Lake Roosevelt |  |
The following Incident Reports were extracted from the NPS Morning Reports/Coalition Reports from 1989-2025. They are not a complete record of all incidents which occurred in this park during this timeframe. INCIDENTS | |
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April 21, 1987 Location: confluence of Columbia & Spokane Rivers into Roosevelt Lake G.D. was reported overdue from a fishing excursion at 1:00am Sunday, 4/20. A search was initiated with personnel out all day on Sunday. On 4/21, at 9:00am, a search helicopter spotted G.D.'s overturned boat in 8' of water. His body was found at 7:00pm that night. Windy conditions had been noted in that area over the weekend. No foul play suspected. Autopsy pending. Family notified.
Location: Kettle Falls Mr. L.W.B., who had been a VIP at Coulee Dam in the summer and Lake Mead in the winter for the last 22 years, died in his sleep in his trailer in the campground at Kettle Falls. He was 91 years old and had been in failing health. Park staff is assisting the family.
Location: Near Cloverleaf Campground A fisherman found the body of a 20 to 25-year-old woman floating in the lake. She was in the water about 3 days and is so far unidentified. There are no local missing person reports. Rangers are currently searching the lake for the victim's boat or for other possible victims.
Location: Porcupine Bay P.P., age 13, was swimming in the Porcupine Bay area with six other boys and two adult supervisors from the Cannon Hill Home for boys in Spokane, Washington, Although he was reportedly a swimmer, he just "slipped away" while in the water. P.P. had a history of seizures, but had not had one in two years. He was found within an hour, but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
Four unidentified individuals were camping at the Hawk Creek boat-in campground on the 12th. They were apparently drinking heavily, and decided to continue their party on a boat ride. While on their way back, their boat sank for unknown reasons in about 50 feet of water. Three of the four and a dog travelling with them were able to swim to shore, but the fourth person has not been located. The survivors feel that the fourth person may have made it to shore, then passed out. The park will be using ground searchers, a boat and a BIA contract helicopter to search the area. (Darrell Cook, CR, CCDA, via CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO).
Park rangers and law enforcement officers from the Forest Service, BIA and Stevens and Ferry County sheriffs' offices have discovered and eradicated 103 marijuana plants valued at $100,000 from a plot within the park. Numerous other plantations were also found on nearby Forest Service lands and two Indian reservations. There are no suspects at this time. Several areas have been left undisturbed for followup investigations. (John Scott, CODA, via CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO).
The bodies of D. and B.N., both 34, of Evans, Washington, were recovered on March 30th from Lake Roosevelt by park rangers and Stevens County sheriff's deputies. The couple had been reported missing by their children on the 25th, and a search of the area had been undertaken by park rangers. No sign of the couple had been found. Construction workers saw gas and oil on the lake surface on the 30th, however, and subsequent investigation led to the discovery of the couple and their vehicle in the lake. It appears that the car left the road, went over a guard rail, hit a rock embankment, then fell 75 feet into the lake. (Darrell Cook, CODA, via CompuServe report from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 4/4/90).
Early on July 14th, park rangers received a report of nude sunbathers in the public beach area near Gifford Campground. A ranger contacted the sunbathers, who were now clothed, and requested that they move to a more remote area away from persons offended by their activity. They said that they would comply, and the ranger left the area. A short time later, the person who made the original complaint again confronted the sunbathers and an argument ensured. One of the sunbathers drew a small-caliber handgun and fire shots at the complainant, missing him. The assailant then fled the area. He was later arrested by sheriff's deputies at his home and charged with aggravated assault. The complainant is well known to rangers and other law enforcement officers as a suspect in numerous complaints of indecent exposure in the Gifford area, and it's suspected that the argument may have been the result of a territorial dispute. (CompuServe message from CODA, 7/25).
Late on the afternoon of the 6th, park rangers returning to headquarters by boat from Fort Spokane discovered debris floating on the lake. Upon investigation, they found two people in the water struggling to stay afloat. The rangers employed life rings and line to pull the pair from the water into the patrol boat. Both were without life jackets and in the early stages of hypothermia. They had been out fishing and their small, 12-foot boat had taken on water and capsized. The incident occurred about a quarter of a mile from shore; based on their condition, it is doubtful that either would have made it to shore. Alcohol and lack of safety equipment were factors in the accident. (Darrell Cook, CR, CODA, via CompuServe message from Mark Forbes, RAD/PNRO, 9/11).
Between September 4th and 13th, rangers participated in a multi-agency task force which located six marijuana gardens and destroyed 211 plants with an estimated value of $211,000. Three suspects were arrested. None of the plants were on NPS property. Participating agencies included the NPS, the Forest Service, the Steven's County Sheriff's Apartment, the Spokane Tribal Police and the Washington Air National Guard. (SEAdog message from Mike Blankenship, RAD/PNRO, 9/21).
There was a hazardous substance spill on the Columbia River on the evening of April 10th. The spill, which occurred near the Cominco Mine in Canada approximately 15 miles from the U.S. border, was comprised of five to ten cubic meters of sulfide leaching plant residue containing zinc and cadmium. The Washington Department of Ecology has taken water samples from the river, but test results are not yet in. [CompuServe message from RAD/PNRO, 4/11]
Around noon on the 9th, W.T., 30, of Chewelah, Washington, and several companions decided to go swimming in the Kettle River near Kamloops Bridge. One member of the group jumped from the bridge then swam to shore; W.T. followed, hit the water in a "belly flop" position, and disappeared. Witnesses saw him resurface, but he was face down and wasn't moving. Before the first jumper could reach him, W.T. sank beneath the surface. Further attempts to locate him were unsuccessful. Rangers and local authorities began a search for his body which was still underway at the time of the report. The search is being hampered by strong river currents and near zero visibility under water. [CompuServe message from RAD/PNRO, 6/11]
During the latter part of August, rangers participated in a multi-agency task force operation which led to the location and destruction of 1,200 marijuana plants with an estimated value of $1.4 million on lands near the park. Seven growers were arrested and a large amount of personal property was seized. Aircraft overflights were provided by the National Guard. Agencies participating in the operation included the NPS, Forest Service, Customs Service, Border Patrol, DEA, and county sheriffs and police officers from seven communities. Task force operations are continuing at this time. [SEAdog message from Mike Blankenship, RAD/PNRO, 9/18]
Early on the morning of November 5th, the park's houseboat concessioner reported a slick of unidentifiable composition on Lake Roosevelt near Keller Ferry. Park personnel responded and were on-scene within half an hour. At that time, the slick, which apparently originated from the Sanpoil River in the Colville Reservation, was about a half mile long and 50 yards wide. Although booms were deployed to protect fish pens at Keller Ferry, some of the material did come up on shore. Representatives from the tribe conducted field tests on the substance, but were unable to identify the material. State authorities were notified and were en route at the time of the report. The slick has since largely dissipated. [SEAdog message from Kathy Jope, RAD/PNRO, 11/5]
A marijuana eradication operation which resulted in the destruction of 1,639 plants and five arrests was conducted in the park by a multi-agency task force between August 3rd and 19th. Additional arrests and property seizures are pending. Agencies participating in the operation were the NPS, Forest Service, DEA, Washington Air National Guard, Washington State DNR, and four local sheriffs' departments. [Daryl Cook, CR, CODA, 9/14]
An investigation by rangers which culminated in charges of destruction of natural resources and construction of unauthorized structures (encroachments) on park land recently resulted in the defendant cooperating with the U.S. Attorney's Office and signing a pre-trial diversion agreement. The agreement requires that the defendant, an adjacent property owner, restore all resource damage (which resulted from extensive earth-moving activity) to the specifications of the NPS, remove all encroachments from park land, reimburse the NPS for the salary of an NPS heavy equipment operator involved in the restoration project, and pay a fine of over $3,300. Encroachments from adjacent property owners are one of the park's greatest resource threats. Hundreds of such incidents have been documented to date. [Darrell Cook, CR, CODA, 11/16]
On February 10th, North District rangers received a visitor report of a dead bald eagle on park lands. Investigation revealed that the eagle had been shot with a high-powered rifle while it was sitting on a roost tree about 200 feet from a road. A joint investigation by the NPS, Fish and Wildlife Service and Washington Department of Wildlife is underway. A $2,500 reward is being offered by Fish and Wildlife. [John Scott, DR, CODA, 3/8]
On the afternoon of March 10th, rangers received a report that fisherman had seen a boat going in fast circles on the lake near Fort Spokane and that they'd discovered only two dogs on board when checking it after it ran out of gas. Rangers conducted a hasty search until nightfall, but found nothing. Investigation revealed that the boat registration matched the registration of a car with a boat trailer which was left in a parking lot. The registration was traced to C.M., a 41-year-old resident of Spokane. One of the dogs had a license registered to C.M., the other was registered to C.M.'s girlfriend/common-law wife. The search resumed on the 11th with boats from other agencies, an Air Force helicopter, and the Spokane sheriff's office dive team. At about 4 p.m., sonar being used by the searchers detected a possible "target" at a depth of 240 feet - too deep for recovery. C.M. is now listed as "missing and presumed drowned." [Mark Arsenault, CODA, 3/11]
At 1 a.m. on March 13th, the Stevens County sheriff's department called rangers in the North District and asked them to assist on a hostage situation on the Highway 395 bridge that spans Lake Roosevelt at the northern end of the park. Several hours previously, F.P. had burglarized his girlfriend's house in Republic, Washington, and abducted his seven-month-old baby. F.P. eluded Ferry County deputies until he was finally stopped on the bridge, then threatened to throw the baby into the lake if officers approached him. Rangers responded with two boats, positioning them under the bridge in the event that F.P. went through with his threat. The incident ended at about 4 a.m. when F.P. was physically removed from his vehicle and arrested. The baby was cold but otherwise unharmed. F.P. is currently being held on charges of burglary and violation of a court protective order; charges of kidnapping and eluding are pending. [John Scott, DR, CODA, 3/15]
On March 12th, North District rangers received a visitor report of a body in the China Bar area of Lake Roosevelt. Investigating rangers discovered the body of D.P., 42, of Nelson, British Columbia. They checked with the RCMP and found that D.P. had been reported missing on January 16th and is believed to have been a suicide. His body was turned over to the RCMP, which is conducting an investigation into his death. [John Scott, DR, CODA, 3/15]
On the evening of August 27th, rangers responded to a report that an adult male had fallen out of a moving 16-foot motor boat. The boat had no other occupants and continued under power for several minutes before running up onto a beach. Despite the presence of numerous visitors in the immediate vicinity, none saw the victim fall out of his boat. A multi-agency search effort was begun, but was hampered by darkness, an inability to determine the victim's exact point of entry, and the 135-foot water depth. Efforts to recover the body of the victim, who was not wearing a life jacket, are continuing, as is an investigation into the incident. [CRO, CODA, 9/7]
Late on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 5th, three young men on an innertube were being pulled by a ski boat on Lake Roosevelt. The boat's operator brought the trio close to shore, then released them, apparently in the belief that the wind would carry them to shore. The three were pushed out into the lake near Keller's Ferry, however, then either decided to swim for shore or were knocked off the tube. One of the men reached a temporary buoy, where he was seen by a lifeguard who swam out to him and brought him to shore. The guard then swam back out in an effort to locate the other two; despite repeated dives in the area, however, he was unable to locate them. Rangers joined in the effort, but were equally unsuccessful. The guard was taken to shore, treated for hypothermia and exhaustion, then released. The search for the two men continues. It is thought that the three are concession employees and tribal members. Rangers have not yet been able to interview the one survivor. The names have not been released to the media. [CRO, Coulee Dam, 7/6]
On September 29th, rangers responded to a visitor report of a body washed ashore along the Spokane River. Preliminary investigation indicates that it may be that of C.M., 41, who apparently fell out of a boat into the lake in March, 1993. There were no witnesses to the incident, and efforts to recover the body at that time proved unsuccessful due to the water's depth (in excess of 200 feet). Dental records will be provided to a forensic dentist in an effort to positively identify the body. Foul play is not indicated. [Gil Goodrich, CR, CODA]
Rangers responded to a report of a body in the Kettle River on May 16th and recovered the remains with the assistance of the county sheriff's office and coroner. Information provided by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police revealed that the victim - apparently a suicide - was a Canadian citizen who was reported missing on March 29th. The body has been returned to Canada for an autopsy. This is the second body recovery of a Canadian suicide victim in the park this year. [CRO, CODA]
A team of rangers and county deputies pursuing an anonymous tip recently discovered 40 marijuana plants being cultivated near the park's boundary. The plants were eradicated because the sophisticated drip irrigation system implied that it would require an extended surveillance operation to catch the growers. The county's narcotics officer has appraised the market value of the high quality plants at $40,000. [Gil Goodrich, CR, CODA]
Ranger Gig LeBret recently participated in a week-long, interagency marijuana eradication effort in which 576 high-quality plants valued at $600,000 were identified and removed from several plantations adjacent to the park. Since 1991, the efforts of this NPS-assisted task force have led to the eradication of over $23.5 million worth of marijuana, the seizure of property, and multiple arrests. [Gil Goodrich, CR, CODA]
During the afternoon of December 30th, a privately-owned, twin-engine 42 foot cabin cruiser sank in a rented slip at the Seven Bays Marina, a park concession. The vessel came to rest at the end of its dock lines about 20 feet above the bottom of the lake. The owner estimated that there was about 125 gallons of fuel in the boat; about 20 to 30 gallons and some oil have leaked into the lake. Containment booms were deployed and absorbent pads employed to soak up the spill. Park divers were able to help stabilize the boat, turn off its electrical system, and tighten both gas tank caps to reduce spillage. The owner is attempting to salvage the vessel with a commercial contractor. The cause of the accident won't be known until the boat is removed from the water and inspected. The gasoline is dissipating, and appears to have done no harm to wildlife. [Marty Huseman, Acting CR, LARO]
Two men fishing from a boat on the Kettle River found the body of an adult female on July 12th. The body was recovered by rangers with assistance from county and state officers. The victim is believed to have come from a missing vehicle that disappeared into the river upstream of the park last month. An autopsy will be conducted in an attempt to identify the victim and determine the cause of death. [CRO, LARO, 7/16]
On December 1st, the park received a report that a single-engine plane had crashed into the lake a couple of miles north of Kettle Falls. Two rangers responded by boat along with county and state officers. Debris was found on the surface of the lake, but there was no sign of survivors. County divers recovered one body from 40 feet of water before darkness halted operations; two remaining victims were removed from the plane the following day. Witnesses said that the plane had left the Colville airport about 15 minutes prior to the crash. They saw it fly low over the water, pass over a nearby home at tree-top level, then skim the water, bank, catch a wing tip and crash. FAA and NTSB investigators and county detectives are still investigating. The plane was removed on December 11th with the assistance of a Bureau of Reclamation barge and crane. Evidence of alcohol and illegal drugs were found in the wreckage. [CRO, LARO, 12/15]
A park employee was returning to his office in a government vehicle on the evening of May 21st when a motorcycle with two men on it began to follow him. The employee looked through his rear view mirror and saw that the passenger was aiming a rifle at him. He took evasive action and pulled off the road; the motorcycle continued on. Rangers and state police are investigating. [Marty Huseman, ACR, LARO, 5/27]
On May 16th, visitors reported seeing a body floating in the lake near China Bend. Rangers recovered the remains of R.W., 37, and turned the body over to the county sheriff's office. Witnesses had reported seeing R.W. jump from a bridge in Canada a month earlier. He was identified by tags that he wore indicating he had been a mental patient. The body was returned to Canadian officials on May 18th. [Marty Huseman, ACR, LARO, 5/27]
On May 27th, rangers were notified that a body had been seen floating in the Kettle River portion of the park. They recovered the body of A.L., 36, near Kamloops campground. A.L. had been reported missing from a solo canoe trip 15 miles north of the park three weeks earlier. [Marty Huseman, ACR, LARO, 6/1]
On the morning of June 6th, a single-engine plane hired by a contract archeological crew working for the Colville tribes crashed into Lake Roosevelt at Rickey Point, approximately five miles south of Kettle Falls. The pilot and owner, B.O., 53, of Reno, Nevada, and the passenger, J.M., 39, of Sparks, Nevada, were both killed. J.M. was an archeologist and apparently was taking aerial photos of the site that the crew had been working. Witnesses reported that B.O. made a very low pass after J.M. had completed his work, flew up lake, returned, successfully executed a barrel roll, then attempted a loop. He did not have enough altitude to complete the loop, though, and hit the lake nose first at a 20 to 30-degree angle about 100 yards from the shore. A boat reached the accident site within five minutes and found only scattered debris. Tribal and volunteer divers located the plane at a depth of 90 to 100 feet; both B.O. and J.M. were found within the wreckage. A Bureau of Reclamation barge and crane lifted the plane to the surface, where county rescue workers freed the bodies. [Bruce Edmonston, DR, LARO, 6/9]
On June 16th, two surveyors reported a car and a body along the shore of Lake Roosevelt four miles north of Snag Cove campground. Ranger Bernie Merritt and Stevens County detectives investigated. They found the body of G.H., 43, lying beside the lake; a revolver was still in his hand. G.H. had evidently been despondent over a chronic illness. [Bruce Edmonston, DR, LARO, 6/25]
On November 15th, four-year-old S.H. walked away from his grandparents' home near the park's boundary with the expressed intention of going to look at the lake. Accompanying him was his grandfather's Doberman pinscher, "Rambo." S.H., who was dressed in a sweatsuit and windbreaker, was visiting from Okinawa, where his father is stationed in the military, and had only been in the area for a few days. When he failed to return home after two hours, his grandfather called the county sheriff's office. Deputies in turn requested assistance from the park. About 40 volunteers and five dog teams joined searchers in boats from the park and the Spokane Tribal Parks Department in a search of the land and shoreline. High winds and rain hampered the operation, which was suspended at 3 a.m. on November 16th, then resumed again at 7 a.m. The boy was found by ground crews about an hour later. He'd gotten lost trying to return to the house and had spent the night in a hole under some trees, using "Rambo" to keep him warm. He was in good condition except for mild hypothermia and some swelling in his feet (he'd been barefoot the entire time). [Mark Arsenault, SDR, Spring Canyon Subdistrict, LARO, 11/17]
A single-vehicle accident occurred on State Highway 25 north in the Kettle Falls District on the morning of December 27th. Park, state and county units responded and found that the vehicle had left the road on a curve, struck a guardrail, traveled about 300 feet down a steep embankment, then landed in 30 feet of water, 50 feet from shore. Divers recovered the vehicle and passenger later that day and the driver the next day. Neither of the occupants was wearing a seatbelt. Speed, alcohol and drugs were involved. The Washington State Patrol is leading the investigation. (Gig LeBret, DR, Gifford District, LARO, 12/29)
An old ferry abandoned at the mouth of the Colville River was discovered on fire during the early morning hours of July 5th. The park was notified at 6:15 a.m. Ranger Gig LeBret and park archeologist Ray DePuydt arrived on scene around 6:45 a.m. and found the ferry totally engulfed in flame. It could not be reached due to rising lake waters, so LeBret and DePuydt launched a park patrol boat and extinguished the remaining flames with a float pump. The ferry was completely destroyed. No sign of the cause or evidence of who may have started it was found. The ferry was abandoned some time after 1973, at which times its engine and all salvageable metal were removed. Prehistoric artifacts from a known site were seen around the location where the ferry burned, which will necessitate care during cleanup operations. Rising lake waters may move what's left of the ferry, however, before such a cleanup can be arranged. [Gig LeBret, DR, North District, LARO, 7/6]
Ranger Beth Lariviere contacted a man in the woods near the Rickey Point cabin on the evening of September 8th. The man gave her false identification, but was later identified as C.E., a convicted felon with a current felony warrant out against him. Lariviere returned to the area and found a stolen vehicle near the lake's edge. She asked for backup, and officers from Stevens County and Kettle Falls City responded. Although the vehicle's identification number had been removed, it fit the description of a car that had been stolen in nearby Ferry county. Lariviere directed the officers to a house where she believed C.E. lived. While searching for him, the officers found a meth lab, an indoor marijuana growing operation, and a number of stolen items. Two people were arrested, but C.E. was not found. On September 11th, C.E. was apprehended after a high-speed chase involving park rangers and officers from Stevens County, Kettle Falls City and the Washington State Patrol. The chase ended when C.E. car struck a park patrol vehicle operated by ranger Gig LeBret. He was not injured. On September 12th, a fourth person, identified as the "cooker" for the meth lab, was arrested in Ferry County when he showed up for arraignment on a previous meth lab charge. Rangers Bernie Merritt and Brandy Wittwer assisted in the incident. [Gig LeBret, DR, North District, LARO, 9/14]
On Friday, December 15th, ranger Eric Peterson discovered an unattended pickup truck in the Hawk Creek area. Inside the vehicle, in plain view, was the last will and testament of a 48-year-old Spokane man. In the note, he wrote that he was heading west with his handgun to find a spot near a tree with a view of the lake where he could commit suicide. An empty handgun box was also in the truck. Rangers, maintenance personnel, and county deputies conducted a hasty search of the area but found no signs of the man. The search continued through Tuesday, with additional assistance from volunteers and a search dog. Investigation revealed that the man had been missing since December 13th and that he had a history of suicide attempts and mental illness. Several inches of new snow, cold weather, and high winds have hampered search efforts. The search has been scaled back to daily patrols of the area. (Mark Arsenault, Acting CR, LARO, 12/22]
The silent alarm at the Kettle Falls district office went off around 1 a.m. on July 19th. Rangers Beth Lariviere and George Rabtzow responded and confirmed that a B&E had occurred, and that efforts had also been made to break into the Kettle Falls contact station. Lariviere, suspecting that an effort would also be made to take fee canisters from down lake campgrounds, alerted the campground hosts at Hunters, 40 miles south. The hosts noticed a vehicle leaving the campground at the time of the call and gave Lariviere a description of the vehicle. They also checked the fee canister and found that it was gone. Upon hearing this, Lariviere called ranger Chris Rugel, suspecting that the thieves might be headed toward the Fort Spokane campground, 20 miles south of Hunters. Rugel dispatched rangers Pieter Sween and Adam Kelsey, who checked the canister there and found it had been vandalized. Sween and Kelsey then headed toward the Porcupine Bay campground, 17 miles south of Fort Spokane, arriving just before 4 a.m. They parked about a quarter mile from the campground and walked in. As they entered the campground, they heard a tapping sound coming from the area where the fee canister is located. They got to within 20 feet of the person at the canister when he realized that the rangers were approaching and bolted up the hill behind the campground. A chase ensued, with local officers assisting. Around 10 a.m., S.W., 35, of Spokane was arrested. Rugel took him to a local hospital after S.W. showed signs of a seizure. S.W. was released by doctors, but then complained of a head injury so was reexamined and again released. S.W. will be arraigned today. He has numerous past convictions for theft, and has served time in jail. Two other people may have been involved with these thefts, but no one else has been apprehended. S.W.'s car has been impounded. The park has been experiencing break-ins into offices and thefts of fee canisters for a year. [Lynne Brougher, LARO, 7/20]
National Park Service personnel systemwide are responding in many ways to the terrorist attacks yesterday on Washington and New York. Here's a summary, as of 11 a.m. today: o Pacific West Region - The USS Arizona and Cabrillo have been closed due to the closures of immediately adjacent naval bases. Lake Mead, Lake Roosevelt, Ross Lake and Whiskeytown remain open, but the dams at all four areas have been closed. Ditto for Hetch-Hetchy in Yosemite. [Bob Martin, RCR, NER, 9/12; Einar Olsen, RCR, NCR, 9/12; Sgt. R. MacLean, USPP, NCR, 9/12; Dennis McGinnis, Type 1 team, SHEN, 9/12; Dennis Burnett, RAD/WASO, 9/12]
The following changes in the status of National Park Service areas and offices were reported yesterday: o Lake Roosevelt NRA (WA) - Grand Coulee Dam is closed, but the visitor center is open. [Pat Buccello, CISM Team, STLI, 9/19; Dennis McGinnis, Type 1 IMT, WASO, 9/19; Sue Masica, Administration, WASO, 9/19; SHEN EICC, 9/18]
The National Park Service continues to provide support to its parks and employees, gather information on the status of field areas for DOI, and deal with security issues throughout the country, including the brokering of numerous requests for operational support. The Service's Type 1 IMT (Eddie Lopez, IC) continues its operations from the South Interior Building; the Type 2 East Team (Bob Panko, IC) is overseeing the NPS expanded dispatch operation at Shenandoah NP. Here's a current report on the status of parks affected by this incident: o Lake Roosevelt - The dam is closed and tours have been suspended. The visitor center is open. [EICC/Type 2 IMT, SHEN, 9/27; Kris Fister, NPS Type 1 IMT, WASO, 9/28; Pat Buccello, CISM Team, 9/28; Billy Garrett, Superintendent, Jamaica Bay Unit, GATE, 9/27] Wednesday, January 2, 2002 A series of thefts occurred to park offices and fee canisters on the evening of July 19th. The subsequent six-hour manhunt for the thief or thieves culminated with the arrest of one S.W. A twelve count indictment - including three felony charges - was subsequently filed against S.W., and he pled guilty to all charges. On November 14th, S.W. was sentenced to 15 months in prison on the three felony counts and twelve months (to be served concurrently) on the misdemeanor counts; he was also ordered to pay $9,326 in restitution and a $525 special assessment fee to the park. S.W. has a long history of this type of activity, including prior thefts from two national parks (Yosemite and Sequoia), several Forest Service areas, and numerous state parks. He is banned from all national parks for three years after his release from prison. The investigation also lead to other unsolved burglaries and thefts in Washington and Idaho and to methamphetamine manufacture and sales. A second suspect was identified and has agreed to cooperate, resulting in the recovery of a park safe taken by S.W. in a similar theft last year and an ATM machine stolen from an Idaho convenience store. A meeting is being set up with the NPS, DEA and the US Attorney's Office to further investigate this person's knowledge of methamphetamine manufacture in the Spokane area. Possible theft charges are also pending against him. [Chris Rugel, LARO, 12/21]
Rangers recently conducted an investigation into geocaching in the park. Geocaching is a sport in which individuals or organizations cache materials at particular locations, then provide the GPS coordinates via the Internet so that other people can attempt to find them. Some times caching entails digging, which presents obvious problems in national parks. On February 27th, P.H. asked permission to bury a geocache within the park's historic Fort Spokane Unit. During the conversation, P.H. made several statements which revealed that he'd previously been investigated by the US Fish and Wildlife Service for this same activity, and that other geocaches might already be buried within the park. Ranger Jaime Green investigated and found that two caches had already been buried near Fort Spokane by a geocache player known as "Fuzzybear." Additional investigation uncovered a connection between "Fuzzybear" and P.H. P.H. was interviewed and admitted placing both caches. Parks concerned about this activity within their boundaries may go to http://www.geocaching.com and search for caches located in their areas. [Chris Rugel, DR, Fort Spokane District, LARO, 3/8]
B.B., 42, of Kettle Falls, was last seen in the Kettle
River Campground on July 4th. The park received a missing person report
two days later and immediately began a search for him. On July 7th, his
body was found floating just down the river from the campground.
B.B. had been drinking most of the day and through the early
evening; the delay in the report occurred, according to his companions,
because B.B. had a habit of walking away from areas while drinking,
then returning a day or two later. On July 19th, the park received a
report of a man missing in the lake. K.B., 23, had last
been seen around midnight in about two feet of water, trying to retrieve
a football that had been thrown into the lake. A search was conducted
through much of the night, then resumed early in the morning. A county
dive team arrived on scene that afternoon. K.B.'s body was found
and retrieved about a mile east of Fort Spokane on the Spokane River.
K.B. and his companions had been drinking all day prior to the
incident. Although it is probable that he drowned, an autopsy is being
conducted to confirm the cause of death.
Maintenance worker Matthew R. Engelhardt, 46, died of an apparent
cardiac arrest on Tuesday, September 9th. Engelhardt was found
unconscious near the Fort Spokane group campsites around 2 p.m. Rangers
and EMS personnel responded and found CPR already in progress. An AED
was used, and basic life support was provided until ALS arrived via
helicopter. All efforts to revive him proved fruitless. An estimated 15
minutes elapsed between the time he was last seen until he was
discovered by coworkers.
On March 5th, "Operation Coldwater," a joint operation by rangers, Border Patrol agents, and Stevens County deputies, resulted in the seizure of 235 pounds of processed "BC Bud" marijuana and the arrest of two Canadians and a couple from Northport, Washington. The foursome were smuggling drugs from Canada into the United States via the Columbia River. The joint U.S. — Canadian operation was begun after several small fishing boats were discovered by rangers in the Kettle Falls District area in late January. A Border Patrol dog was employed to check the boats, which resulted in indications that they'd been used to transport drugs. Bail has been set at $250,000 for the Canadians; the Border Patrol has also placed an immigration hold on them for allegedly entering the U.S. illegally. Rangers Beth Lariviere and Sam Martinsen were involved in the operation. Stevens County is handling the prosecution. [Submitted by Gig LeBret, Kettle Falls District Ranger]
Seasonal maintenance worker Josie Jensen was injured on April 28th when a train struck the DOI pickup truck that she was driving. The accident occurred off park property. The train was traveling at 25 mph when it hit the truck, pushing/throwing it about 120 feet. Josie was wearing her seatbelt and suffered only minor bruises. She was treated at the hospital and released. The county sheriff's office is handling the investigation; NTSB is looking into it as well. [Submitted by Jerry McCarthy]
Ranger Chris Rugel stopped a car for a seatbelt violation in Fort
Spokane campground just before 10 p.m. on
July 2nd. The driver said he had neither a license nor identification.
Ranger Adam Kelsey obtained the driver's name and date of birth and
checked them; two arrest warrants for assault/domestic
violence came back on him. Kelsey approached the vehicle and told
the driver to place both hands on the steering wheel, but he instead
immediately took off, making a quick U-turn. In so doing, he ran over
Kelsey's foot and hit his left knee. A high speed pursuit ensued onto
the Spokane Indian Reservation, where the driver bailed out near a
tribal campground. A brief foot chase followed, but was called off due
to darkness. A 911 medical call came in for the man the next morning. He
was flown to Spokane, where he assaulted a male nurse while in the
hospital. He told Spokane PD officers that he'd swallowed an "eight
ball" of methamphetamine during the vehicle pursuit. The man is
currently in custody on the outstanding warrants and for the assault on
the nurse. A felony warrant was obtained for an assault on a federal
officer, with a grand jury indictment pending. The man, who has a
history of methamphetamine use, was recently arrested by BIA for
possession of a stolen AK-47 and had threatened to kill another BIA
officer. A digital scale and a 10-inch knife were found inside the
vehicle during the search. The man had just been released from jail two
days prior to the incident.
During the early morning hours on November 27, 2004, ranger Beth Lariviere responded to a callout for a vehicle in the water at the Kettle Falls Marina. Two Stevens County deputies were already on scene with the male driver. While searching the area for more suspects, Lariviere came upon a second man and began escorting him towards the other officers. As one of the Stevens County officers approached Lariviere, the man reached into his coat and pulled a gun out of his waistband. A struggle ensued and he was brought to the ground by force and taken into custody. Recently, the man pled guilty to third degree felony assault on officers and was sentenced to two months in jail and 12 months community custody. [Chris Rugel, Chief Ranger]
A visitor walking her dog came upon a body along the Marcus Island campground road just before 7 a.m. on Tuesday, July 25th. Rangers, county deputies and EMS personnel responded. Evidence gathered at the scene indicated that the 42-year-old victim died from an overdose of alcohol and medications. A suicide note was found in his car at a nearby campsite. An autopsy will be conducted to determine cause of death. [Gig LeBret, Kettle Falls District Ranger]
G.L.B., 56, of Snohomish, Washington, has been sentenced in federal court for damage he inflicted on park property last fall. G.L.B. was ordered to pay the Service $63,580.80 in restitution. G.L.B. earlier admitted in a guilty plea to knowingly and unlawfully cleared 7.6 acres of park land between 2001 and 2004 while he was developing a 66 lot subdivision named "Roosevelt Views" that overlooks Lake Roosevelt near Keller Ferry. The damaged park land is situated between Roosevelt Views and Lake Roosevelt. G.L.B. used heavy equipment to clear the land, which consisted largely of mature bitterbrush trees that had grown in places to a height of 10 feet. The $63,580.80 in restitution will pay the National Park Service for the cost to restore the land to its natural condition. "The park lands at Lake Roosevelt are a national treasure and must be protected," said James McDevitt, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. "These open spaces are for the use and enjoyment of the public and illegal encroachment onto and destruction of these lands will not be tolerated." This investigation was conducted by the National Park Service and was prosecuted by Jared C. Kimball, assistant U.S. attorney for the district. [Margaret Goodro, Chief Ranger]
On Sunday, July 1st, the park received a report from Lincoln County dispatch of a cougar stalking children in a cove on the Spokane arm of the lake. District ranger Chris Rugel and ranger Adam Kelsey responded by vessel and met two Lincoln County deputies who were already on scene at the Ponderosa boat-in campground. The rangers interviewed the family members, who reported hearing a cougar "screaming" just above their primitive campsite on a steep embankment during the previous two nights. One of them described a loud rustling noise in the large willow bush just behind their tent that night. At approximately 10 a.m. on Sunday morning, the mother was with her six-year-old son about 30 yards up the draw from the campsite when she heard something in the bushes and saw a large cougar in a "crouched position." She said that the cougar stared at her, then looked towards her son, who was five feet from the cougar. She started yelling for her husband and waving her arms at the cougar. As the others from the site approached, the cougar ran off up the hillside. Around noon, family members again sighted a cougar while packing up to leave the campsite. Shortly thereafter, their eight-year-old daughter came running down to the beach, screaming. The cougar leaped off the hillside and chased her a short distance until halting when family members came running to the girl's rescue. The cougar ran off after the father threw a large stick at it. The campground and surrounding beaches were closed to camping. A Washington state wildlife officer went up the hillside to the east of the campsite to try and locate the cougar. Kelsey and chief ranger Margaret Goodro hiked up the steep embankment to the west and came to a flat meadow that overlooked the draw coming up from the campsite. They found cougar tracks at the edge of the hill, and Goodro heard a noise in the grass directly behind her. When she turned, she saw a cougar crouched in the grass six to eight feet from them. Both rangers fired their weapons at the cougar, killing it. The cougar was found to be an underweight juvenile female, about a year-and-a-half old. The cougar was released to Washington State Fish and Wildlife to perform a necropsy. The campground and surrounding beaches were reopened. [Margaret Goodro, Chief Ranger]
The body of J.F., 67, was found on the Colville Confederated Tribes shoreline of Lake Roosevelt on Friday, August 17th. On Thursday, August 9th, J.F. left from the Grand Coulee Yacht Club in his sailboat and was expected to return on Monday, August 13th. J.F. was seen sailing his vessel near the Camel Bluffs area during a period of high winds on the evening of August 12th. On the following day, J.F.'s family found his abandoned 22-foot Catalina sailboat against a steep wall of rocks in the Camel Cliffs area and notified the park. A search was begun by NPS rangers, Colville Confederated Tribes rangers, Lincoln County Sheriff's Office personnel, volunteer searchers and family members. An extensive water and shoreline search was conducted, and an air search was undertaken by a helicopter from Fairchild Air Force Base. On the morning of August 17th, the missing boater's body was located by his brother, L.F., and volunteer searchers David and Bonney Schmidt. The body was transferred to the Ferry County medical examiner's office. The park is conducting an investigation. A family liaison officer from the NPS is providing support services to the family. [Margaret Goodro, Chief Ranger]
On the afternoon of September 4th, 58-year-old D.Z. of Snohomish was being towed on a tube about 60 feet behind rental houseboat. The tube started plowing under water and D.Z. was pulled under with it. After holding on for a few seconds, he started to panic and signaled to the boat. It took a minute or two to turn the houseboat around, though, and by the time those on board reached him he was unresponsive. They pulled him into the houseboat and immediately began CPR. Shortly thereafter, Lincoln County dispatch notified ranger Adam Kelsey of a "man overboard" near Keller Ferry, adding that CPR was in progress. Kelsey, marina employee Patrick Schluter and ambulance crew member Eric Cassidy responded on a marina vessel. They found the houseboat in the middle of the lake near Sterling Point. CPR was continued with the aid of a bag valve mask and an AED, but Ziegler could not be revived. He was taken to the Lincoln Mill boat launch, where an ambulance crew continued CPR. A Med Star helicopter arrived on scene and the crew provided advanced life support care. Efforts to revive Ziegler were suspended following consultation with medical control, and his body was taken to a funeral home. This was the park's second boating fatality this season. [Margaret Goodro, Chief Ranger]
On Friday, January 16th, a large landslide occurred adjacent to the Spokane River near Mill Canyon. Homeowners in the Mill Canyon area contacted the park and reported that their docks had been destroyed by a large wave. Responding rangers found that a section of hillside measuring approximately 17 acres in size had broken free across from Breezy Bay and that the subsequent landslide had fallen into the water, creating a wave that was about 30 feet high when it hit the southern shore about a thousand yards across the lake. The wave damaged or destroyed several private docks located at Breezy Bay, Moccasin Bay, Sunset Point and Arrowhead Point. Several vessels moored in the area were also swamped and left beached on land. The water reached one residence before receding and came just to the foundations of several others. The full extent of the damage caused by the landslide is not yet known. Damage to property was documented as far as a mile and a half downstream, and significant resource damage and erosion to the shoreline occurred as far as three miles downstream. The park has issued a general safety warning due to the debris in the water, which is making navigation difficult. Boaters in the area have been advised to use extreme caution when boating from Cayuse Cove to Breezy Bay on the Spokane River. Along with ice deposits in the lake, there are now large trees, dead heads, dock parts, and unknown sediment deposits that have made safe navigation difficult. Due to unknown conditions near the slide, visitors are also being advised to avoid going on land at the site, as the ground will be quite unstable for some time and sinkholes and falling debris may occur. To see a photo of the slide, go to HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=4362" [Adam Kelsey, Acting Chief Ranger]
On Wednesday, August 25th, a large landslide occurred near the Blue Creek drainage on the Spokane Indian Reservation side of the Spokane Arm of the lake. Like the one that occurred on January 16th of this year, responding park staff found that a large section of hillside had broken free, creating a wave that was approximately 12 feet high by the time it hit Porcupine Campground on the southern shore less than a thousand yards across the lake. Rangers had just cleared from a drowning in the Seven Bays area when emergency dispatch in both Stevens and Lincoln Counties alerted them to reports of numerous people in the water at Porcupine Bay as a result of the tsunami caused by the landslide. Joining the park in responding to the incident were units from Lincoln and Stevens Counties, the Washington State Patrol, Medstar, Lincoln County EMS, and the Spokane Tribe. NPS rangers and maintenance staff responding to the incident stopped to perform a quick safety review before heading out on the water. Damage to park facilities - including log booms, docks, and a swim platform - is estimated to be about $250,000. Although Porcupine Campground was closed to allow maintenance crews to perform emergency repairs and clean up, the campground was expected to reopen by this past weekend. [Debbie Bird, Superintendent]
A park visitor was seriously injured in a diving accident on the shores of Lake Roosevelt around midday on August 13th. R.Y., 21, of Spokane, Washington, was playing a game with two friends which involved them running full speed from shore and diving out to try and reach their boat, which was anchored approximately 15 feet from shore. Two of R.Y.'s friends had made the dive before R.Y. tried it. When it was his turn, he ran and dove into the water and went straight to the bottom just a couple of feet from shore. There were no rocks or other obstructions underwater in the area. When R.Y. resurfaced, he was face down and unconscious. R.Y.'s friends at first thought he was playing a joke, but they soon realized the seriousness of what happened. Suspecting he suffered a broken neck, they quickly took him to shore, called 911, and performed CPR until rangers and local EMS personnel arrived on scene. Medstar paramedics took over care and transported him to a trauma center in Spokane. R.Y.'s friends had recently been recertified in CPR and life-saving skills. Alcohol was being consumed prior to the incident. R.Y. remains hospitalized and is paralyzed from the neck down due to his injuries. [Adam Kelsey, Acting Chief Ranger]
R.D., 67, and a friend headed out from the Seven Bays marina area in their boat to go trout fishing around midday on August 25th. They were trolling at just over a mile an hour when R.D. got a bite. The fish pulled his pole overboard and he immediately jumped overboard in an attempt to recover it. After a few moments, R.D., who was not wearing a lifejacket, told his friend that he needed help and began struggling in the water. His friend jumped into the water, also without a lifejacket, and soon found himself in trouble, with their boat floating away. He was able to get back onboard, though, and attempted to throw a rope to R.D.. R.D. was unable to reach it and soon stopped struggling and went under. After hearing calls for help, passing boaters attempted to pull R.D. from the water. Efforts to do so proved unavailing, so a rope was tied to him and he was pulled back into the marina. One of the passengers on that vessel began CPR immediately after getting him to shore. Rangers, local sheriff's deputies, ambulance personnel and Medstar paramedics soon arrived on scene and took over care. They were unable to revive him, though, and he was pronounced dead after about 90 minutes of resuscitation efforts. There was no throwable personal floatation device on board the vessel, and other lifejackets were stored in an area not readily accessible for use in an emergency situation. R.D. was in the water for less than five minutes before he drowned. The weather and wake conditions were calm at the time of the incident. [Adam Kelsey, Acting Chief Ranger]
On the morning of November 18th, North District rangers were notified through county dispatch of a family searching the banks of Lake Roosevelt for a 20-year-old family member. Rangers Brian Yetter, Sarah Bouska and Jake Olson met up with them. Bouska interviewed the family members and learned that he was despondent and had recently experienced profound life events. Olson tracked his prints for 150 yards from the lakeshore out onto the Highway 395 Bridge. Evidence located on the bridge led to an underwater search of the area. The man's body was found in 14 feet of water by a local county dive team. [Adam Kelsey, Acting Chief Ranger]
Four women were injured on the evening of May 29th when the UTV they were riding on Miles Road went over an embankment and rolled approximately 100 feet before coming to rest. All four women were ejected from the vehicle; none were wearing seatbelts. South District rangers Scott Goninan and Colleen Whaley responded along with Lincoln County Sheriff's deputies and local volunteer fire department personnel and EMT's. The driver was severely injured and airlifted to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. A passenger was transported to Lincoln Hospital, while the others refused treatment. The accident is being investigated by the National Park Service and Washington State Patrol. [Marty Huseman, Chief Ranger]
H.F., 23, of Spokane, Washington, was swimming with a group of friends at a location known as "Pot Palace" near Spring Canyon on July 25th when he was seen to roll off his tube and into the water. When he did not resurface, one of the friends began diving in an effort to locate him while the others went for help. After multiple attempts, H.F. was located and brought to the surface. South District rangers Eric Valen, Bill Fee and Ryan Jaehrling responded to the 911 call by boat from Spring Canyon and began CPR. Rangers transported H.F. to the Spring Canyon launch ramp, where he was taken by ambulance to Grand Coulee Medical Center. Efforts to resuscitate him proved unsuccessful. Deputies from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office assisted at the scene. An investigation is being conducted by the National Park Service and the Grant County Coroner's Office. Initial interviews indicate that the victim was HYPERLINK "http://www.psychiatric-disorders.com/articles/substance-abuse/inhalant-abuse.php" huffingfrom a can of HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_duster" air dusterbefore entering the water, which may have been a contributing factor in this incident. [Marty Huseman, Chief Ranger]
Kettle Falls resident S.M. pled guilty to unauthorized removal of archaeological resources from the park on Tuesday, November 2nd. Lake Roosevelt staff had repeated contacts with S.M. between 2005 and 2008 regarding his use of a metal detector in the park and behavior consistent with artifact collecting. A search warrant executed on S.M.'s residence and vehicle resulted in the recovery of over 3,000 artifacts. Among the seized items were projectile points, stone weights and tools, stone flakes, a gun flint and a gun cartridge. S.M. was sentenced by a federal judge to three years' probation and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine and an additional $2,000 in restitution. The judge also ordered S.M. to serve 30 days home detention and banned him from the recreation area for three years. Beth Lariviere was the case officer and was assisted by park archeologist Ray DePuydt. The prosecution was assisted by special agent Todd Swain. [Bill Archard, South District Ranger]
On the afternoon of March 22nd, Lincoln County dispatch advised rangers in the South District that a report had been received of boaters in distress near Jones Bay. A ranger drove to the shoreline of the bay and employed a PA system to contact them, advising the boaters to return to shore. They instead continued to paddle their disabled boat out into the lake, so the ranger departed. Later that evening, the district ranger learned that they'd come ashore and that a local resident had given them a ride to their vehicle at Keller Ferry. During the drive, they talked about finding part of a human skull while in the park, adding that they planned on taking it home with them. Rangers contacted members of the group when they returned to pick up their boat the next morning. Ranger Jeremy Miller interviewed a man who admitted to taking the skull home with him to Wenatchee, Washington. He said that he'd found it sitting on the beach and took rangers to the location where he'd found it, which they'd marked with a log. Rangers then went with the man to his residence in Wenatchee and retrieved the partial skull. Park archaeologist Ray DePuydt examined the area where it was found and was unable to locate any other remains, artifacts or evidence. It is believed to be Native American in origin, so DePuydt is consulting with local tribes regarding possible affiliation. [Bill Archard, District Ranger]
The Colville Police Department received a call regarding a possible endangered juvenile late on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 26th. The caller, who said she was the girl's mother, reported that she'd left with an adult and that she was concerned for her safety. The two had reportedly left in a red Firebird. A rifle and a pistol were also reported to be missing from the house. An investigation was begun and the park was notified of the overdue and possibly endangered child the next day. The vehicle and their bodies were found inside the park through a cell phone trace around noon on Thursday, April 28th. The deaths were by gunshot and appeared to have been a double suicide. The investigation continues and is being conducted jointly by the Stevens County Sheriff's Office and Colville Police Department. The National Park Service is supporting with crime scene protection and other resources. Ranger Beth Lariviere is IC. [Marty Huseman, Chief Ranger]
The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call on July 23rd reporting that a man who'd been swimming from the back of a boat had gone under and failed to resurface. A county marine unit was on scene within five minutes and was soon joined by rangers from Fort Spokane. Interviews revealed that the boat had been en route from the Lincoln Mill boat launch to the Seven Bays marina when two of the passengers jumped from the boat, which was moving at an estimated 25 to 30 miles per hour. The operator immediately turned around to retrieve them, but one of the men had gone under before he could get there. A search was begun and continue for several days. On July 26th, members of the Kootenai County Sheriff's Dive and Rescue Team and Gene Ralston of Ralston and Associates Underwater Search and Recovery deployed HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side_scan_sonar" side-scan sonar units in the area where the man had disappeared. Ralston found the body in 130 feet of water within 15 minutes. The recovery was made with Ralston's HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remotely_operated_underwater_vehicle" remote operated vehicle (ROV) and the body was turned over to Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. [Bill Archard, District Ranger]
On October 7th, rangers and Lincoln County deputies responded to a report of an out-of-control vessel on the water outside of Keller Ferry Marina. A 61-year-old man and his 53-year-old wife were traveling upriver on plane when the steering arm came free from the engine bracket, causing the vessel to lurch into a tight counter-clockwise spin and ejecting both of them into the water. Arriving rangers used their pocket "green-amber-red" cards from Operational Leadership to assess the risks involved in trying to stop the spinning boat. They determined it was too dangerous and kept other boat traffic away while they waited for it to run out of gas. The man was found to be unconscious and suffering from lacerations to his left foot caused by the boat's propeller. Despite efforts by medical personnel, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman was flown to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, where she was treated and recovered. The nut and washer that held the steering arm onto the engine bracket were found resting in the transom of the boat, with the bolt still in place on the engine bracket. Rangers noted that the occupants were not wearing lifejackets and that a kill switch was not used. This is the second recorded boating accident at Lake Roosevelt involving the separation of a nut and bolt from a steering assembly since August, 2010. Park staff who operate vessels are urged to inspect this connection as part of their "pre-flight" checklist. [Marty Huseman, Chief Ranger]
A search is underway for a 75-year-old Spokane man who fell out of his small boat just south of the Kettle Falls Bridge on May 21st. Upon receiving a report of the accident from a witness, two rangers immediately launched a vessel and began searching for him. A third ranger responded by patrol vehicle to the bridge with a life ring to also assist in the rescue. The boating rangers recovered the boat, but the man himself was not visible. According to the witness, he wasn't wearing a lifejacket. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were variable, with lightning and sustained winds of 13 knots and gusts to 29 knots. The water temperature was approximately 53 degrees Fahrenheit. Search efforts were suspended that day due to deteriorating weather, including wind gusts to 39 knots and nine foot swells. Officers from the US Border Patrol, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington State Patrol, Stevens and Ferry County Sheriff's Office, and the county's joint rescue squad assisted along with private citizens. On May 28th and 29th, members of Kootenai County Sheriff's Department's search and rescue unit deployed a vessel with side scan sonar, but were unsuccessful in locating the body. The sheriff's office is taking the lead in the investigation, with the NPS taking the lead in the recovery effort. Ranger Beth Lariviere is coordinating search efforts and serving as the family liaison. [Bill Archard, District Ranger]
Rangers responded to two separate respiratory emergencies in the park during the week before last. On August 10th, Lincoln County Dispatch received a 911 call from a boater who said that her 20-year-old daughter was having an allergic reaction and having difficulty breathing. She said that her daughter had a history of severe allergic reactions to numerous allergens and that they did not have her prescribed HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epi_pen" EPI pen or her HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metered-dose_inhaler" metered dose inhaler. When rangers met the woman at the Seven Bays marina, she had audible wheezes, rapid shallow breathing and was displaying signs of cyanosis around the mouth. An EPI pen was employed and her symptoms were relieved. Just prior to being transferred to the local ambulance, she said that she felt the symptoms returning and was taken to the Lincoln County Hospital. On August 16th, rangers working at the Spring Canyon office were notified by a visitor or a possible drowning in the picnic area. When rangers arrived, bystanders had just completed administering rescue breaths and the nine-year-old boy had just vomited. Although he'd started to breathe on his own, his extremities and face were cyanotic. Rangers placed the boy in the recovery position and administered high flow oxygen. He was transferred to Coulee Medical Center and was seen playing in the playground there the next morning. [Bill Archard, District Ranger]
On Wednesday, April 2nd, the park received a phone call from the daughter of a man who had been walking his dog in the Hawk Creek area, which is close to Fort Spokane. The caller said that the dog had gotten stuck in some mud and she thought it had expired from a stroke. She wanted to know if they could drive out to where the dog was located and retrieve its body. A Fort Spokane ranger attempted to contact the daughter by phone the next day but was not able to reach her and did not receive any return call. He searched the area around Hawk Creek, but could not find the dog. Over the weekend, rangers checked the area on numerous occasions. On April 7th, park visitors who were hiking in the area to go fishing found the dog alive. The place where the dog was located was not easily visible from any trail. A maintenance worker and two rangers freed the dog, described as a large Labrador mix, placed it in a wheeled cart, and pulled the cart about a half mile to the road (concern for cultural resources precluded the use of motorized vehicles). The rangers provided water to the dog and it was able to drink. The daughter arrived and said she was taking the dog to a vet for treatment. [Marty Huseman, Chief Ranger]
On April 22th, the park was notified that explosive material had been found in the park on the west side of the lake on State Highway 395 north of Kettle Falls. The material was contained in tubes that were about a foot long and several inches wide and labeled Senatel Magnafrac. The Spokane Bomb Squad responded and destroyed the materials. Two days later, the park was notified that additional tubes had been found near Snag Cove Campground. The bomb squad again responded and destroyed the materials. More tubes were found about a mile north of North Gorge campground the next day, and the squad responded again. These explosives are used in mining and excavation operations and require additional materials and actions to explode. They do not pose a significant risk to the public and should not impact recreational use of the lake. The tubes evidently surfaced during the annual drawdown of the lake to make room for incoming spring snowmelt. The park sent out a press release and placed alerts on their website and social media directing anyone who found this material not to touch it, call 911, and be available to direct responding officers to the location so the materials can be removed. Park staff phoned the permittees closest to these areas who have water withdrawal systems so they were aware of the discoveries and could call the tri-county hHealth agency if they had questions about water quality. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives office in Spokane is taking the lead on this case. Rangers continue to work with them and the Ferry and Stevens County Sheriffs' Offices. BATFE was provided with lot numbers that helped them confirm that the material originated in Canada. The investigation continues. [Marty Huseman, Chief Ranger]
On August 2nd, the third windstorm in as many weeks hit Lake Roosevelt, leading to numerous calls for help from boaters and causing significant damage and a wildland fire. Staff from the park, the Colville Confederated Tribes and the Spokane Tribe of Indians responded to numerous calls of boaters in distress and property damage from wind gusts as high as 50 mph that created waves up to seven feet high. Miraculously, no one was injured or hurt inside the recreation area. Boaters were plucked out of the lake and swamped vessels were de-watered. Numerous trees were blown down in campgrounds, damaging several travel trailers, and the park sustained thousands of dollars of damage to boat docks and anchor systems. A lightning strike from the storm started a fire inside the park downstream of the Enterprise Boat-in Campground. The Enterprise Fire was in steep and rough terrain. Responding rangers did a GAR assessment to size up the fire safely. A Type III incident command team was brought in to manage the multiagency effort, including NPS staff from Lake Roosevelt and North Cascades and personnel from the Forest Service, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the Stevens County Volunteer Fire Department. Concentrated aerial operations and successful burnout efforts kept the fire from moving from a heavily timbered area into several homes and structures in the adjacent wildland/urban interface. During aerial operations, a five-mile section of the Columbia River was closed by the superintendent and the U.S. Coast Guard utilizing the "captain of the port" authority. Park rangers utilized vessels to enforce this safety zone so fixed wing aircraft and helicopters could dip water for suppression activities. They also transported firefighters across the water to and from the burned areas, and stayed close in case an evacuation was necessary. [Marty Huseman, Chief Ranger]
On June 22nd, a maintenance employee reported a grass fire along the road leading to the Kettle River Campground. Weather and wind conditions at the time caused the initially small fire to grow quickly, but the rapid response of local, state, and federal wildland firefighting crews stopped the fire from spreading. As a precaution, the campground was evacuated and the entrance closed near the intersection of Highway 395. Once the fire was declared out on June 25th, the campground reopened. A determination was made that this was a human-caused fire. Investigation of the fire is continuing, with NPS rangers working closely with a federal fire investigator. Current conditions in Eastern Washington prompted the park to institute a park-wide fire closure on June 17th for all fires except those in park provided fire grates. [Jaime Smith, Acting Chief Ranger]
On February 9, a 51-year-old went missing on Lake Roosevelt near Bradbury boat launch. The empty boat was found the following morning, south of the boat launch. A search was conducted by the NPS and Steven's County (WA) Sheriff's Office. On February 16, the NPS announced that the individual's body was found in the lake. Source: KREM, KXLY, The Spokesman-Review
On October 17, the NPS filed a civil claim in federal court against Avista Utilities for "unauthorized activities to stabilize and replace an unpermitted power pole." The permit for the pole expired in 1999. The company "and/or its contractor" is accused of driving off-road in an area not designated for off-road travel, cutting down trees, mechanically damaging trees, displacing native vegetation, and disturbing numerous archaeological features and artifacts in an adjacent site. They did not contact the park until after the work was complete. In a separate filing, the federal government offered to resolve the claims if the court orders Avista to pay $900,000. Source: KXLY
On November 17, a landslide occurred in the Columbia River near Kettle Falls, across from Colville Flats. Water from a displacement wave washed over Highway 25, reaching the base of the hill just south of Colville Flats. The NPS reported no damage to park facilities. As of November 19, the landslide was still experiencing movement, with debris continuing to wash downstream. Source: KHQ
The Avista Corp. utility company agreed to pay $900,000 for natural resource and archaeological damage sustained while moving a power pole in 2017 (see 10/30/24 Coalition Report). Source: National Parks Traveler | |