the couple had removed a cradleboard with the mummified remains of a Fremont Indian infant from the site, and that he had seen it at their residence. On March 17th, federal agents arrested the pair for the theft, and they were subsequently indicted in federal district court for various ARPA violations. The remains, which date from around 650 A.D., were the first such found in the Uintah Basin.
In 1993, the Brooks each pled guilty to one felony ARPA violation under a plea agreement. On March 8th, they were sentenced to five years' supervised probation and ten months' in home confinement (with all their activities monitored electronically), fined $1,100 for restitution and repatriation, and ordered to forfeit a 1989 Ford pickup. They were not required, however, to pay the $10,000 cost of the investigation and site excavation. The judge's comments during sentencing were interesting in that the Brooks' defense attorney maintained that his clients should receive light sentences because there was no real victim nor did the baby have any family ties to modern times. The judge stated that the baby was indeed a victim, that the baby had obviously had a caring family who had wrapped and buried him/her, and that the baby was exceptionally vulnerable to this type of crime. The judge also stated that he believed the testimony from Ute and Hopi witnesses who linked the Fremont culture to their nations through oral histories. [Dan Moses, CR, NP-DINO, 3/9]
92-70 - Glen Canyon (Utah/Arizona) - Follow-up on ARPA Incident
On February 29, 1992, rangers discovered that 21 petroglyphs in the Mobius panel in Willow Gulch on the Escalante River had been seriously damaged. The petroglyphs, dating to about 950 to 1150 A.D., are part of a "billboard" of over 100 elements which is considered to be a highly significant scientific resource eligible for the national register. The panel is one of only a few such panels found in all of the Escalante canyons. The petroglyphs were damaged by scraping, which was apparently done with a sharp instrument to enhance them so they would show up better in photographs. Natural varnish was removed in the process and the petroglyphs' shapes were altered through careless tracing of the original outlines.
On March 10th, McKay Bailey of Escalante, Utah, pled guilty to the destruction of the petroglyphs. As part of his plea agreement, Bailey agreed that the archeological value of the panel he damaged was $21,745; he also agreed to forfeit his 1990 Ford 4x4 pickup, and to reimburse the NPS $2,846 for restoration and repair of the site and $2,970 for direct government expenses. In exchange for this plea, the government has agreed to recommend a $1,000 fine and dismiss the second count in the indictment for destruction of government property. Sentencing is scheduled for June. In a televised interview, Bailey's attorney stated that the case had cost his client $25,000 and that Bailey had gotten the message of the importance of protecting archeological resources on federal lands. [Tomie Lee, CR, GLCA, 3/16]
94-129 - Glen Canyon (Utah) - Felony Pursuit; Search; Arrests
On Tuesday, March 16th, rangers at Halls Crossing received a call advising that a red Toyota Four Runner with two male and two female occupants had driven off from a local gas station without paying for $17 worth of fuel. Rangers pursued, at one point closing to within a mile of the vehicle. Despite their best efforts, however, they were unable to get any closer. The suspects apparently did not know that they were being followed. When it became apparent that the pursuit would lead out of the park, county deputies were notified and assistance was sought from rangers at Natural Bridges. Before the vehicle reached their roadblock, the occupants decided to turn off onto a gravel road leading into a remote historical mining area. Having already passed the road, however, they turned around to drive a mile back; they then discovered that rangers were pursuing them and took off cross country in an effort to reach the dirt road. They were again able to elude their pursuers, and their dust cloud showed that they were getting further away. When the rangers rounded a particularly sharp corner, they found a fresh set of tracks leading off the road and over a 300-foot cliff into the canyon below. Debris scattered along the fall line confirmed that the vehicle had gone over the edge, although the Toyota couldn't be seen from the top. Pat Horning, the first ranger to reach the car, reported that there were no occupants within, and ranger Steve Luckesen discovered footprints leading uphill from the road, indicating that the occupants had gotten out of the car before it went over the edge. The park plane assisted in the subsequent search for the foursome, which was conducted by rangers (including ranger Jim Ireland from Natural Bridges), Utah Highway Patrol officers, San Juan county deputies, a Utah wildlife officer and an FBI agent. Ranger Russ Miller tracked the four youths to their hiding spot several hundred yards upslope. Three were found to be juveniles; the fourth was 19 years old. They'd stolen the car from a dealership in Murray, Utah, then had decided to take a camping trip into the desert. The vehicle was a total loss. All suspects were taken into custody by Utah Highway Patrol officers. [Tomie Lee, CR, GLCA, 3/23]
94-153 - Capitol Reef (Utah) - Search
The park received a report of an overdue party of 16 Boy Scouts and two leaders around 9 p.m. on March 31st. The party had been on a hike up Burrow Wash, a rugged canyon with numerous narrows and pools of water. At the time of their departure, temperatures were in the 60s and many of the scouts were reportedly wearing T-shirts and shorts. Temperatures were forecast to drop in the upper 20s that night. A hasty search was conducted, but searchers were unable to locate the party. An air and ground search was begun at dawn the next morning. The group was located south of the canyon at 11 a.m. They'd built a fire and managed to stay warm , and all were reportedly okay. [Rick Nolan, CR, CARE, 4/1]
94-173 - Arches (Utah) - Multiple Incidents
During the month-long period ending April 8th, the park's small staff were involved in four technical rescues, including one major rescue requiring the help of two Canyonlands rangers; three searches; four medicals involving transport to the hospital; four motor vehicle accidents, including a DUI and a rollover with four injuries and two trapped inside; and numerous minor law enforcement and traffic offenses. These incidents correspond to a significant increase in visitation (up 30% by the end of March) associated with the Moab area becoming a destination for college and high school students on spring breaks. During the same period, the park implemented a mandatory permit system for day hikers in Fiery Furnace, a popular but delicate sandstone fin area that has seen severe resource degradation in the last few years because of unregulated and uneducated users. [Jim Webster, CR, ARCH, 4/10]
94-313 - Glen Canyon (Utah) - Memorial Day Incidents
Although there appeared to be fewer visitors this year to Hobie Cat and Lone Rock beaches - the two beaches that are traditional problem areas on Memorial Day weekend - parkwide visitation and law enforcement incidents were up over 1993. A good indicator of that increase was the level of activity in the dispatch office. Dispatch averaged an outgoing radio transmission every 60 seconds, with incoming calls often covering each other, and averaged one incoming or outgoing phone call every three minutes. There were 43 EMS incidents, 19 accidents requiring investigation, and a high volume of law enforcement incidents, including a rape, eight assaults, 105 alcohol-related incidents, 46 cases of drunk driving, 20 disorderly conducts, 179 traffic offenses, 141 boating offenses, and 86 drug incidents. Overall, rangers made 98 arrests and issued 270 citations. The park's 20 commissioned rangers were augmented by officers from the Coconino and Kane County sheriff's offices, Utah state police, Utah state park rangers, Arizona game and fish officers, Coast Guard auxiliary, U.S. Park Police officers, and rangers detailed to the park from other NPS areas. Volunteers and park interpretive rangers assisted in directing traffic, parking vehicles, and helping out at launch ramps. [Tomie Lee, CR, GLCA, 6/17]
93-510 - Zion (Utah) - Follow-up on Search and Rescue Incident
On June 20th, the Department of Interior solicitor in Salt Lake City denied the $20 million plus tort claim filed last January as a result of two fatalities and personal injuries which occurred in accidents on the north boundary of the park on July 15, 1993. On that date, Dave Fleisher, 27, and Kim Ellis, 37, drowned in two separate incidents about an hour apart on private property in Kolob Creek adjacent to the park. The two victims, a surviving adult and five teen-age Explorer Scouts were on a four-day hike which was scheduled to conclude in the park on July 17th and had a permit for the last night of their trip through Zion Narrows. After they were reported overdue, an extensive helicopter search in very rugged terrain was initiated. The six survivors were located and rescued on July 19th through a cooperative effort by Washington County sheriff's officers and the park's SAR team. On January 3rd, the park received multiple tort claims for millions of dollars from attorneys representing families of both victims and survivors and passed them on to the solicitor. On instructions from the solicitor, the park is releasing no information and media inquiries are being directed to his office for response. A suit in district court is possible. [Denny Davies, PIO, ZION, 6/29]
More info: High Country News Article.
94-369 - Glen Canyon (Utah/Arizona) - Diving Fatality
Around noon on July 4th, Clinton Davison, 16, a citizen of Great Britain, dove off a cliff face at a height of 150 feet and suffered major trauma to his head upon striking the surface of the lake. Park medics and Classic Life Guard helicopters responded. Davison was flown immediately to Flagstaff Medical Center for treatment. On July 6th, Davison's family decided to have him removed from life support due to the severity of his brain injury. [Tomie Patrick Lee, CR, GLCA, 7/7]
94-370 - Glen Canyon (Utah/Arizona) - Drowning
James Jorgenson, 41, of Page, Arizona, drowned in the Coves area at Wahweap on July 6th. Jorgenson was swimming with his 14-year-old son, ten-year-old daughter and four neighborhood children when one of the neighbors, a ten-year-old girl, tried to swim to a buoy field which was beyond her abilities. Jorgenson saw that she was in trouble and attempted to swim to her rescue; two men on shore also swam to her and were able to reach her as she was going under and bring her to shore. No one realized Jorgenson was in trouble, however, and he was not missed for some time. Rangers recovered him from 42 feet of water about 100 feet from shore. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. [Tomie Patrick Lee, CR, GLCA, 7/7]
94-387 - Glen Canyon (Utah/Arizona) - Rescue
Rangers in the Hite Subdistrict responded to two medical incidents requiring rescues in the Dark Canyon primitive area last week. Both incidents involved members of The Road Less Traveled, a Chicago-based wilderness adventure group. At 3 a.m. on July 6th, a 15-year-old female with severe abdominal pain was evacuated to a hospital in Farmington, New Mexico, where doctors determined that she had a ruptured ovarian cyst and bladder infection. At 7 a.m. on the 7th, a 15-year-old male from the same group became disoriented and unable to walk. Rangers treated him for dehydration and hypoglycemia at the scene, then had him air evacuated to Farmington. In both cases, rangers who are also parkmedics administered Ivs and medication according to established protocols. [Tomie Lee, CR, GLCA, 7/7]
94-393 - Glen Canyon (Utah/Arizona) - SAR; Fatality
On July 15th, rangers in the Uplake District received sketchy, third-hand information about a six-year-old boy who had reportedly been missing from his camp in the vicinity of Halls Crossing for over an hour and a half. The rangers soon arrived at the point the child had last been seen and initiated a search which utilized protection and interpretive rangers and maintenance staff. Within 45 minutes, four patrol boats, several park and local aircraft and a state ranger were brought into the search effort. The child's body was found on a mesa about a mile and a half above his family's campsite approximately 90 minutes after the original report was received. The child had followed other children to the mesa and had told them he was going to return to camp. He was wearing only swimming shorts and sandals and had no water. The air temperature at the time was 107 degrees, but ground temperatures were much higher. Indications are that he became disoriented and hyperthermic. A CISD team from Zion conducted a critical stress debriefing later that day. [Tomie Lee, CR, GLCA, 7/15]
94-400 - Zion (Utah) - MVA with Fatality
Around 10 p.m. on July 16th, Marco Dyer of St. George, Utah, was westbound on the park entrance road when he lost control of his motorcycle and collided with the south wall of the Zion-Mt. Carmel tunnel. Dyer was pulseless, apnic and had fixed and dilated pupils when park medics arrived. Aggressive efforts to resuscitate him proved fruitless, and a doctor at Dixie Regional Medical Center subsequently ordered them to cease their efforts. [Dave Buccello, DR, Frontcountry District, ZION, 7/18]
94-439 - Capitol Reef (Utah) - Rescue
On July 28th, eight-year-old Jered Curtis of Nephi, Utah, wandered away from a large group while hiking on the Hickman Bridge trail and became lost. Curtis decided to climb down a 500-foot cliff to a highway he saw below; he descended most of the cliff face successfully, but then fell and slid until he lodged in a tiny pocket in the sandstone 70 feet above the bottom of the cliff. A passing motorist heard the boy's calls for help. Ranger Tom Cox ran to the base of the wall and calmed the boy for over two hours while rescue teams scrambled over rough terrain to a point above him. During that period, Cox was joined by the boy's father and a doctor. Rangers Scott Brown and Garry Olson rappelled to Curtis, picked him off his perch, and descended to his waiting parents. Except for some abrasions, the boy was uninjured. At times, the highway shoulder was lined with vehicles, as over 200 people watched the rescue. [CRO, CARE, 7/31]
94-459 - Glen Canyon (Arizona/Utah) - Significant Assist to Agency
On August 12th, the park received a request from the Kane County sheriff's office for assistance with a fight involving shots fire and wounded victims in Big Water, Utah, a small unincorporated town on the park's southwest boundary, as it would take their officers 20 to 30 minutes to reach the scene. Additional reports indicated that one victim had been shot in the head, and that a person was standing on his porch with a high-powered rifle, threatening to kill anyone who came after him. Responding rangers and park medics confronted James White, 30, who put his rifle down inside the house as soon as they arrived and surrendered without further incident. They found that he was had suffered head wounds from being struck in the head with a pistol, and that Star Watson, 32, had been shot in the hand (not the head) with a small caliber handgun. Watson, who has a lengthy criminal file, was convicted of assault on a Glen Canyon ranger in 1990 and is considered to be a high risk individual because of his expressed hatred for law enforcement officers in general and rangers in particular. Kane County deputies took both men into custody. Alcohol appears to have been a contributing factor in the fight between the two men, who are neighbors. [Tomie Lee, CR, GLCA, 8/15]
Zion NP (UT) - Fire Situation
The park had seven new lightning fires reported on the evening of August 17th and the morning of the 18th, and another fire within a mile of the park on private land protected by the county. Three fires were attached on the 18th; one is out, and two were contained with the help of bucket drops from BLM's Arizona Strip helicopter and two members of the helitack crew. Three people hiked four miles down the West Rim trail and about a half mile to the Rainbow fire to hold this fire at a quarter acre in heavy fuels. Two firefighters were flown from the Detour fire, a seven-acre carryover confinement wildfire, to the Hollow fire, also near the West Rim trail, a major hiking route across the Horse Pasture Plateau. Two additional firefighters were flown to the Sunrise fire, near the northeast corner of the park. A fourth fire, the Dawn fire, burning in brush near an isolated point above Goose Creek, was not attacked; smoke reappeared late in the afternoon, and a crew was to hike out to it. Assistance of three firefighters and a sawyer was requested from Bryce Canyon; these dropped another snag on the MIA fire to assist Washington County. No smoke was seen from the Cougar Mountain fire, the Greathart fire (which was two miles south of the Detour fire and could also be managed in a confinement status), or the Flicker fire, reported last night burning in manzanita. No smoke is visible from the Detour fire, although some large dead and down material continues to smolder within the burn. The BLM Automated Lightning Detection System (ALDS) recorded approximately 200 strikes from the storm in the park and nearby area.
94-557 - Glen Canyon (Utah/Arizona) - Falling Fatality
On the afternoon of September 15th, rangers received a cellular phone request for medical assistance for a person with life-threatening injuries who'd fallen from a cliff near the mouth of the Escalante arm of Lake Powell. Upon arrival, they found that Paul Thompson, 51, of Dixon, California, had already expired. Thompson was part of a group of seven BASE jumpers who'd made several parachute jumps from the cliff face just south of the Escalante confluence. Witnesses said that his chute deployed upon jumping, but that Thompson got twisted around and struck the cliff face several times because of the parachute's pendulum effect. The chute then collapsed and Thompson fell a significant distance, struck a rock, and landed in the water. Companions in a recovery boat witnessed the event and picked him up almost immediately. They said that they'd performed CPR, but that they were unsuccessful due to severe face, chest, and pelvic trauma. BASE jumping has not been a problem for Glen Canyon in past years. [Tomie Lee, CR, GLCA, 9/16]
94-609 - Natural Bridges (Utah) - Burglary
The park's visitor center was burglarized around 8 p.m. on the evening of October 14th. Thieves broke into a donation box and took about $400, and stole about $375 worth of books from the cooperating association. A visitor saw two men in the visitor center at the time of the burglary, but believed they were cleaning up (no pun intended). One suspect was described as a white male in his 20s, 5'6" to 5'8" tall, between 160 and 170 pounds, dark hair tied in a ponytail, and wearing a light blue denim jacket, blue jeans and a dark baseball cap. The second suspect was also a white male in his 20s, 5'10" to 6'0" tall, from 160 to 170 pounds, also wearing jeans and a blue jacket. The suspects are believed to be driving a metallic blue van, possibly a late model. No forced entry to the visitor center was apparent. [Jim Dougan, CR, NABR, 10/17]
94-528 - Canyonlands (Utah) - Assist on NPS-Related ARPA Arrest
On the morning of October 28th, Canyonlands rangers assisted BLM special agents and Utah State officers in the execution of a felony arrest warrant on Earl Shumway for an ARPA violation that occurred the previous week south of the park on BLM lands. A search warrant of Shumway's property was executed at the time of his arrest. A loaded weapon, marijuana and drug paraphernalia were found in his residence. Shumway was charged in 1992 with an ARPA violation within Canyonlands - a case that is still pending. [Larry Van Slyke, CR, CANY, 10/28]
94-637 - Zion (Utah) - BASE Jumping Arrests
On the afternoon of November 6th, four people were caught BASE jumping off of Angel's Landing in Zion Canyon. Acting on a tip from Lew Hansen, a park maintenance employee, rangers Fred Hoeger, Shawn McNally, Beth Martin and Ed Dunlavey responded to the area and contacted Marta Hewitt, Paul McGreevy, Frank Le Poole, and Michael Maguire. After multiple interviews, the four admitted to the jump and were cited under 36 CFR 2.17 (a)(3), air delivery by parachute. The jumpers subsequently led rangers to four separate locations where their equipment had been stashed. All equipment was seized pending court appearances, where forfeiture will be pursued. [David Buccello, Acting CR, ZION, 11/7]
94-642 - Zion (Utah) - Pursuit and Arrest
On the morning of November 12th, Zion dispatch was given a vehicle and driver description regarding a recent "gas skip" in a neighboring community. Ranger Karen Frauson identified the driver as he entered the park, notified patrol, and requested the standard entrance fee. The driver refused to pay the fee, stating that he did not recognize federal authority, and drove on. Patrol ranger John Patmore stopped the vehicle a short time later. The driver, Ryan C. Bundy of Nevada, refused to identify himself, insisting that the federal government had no right to stop him and had no authority on Utah lands. Bundy drove off just as back-up ranger Ed Dunlavey arrived. The two patrol units began a pursuit of Bundy, who now refused to stop. Bundy continued for a dozen miles to the park's east entrance, where road spikes were utilized in an attempt to stop him. Bundy was able to drive around the spikes, narrowly missing a Utah Highway Patrol officer in the process. He continued out of the park until stopped by sheriff's deputies at a roadblock about 21 miles from the point of the initial stop. Bundy was cited for numerous state and federal charges, including fleeing, interference with agency functions and failure to pay required fees. Bundy is a member of a local constitutionalist/"wise use" extremist group which has threatened land management rangers and policies in the past. [David Buccello, DR, Frontcountry District, ZION, 11/13]
94-644 - Glen Canyon (Utah) - Rescue
On the evening of November 11th, the park received a report of a stranded climber on a small ledge in Ribbon Canyon. Rescuers responding from Halls Crossing and Bullfrog worked throughout the night attempting to reach and rescue Dennis McGlynn of Davis, California, who was perched on a small ledge about 115 feet above the canyon floor. Night time rescue operations were hindered by a light rain and poor quality sandstone rock. At first light, a rescue party consisting of rangers Matt Vandzura and Russ Miller and maintenance workers Pat Horning and Greg Taylor succeeded in attaining a position on a higher ledge from which Vandzura was able to traverse across to a position above McGlynn and from there complete the rescue by lowering him to the ground. McGlynn spent nearly 19 hours standing on the small ledge. He was clad in t-shirt, shorts, hiking shoes, and an inexpensive plastic rain poncho. The latter likely kept him from developing hypothermia. Investigation following the rescue indicated that McGlynn and his party were BASE jumpers who have frequently visited remote areas of the park and were all present in the nearby Escalante Canyon area when Paul Thompson died during a BASE jump in September. This particular rescue was not related to BASE jumping, however, as McGlynn was simply free climbing in a narrow side canyon. [Tommie Lee, CR, GLCA, 11/14]
94-666 - Zion (Utah) - Climbing Fatality
Larry Price, 35, of Crested Butte, Colorado, fell about a hundred feet to his death while descending from a climb in the Court of the Patriarchs area of the park around 8 p.m. on November 22nd. The accident was reported by his climbing partner. The cause of the accident has not been determined, but darkness is thought to have been a contributing factor. This was the first climbing related accident to occur in the park in many years. [Denny Davies, ZION, 11/23]
94-682 - Arches (Utah) - Visitor Injured by Ram
On the afternoon of December 15th, a bighorn ram knocked down and injured a visitor who'd walked into the herd to take photographs. The man had gotten between the ram and the herd, then had turned his back on the ram and knelt down to take photos of the rest of the herd. Three smaller rams came to the front of the group and stared at the man, cocking their heads. When the man stood up, the large ram charged him, striking him on his right shoulder and knocking him to the ground. The man got up slowly and began screaming for help. Two passers-by ran to assist him, but the ram ignored them and charged again, striking the man in the middle of the back and again knocked him down. The visitors yelled and waved their arms at the ram, but he stood his ground. The ram did not charge again, though, and the visitors were able to get the man back to his car. Although the man suffered a bruise to his shoulder, severe abrasions on his back and complained of pain around his collar bone, he declined to report the incident and refused medical assistance offered by one of the witnesses. According to another of these witnesses, all of the rams displayed aggressive poses - lowering and cocking their heads - throughout the incident. This herd is well known in the Moab area because it grazes just off Utah Highway 191 along the park's southern border during the fall, winter and early spring. Many visitors stop to take photographs of the animals, but they usually move up the steep slopes into the park when photographers get too close. This is the first known instance of a bighorn butting a visitor. [Karen McKinlay-Jones, ARCH, 12/27]
94-686 - Bryce Canyon (Utah) - MVA with Damage to NPS Structure
Just before noon on December 25th, a 1994 Dodge sedan driven by Yoshiharu Ishizaki, a Japanese citizen, crashed into the side of the park's west entrance station. The building's west wall was pushed in about eight inches; the cost to repair the damage has been estimated at about $5,000. There were no injuries, as the station was empty at the time and all the occupants of the vehicle were wearing seatbelts. High speed and icy roads contributed to the accident. The investigating ranger reported that Ishizaki attempted to pay the $5 entrance fee as his vehicle was being extracted from the side of the entrance station. [Charlie Peterson, CR, BRCA, 12/27]