August 31, 1987
87-218 - C&O Canal - Drowning
Location: Swains Lock
C.J.G. was fishing in a canoe in the lock when he apparently fell in.Cabin John Rescue and USPP officers responded and recovered the bodyabout 40 minutes later.
July 10, 1988
88-149 - C & O Canal - Fatality
Location: Near Wisconsin Ave.
U.S. Park Police officers recovered a body believed to be that of J.A.O.,15 (address currently unavailable). The body appeared to have beenin the water for several days. The cause of death has yet to be determinedand the investigation is continuing.
Tuesday, April 25, 1989
89-75 - C & O Canal - Conviction for Resource Violation
On April 18th, a federal judge sentenced 45-year-old I.F. of Potomac,Maryland, to 15 days in jail and fined him $20,000 for cutting down 138trees in the park in order to get a view of the Potomac River. I.F. hadbeen convicted earlier this year of destruction of government timber, amisdemeanor, and disposing of government property, a felony. I.F. boughthis house in 1982. Despite discussions with the park about what timbercould be cut, I.F. hired a tree service company in 1985 to cut down thetrees, valued at more than $30,000. I.F. and his wife later listed thehouse and four acres for sale, advertising it as having a river view. Thehouse, which has not been sold, was assessed in 1986 for $381,510. I.F.was also ordered to serve two years' probation and perform 300 hours ofcommunity service. (Alex Dominguez, Associated Press).
Tuesday, September 19, 1989
89-280 - C & O Canal (Maryland) - Shooting
During the early hours of September 15th, Park Police officers received areport that a juvenile had been involved in an accidental shooting in thepark near Violet's Lock. The juvenile was taken to Suburban. Hospital andtreated for an injury to his right hand. The incident is being investigated,by the USPP's Criminal Investigation Branch. (CompuServe message from Capt.Dave Blackburn, RAD/NCRO).
Monday, January 8, 1990
90-3 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Oil Spill
At approximately 6:45 a.m. on the 4th, a truck carrying number four grade fueloil overturned on Route I-70 in Maryland and dumped about 3,000 gallons of oilinto a drain that empties into the canal near Licking Creek, just north of FourLocks. Although a culvert runs from the canal to the nearby Potomac River, oildid not get into the river. NPS maintenance crews, assisted by Washington Countyfire and rescue and Maryland DNR, began clean-up of the site later that morning;an oil spill clean-up team was also sent by Hahn Transportation Company, theowners of the truck. Because of the oil's viscosity, it is expected that 99% ofit will be recovered. (Mike Mastrangelo, CR, CHOH, via CompuServe message fromTony Sisto, RAD/NCRO, 3 p.m., 1/5/90).
Tuesday, February 27, 1990
90-42 - C & O Canal (Maryland) - Fatality
On the morning of the 23rd, a Ford pickup was found under 18 feet of waterin the Potomac River about 60 feet from the Four Locks Boat Ramp. An as yetunidentified adult male about 55 years old was discovered inside the cab.Park rangers and units from the Washington County Sheriff's Department,Department of Natural Resources and Maryland State Police responded. It isnot yet known whether the incident was an accident or a suicide.(CompuServe message from Capt. Dave Blackburn, RAD/NCRO, 2/26/90).
Tuesday, July 10, 1990
90-186 - C&O Canal (Maryland)- Rescue
On the morning of the 4th, A.G., 24, and two friends were hiking on the Billy Goat trail when A.G. fell head first down a 45foot cliff. Rangers were notified and responded along with a Park Police helicopter and a local fire and rescue unit. A.G. was found conscious but suffering from a serious closed head injury. He was immobilized, then evacuated by helicopter to Suburban Hospital, where he was admitted in serious condition. A.G. was treated and released on July 7th. (Telefaxed report from Chris Lea, CHOH, 7/9).
Tuesday, July 31, 1990
90-210 - C & O Canal (Maryland) - Assist in Search and Arrest
On July 27th, park rangers assisted the Maryland State Police and WashingtonCounty Sheriff's Office in a search for a suspect in an attempted doublemurder which occurred near the canal. Two people had been injured bygunfire in a nearby (church parking lot early in the evening. The suspect,who was heavily armed, fled the shooting, but was apprehended the nextmorning in a nearby Maryland state park after having attempted suicide. Allthree persons are expected to survive. The suspect is believed to have beena seasonal park employee in the Maryland state park system. The incidentwas reportedly caused by a love triangle. (Telefax from Tony Sisto,RAD/MCRO, 7/30).
Wednesday, August 8, 1990
90-243 - C&O Canal (Maryland) - Incident Involving Diplomatic Staff
On the morning of the 5th, N.R., 53, of the Australian embassy inWashington, was jogging with a friend along the park's towpath. Theystopped at Great Falls Tavern, where N.R. went into the restroom. Shortlythereafter, a visitor discovered N.R. lying on the floor. Rangersresponded and found N.R. was not breathing and did not have a pulse. Theybegan and continued CPR until relieved by a local rescue medic. N.R. iscurrently in critical condition in a local hospital. (Telefaxed report fromTom Nash, CHOH, 8/7).
Monday, March 11, 1991
91-67 - C & O Canal (Maryland/West Virginia) - Death of Chief Ranger
Mike Mastrangelo, the chief ranger at C & O Canal, died unexpectedly at his home late on the morning of March 9th. The apparent cause of death was a heart attack. Mike was 42 years old. He leaves a wife and three children. We will provide you with further details on the funeral as soon as possible. [Telephone report from Ed Drotos, RAD/NCRO, 3/9]
Tuesday, March 12, 1991
91-67 - C & O Canal (Maryland/West Virginia) - Death of Chief Ranger
The funeral for Chief Ranger Mike Mastrangelo will be at St. Augustine's Catholic Church on East Potomac Street in Williamsport, Maryland, at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 13th. Calling hours will be at Thompson's Funeral Home on Route 40 in Clear Spring, Maryland, between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 and 9:00 p.m. today. There will also be a short service at the funeral home at 7:00 p.m. Those members of the NPS attending the funeral in uniform should be in winter Class A dress. Marked NPS patrol vehicles will be in the funeral procession; if you are coming from a nearby park, please consider driving your patrol vehicle. Condolences should be sent to Colleen Mastrangelo, 11118 Four Locks Road, Clear Spring, MD 21722. Donations will be accepted in Mike's name for a scholarship fund, but details are not yet available. [Telephone report from Bill Orlando, CHOH, 3/11]
Wednesday, March 20, 1991
91-79 - C&O Canal (Maryland) - Prosecution
On March 19th, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Baltimore, Maryland, announced that it had filed a $1 million civil complaint against L., J. and M.G. for cutting down two dozen large trees in March of 1988 in violation of an agreement which they had made with the park. The family own a 192-acre estate called Marwood in Montgomery County which overlooks the Potomac River. According to the complaint filed in civil court, the family directed their property manager to remove selected trees from a narrow strip of woodland along the park which contained a scenic easement which they'd negotiated with the park. The NPS had paid the family $88,341 to obtain the easement, which barred them from cutting trees larger than six inches in diameter in that area and also prohibited the dumping of "foreign material." Rangers said they found that at least 29 large trees had been chopped down in the easement and that stones had been deposited in a nearby stream. They also said that the family had been warned twice in earlier years against felling trees in the easement. The trees were allegedly cut in order to improve the family's view of the river and enhance the reception of the family's satellite dish. The U.S. attorney is seeking $350,000 in reforestation costs and $650,000 in punitive damages. The action comes less than two years after one of the family's neighbors, I.F., was convicted of destroying more than 100 trees in the park to improve his view. I.F. was ordered to serve 15 days in a halfway house and was fined $20,000 in federal court. The action against the family is in civil rather than criminal court because the damage was determined to be less severe than in the I.F. case and because the U.S. attorney judged that there was no criminal intent. [Washington Post news story, 3/19]
Thursday, April 25, 1991
91-130 - C & O Canal (D.C./Maryland) - Rape Conviction
In July of 1989, Park Police detectives began an investigation into a rape which occurred in the park. A suspect was identified who had a prior conviction for rape, but had been released on parole several months earlier. The victim of that rape had been beaten badly with a railroad spike. The suspect was located and questioned, and information placing him at the scene of the assault was obtained. He was arrested and tried in superior court in the District of Columbia in January. The suspect was found guilty and was sentenced to six years in prison (the balance of his prior sentence) and to two life sentences. All sentences are to run consecutively. [Report from Maj. Jack Schamp, LES, RAD/WASO, 4/22]
Monday, June 10, 1991
91-208 - C&O Canal (Maryland) - Off-Duty Ranger Captures and Disarms Thief
Ranger Sean McCabe was having dinner at a pizza place in Potomac on the night of May 31st when he saw a man grab a purse from a woman eating dinner with her young daughter and run out the door of the restaurant. McCabe pursued the man, later identified as T.E.S., and was soon joined by two other men who'd witnessed the theft. T.E.S. allegedly pulled a knife on his three pursuers, but McCabe persuaded him to drop the weapon, then subdued him and retrieved the woman's wallet. McCabe sat on T.E.S. until local police officers arrived. T.E.S. was charged with misdemeanor theft. [News report, Potomac Almanac]
Friday, June 21, 1991
91-228 - C & O Canal (Maryland) - River Rescue
On the afternoon of the 15th, kayaker R.D., 17, of Germantown, Maryland, was running a narrow chute on the Potomac River near Judy's Rock when his kayak got caught and became pinned against the rock. R.D.'s two companions were unable to extricate him from his kayak, but were able to hold him upright. Shortly thereafter, ranger Robert Leaver, who was on foot patrol on the shore, came upon the trio and quickly summoned assistance. Ranger Jim Bell responded with a climbing team to set up an anchor above the kayak in case it proved necessary, rangers Chris Lea and Brian Willbond headed to the scene in a canoe, and rangers Mike Larson and Tom Nash came down river in the park's Zodiac. A US Park Police helicopter also flew to the scene, and Sgt. Ilmar Pagel joined the rescue effort. After Lea and Nash stabilized the kayak and attached a stern rope to it, Willbond, Pagel and Leaver pulled on the rope and Lea pushed on the bow until R.D. and the boat were freed. R.D. was uninjured. [Telefax from Tom Nash, CHOH, 6/20]
Thursday, December 12, 1991
91-655 - C&O Canal (Maryland) - Assault on Ranger
On the afternoon of November 30th, ranger Tom Nash saw five men dressed in hunting clothes - three of them carrying shotguns - walking along the towpath near Milepost 38. When they saw Nash approach in his patrol vehicle, they began to run. Backup units were requested and a foot chase began. Nash was able to apprehend three of the five men, including two with weapons. R.A. and J.W. were handcuffed, but T.A. was combative. When Nash attempted to arrest T.A. with the aid of a Maryland Department of Natural Resources officer, T.A. assaulted Nash with hands, elbows and feet. T.A. was subdued and handcuffed after a brief struggle. A records check revealed that T.A. was a convicted felon and that he had a long criminal record for assaulting police officers. He was charged with assaulting an officer and being a felon in possession of a firearm. R.A., who was wanted by local police on a theft charge, was charged with possession of a weapon and with fleeing and eluding an officer. J.W. was charged with fleeing and eluding. [Telefax from Tom Nash, CHOH, 12/11]
Friday, May 22, 1992
92-213 - C&O Canal (Maryland) - Possible Drowning
N.A., 19, of Bethesda, Maryland, was swept down the Potomac Riveron the afternoon of May 20th when he attempted to swim 200 feet across theriver to Hermit Island. His companion, J.F., was reportedlyassisted by a fisherman in an unsuccessful effort to rescue Anthan. Whenthis failed, J.F. went for help. A search was begun shortly thereafterby rangers, Park Police and local fire department personnel, but it provedfruitless. The search was to be continued by state and park personnelyesterday. [Telefax from Keith Whisenant, CHOH, 5/21]
Wednesday, May 27, 1992
92-213 - C&O Canal (Maryland) - Follow-up on Probable Drowning
On May 20th, N.A., 19, of Bethesda, Maryland, disappeared in thePotomac River after he attempted to swim 200 feet across the river to HermitIsland. Rangers recovered his body from the river on May 23rd. Later thatsame day, rangers and local and state officers also rescued three people whobecame stranded on Dam #3 in the Potomac River after a boating accident nearthe dam. [Telefax from Tom Nash, CR, CHOH, 5/26]
Wednesday, May 27, 1992
92-219 - C&O Canal (Maryland) - Probable Drowning
On the afternoon of May 25th, F.S., 19, of Hyattsville, Maryland,was standing on a large rock on the shoreline near the Offutt Island Chuterapids fishing with a weighted throw net when he slipped and fell into theriver. Other members of his group saw him in the river yelling for help andattempting to swim toward some rocks, then saw him go under about 20 feetpast the rocks. Rangers received a report of the incident about a half hourlater and joined Park Police and local officers in a search of the river. Dragging operations were conducted in the river channel just below the chutewithout success. The search for F.S. continues. [Telefax from TomNash, CR, CHOH, 5/26]
Thursday, June 18, 1992
92-286 - C&O Canal (Maryland) - Accidental Death of Concession Employee
Rangers received a radio report from a local county fire and rescue dutyofficer that their units were responding to an incident in which a personhad fallen at Swain's Lock and received a head injury. Upon arrival,rangers found medics treating V.S., 76, for a fractured skull andinternal bleeding into the brain. She was unresponsive but breathing on herown and was taken to a local hospital. Early the following morning, V.S.died of her injuries. According to investigators, V.S. fell down the frontstairs to the lockhouse and struck her head on the concrete sidewalk. Virginia Swain was the mother of concessioner F.S. The S.family has been associated with the canal since its construction in the1830s. Members of the family help build the canal and served as locktenders at both S.'s Lock and Seven Locks. They currently live in thelockhouse and operate a canoe concession facility. [Tom Nash, CHOH, 6/17]
Friday, June 19, 1992
92-288 - C&O Canal (Maryland) - Rescue
On the afternoon of June 16th, G.M., 22, T.G., 24, andT.Y., 22, decided to attempt to swim, wade and rock hop across thePotomac River to the Maryland shore just above Great Falls. The three madeit across a fairly shallow section of the river, but became stranded on arock in the river's main channel, where the water was moving very swiftly. They then decided to form a chain and attempt to wade and swim to theVirginia shoreline. G.M. and T.G. entered the river and were immediatelyswept downstream by the strong currents; T.Y. was able to hold onto therock and pull himself back on it. T.G. reached a rock about 100 yardsdownstream and held onto it, but G.M. was swept another 50 yards furtherdown the river before he was able to grab a wet rock - the last remainingrock before the Maryland falls. The latter events were witnessed by aranger in Great Falls Park, who advised C&O Canal rangers, who thenresponded along with local fire and rescue units and a Park Policehelicopter. Two boats were positioned at the base of the falls in caseanyone went over. A rescue net and winch were employed to raise the threemen from the rocks to the helicopter. They were then taken to shore andtreated on scene for hypothermia. Each was then issued a citation forentering the river. The men said that they hadn't seen any of the dangersigns warning about river hazards. No alcohol or drugs were involved. [TomNash, CHOH, 6/16]
Wednesday, June 24, 1992
91-79 - C&O Canal (Maryland) - Follow-up on Illegal Tree Cutting
On March 19, 1991, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Baltimore filed a $1million civil complaint against L., J. and M.G. for cutting downtwo dozen large trees in March of 1988 in volation of an agreement whichthey had made with the park. Criminal charges were also filed. On June23rd, J.G. pled guilty to one count of destruction of trees on publicland, and faces up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine when sentenced inSeptember. Although the trees were on property owned by G.'s family, theywere protected under a 1978 agreement under which the NPS paid the family$88,341 to preserve the trees to protect the adjacent park. Evidence showedthat G. ordered 20 to 30 trees cut on the land in 1983 and 1984. He cutanother 20 trees in 1986 and was warned against doing so again. In 1988,prosecutors said G. ordered a third cut. The G.s allegedly cut thetrees to improve their view of the river and reception for their satellitedish. The lawsuit, which is still pending, demands that the G.s reforestthe property. [Associated Press, 6/23]
Tuesday, July 14, 1992
92-334 - C&O Canal (Maryland) - Multiple Rescues
On the evening of July 2nd, rangers received a report that a climber hadfallen 30 feet at the cliffs near Lock 19 and responded along with localfire and rescue units. They found that M.M., 17, had fallen whensome vegetation he grabbed while free climbing had given way. M.M.suffered from head injuries; he was taken to a local hospital and isexpected to make a full recovery. Late on the following morning, a reportcame in of a capsized canoe in the Tavern Channel just above the Class Vrapids at the Fishladders. The two canoeists, both novices, were swept downby the strong current to a small rocky outcropping in the middle of thefishladders channel. They were uninjured but were stranded on theoutcropping. Rescue ropes were set up between the shoreline and theoutcropping; ranger Clarke then attached himself to the ropes, swam acrossthe swift water to the victims, and assisted each of them back to the mainshoreline. The subjects were disorderly after the rescue and were issuedviolation notices. The third and final rescue of the weekend occurred after9:00 p.m. on July 5th. L.P., 20, had fallen 40 feet while freeclimbing a rock face on the southern end of Rocky Island and was knockedunconscious. Ranger Nash, with the assistance of the Park Police's Eaglehelicopter, located L.P. within ten minutes of the initial report andprovided EMS care for a laceration, fractured femur and shock. County fireand rescue boats and personnel soon arrived on scene. L.P. wasimmobilized, placed in a litter, carried over rugged terrain to the boat,then taken by helicopter to Suburban Hospital. She is currently in stablecondition. Severe thunderstorms, darkness and the rough topography allcomplicated the rescue effort. [Tom Nash, Palisades DR, CHOH, 7/7]
Wednesday, July 15, 1992
92-345 - C&O Canal (Maryland) - Drowning
An apparently homeless man of about 40 years of age fell into the canal atLock Four on the afternoon of July 13th. A witness reported that heattempted to tread water but was unable to stay afloat. A Metro policediving unit and Metro fire and rescue responded and recovered the victim. He was rushed to George Washington Hospital, but was pronounced dead onarrival. [Capt. Marvin Ellison, RAD/NCRO, 7/14]
Wednesday, September 23, 1992
92-519 - C&O Canal (D.C./Maryland) - Assault on Maintenance Employee
Park maintenance employee Akiva Gordon was assaulted on September 18th whileworking on the towpath in the vicinity of the Alexandria Aqueduct inGeorgetown in the District of Columbia. Two men in their late teens orearly twenties, one of whom was wearing a black t-shirt with "SkinheadsLive" printed on the front, knocked Gordon to the ground, punched him aboutthe face and chest, removed his belt, wrapped it around his neck, draggedhim along the ground, and beat him on his back with the belt. The two thenfled the area. Although Gordon reported that he did not see any weapon, hereceived scratches on his face from some type of implement. Just prior tothe attack, Gordon had come upon spray paint cans, a paint roller, andfreshly painted graffiti saying "DC Skins" at Key Bridge. Gordon wasdischarged from a local hospital with no serious injuries. An investigationis underway. [Steve Pittleman, CHOH, 9/22]
Wednesday, September 23, 1992
92-520 - C&O Canal (D.C./Maryland) - Armed Robbery
Park visitor R.S. was sitting in his vehicle at Violette's Lockat 11 p.m. on September 20th when he was approached by two men. One of themen told R.S. that he had something to show him. R.S. walked over tothe subject's vehicle, at which time one of the two men pulled a huntingknife from under the front seat of the vehicle and demanded Schantz's moneyand vehicle keys. R.S. complied. The two men threw him to the ground,punched him in the face, then fled in a late 70s model Dodge van. R.S.reported the incident the next morning to rangers and Park Police. [TomNash, DR, CHOH, 9/22]
Thursday, October 1, 1992
92-539 - C&O Canal (DC/Maryland) - Car Clouting
Sometime between mid-morning and late afternoon on September 26th, fourvehicles were broken into in three areas in the Monocacy Subdistrict. Theside door locks on two of the vehicles were pried out; one of the remainingtwo vehicles was unlocked. Numerous items were taken, including a stereosystem. A search was begun for a vehicle seen in the area of one of thebreak-ins, and was found parked outside the park not far away. A licenseplate check revealed that it had been reported stolen by West Virginia statepolice. A search for three male juveniles seen in the area by C&O Canal andHarpers Ferry rangers proved fruitless. The vehicle was impounded by thecounty. An joint investigation is underway. [Keith Whisenant, CR, CHOH,9/29]
Thursday, October 8, 1992
92-549 - C&O Canal (DC/Maryland) - Assist on Aircraft Accident
Late Tuesday morning, the park received a call for assistance in searchingfor missing crew members following the crash of a West Virginia Air NationalGuard C-130 transport plane just across the Potomac River from Hancock,Maryland, and the park. Early reports were that three of the six crewmenhad been killed and that the remaining three were missing. Although thebodies of all six crew members were subsequently located, three parkemployees remained on scene to assist in the emergency response; another tenemployees - five from C&O, four from Harpers Ferry and one from Antietam -are on standby to assist if needed. [Gordon Gay, Acting CR, CHOH, 10/7]
Thursday, November 12, 1992
92-601 - C&O Canal (Maryland) - Hunting Arrests
On November 3rd, a ranger spotted a pickup truck parked at Edward's Ferry,an area known for illegal hunting activity, and subsequently contacted a manwho emerged from the woods and headed for the truck. The man, who didn'thave a weapon, was contacted and released. The ranger then checked thewooded area and found two men dressed in camouflage attempting to hide undera fallen tree. Both were contacted and admitted to hunting in the park. They led the ranger back to their tree stands, where compound bows andarrows were found and seized. A second ranger arriving on scene came uponthe first man contacted, who was returning to the lot to pick up hisfriends. He also admitted to hunting in the park, and rangers seized acompound bow and arrows from another tree stand in the park. [Tom Nash, DR,CHOH, 11/11]
Tuesday, December 8, 1992
92-635 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Weapons and Poaching Arrests
For the second year in a row, park rangers and Park Police officers havejoined together in a cooperative hunting enforcement operation that has ledto a number of weapons and poaching arrests. During the operation, two-personunits, each comprised of a ranger and an officer, patrolled sectionsof the park. Among the incidents the teams were involved in were thefollowing, all of which took place on park land:
* November 26th:
- Observed two men walking on the canal towpath with shotguns and a compound bow near Milepost 24. All weapons were seized and their owners cited.
* November 27th:
- While on duck hunting patrol on the Potomac River, apprehended two men who had set up a duck blind on park land and were hunting from that location. Weapons were seized and the men were cited for illegal hunting and possession of weapons.
* November 28th:
- Contacted a person on the canal towpath near Sycamore Landing, cited him for possession of a loaded shotgun, and seized the weapon.
- Cited a hunter near Milepost 38 for illegal hunting and possession of a loaded weapon, which was seized.
- Discovered a hunter at a tree stand in the woods near the Monocacy with a loaded weapon and a freshly killed deer. All items were seized and the hunter was cited.
- Contacted and cited a man who had driven off the road in an area known for spotlighting of deer. A loaded .22 caliber rifle was found in the vehicle during a consent search.
- Contacted a man who walked out of the woods with a shotgun at the Edward's Ferry parking lot; cited him for possession of a weapon and seized the shotgun.
* November 30th:
- Again contacted a man coming out of the woods near Edward's Ferry with a loaded shotgun. It was seized and he was cited for possession of a loaded weapon.
[Tom Nash, DR, CHOH, 12/7]
Wednesday, January 6, 1993
92-672 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Stolen Vehicle; Arson
On December 29th, ranger John Bailey and Maryland State Police responded to areport of a vehicle accident and fire on Canal Road. Upon arrival, Baileydiscovered that a 1991 Dodge Dakota had been totally destroyed by fire. Responding fire department personnel subsequently conducted a search of thesurrounding area in an attempt to locate the driver, but were unsuccessful. The ranger and trooper on scene determined that the vehicle had been set onfire, then pushed off the road into the canal. A computer check was run on theWest Virginia tag, and the owner's residence was called. He was eventuallycontacted at a basketball game in a town just across the river from the site ofthe incident. The owner advised that he had left the truck parked in a collegelot with the doors unlocked, but that he had taken the keys with him. TheMaryland state fire marshall's office and West Virginia state police werecontacted and responded. Investigators determined that some kind of chemicalagent - probably gasoline - was poured on the front seat of the truck andignited. The investigation continues. [Keith Whisenant, CR, CHOH, 1/5]
Tuesday, March 9, 1993
93-105 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Flooding
Heavy rain and high winds struck the Potomac River Basin late last week; theresulting runoff, augmented by melting snow, led to the issuance of a floodwarning for the river and its tributaries. The park activated its floodemergency plan on March 5th and began closing most of the park at accesspoints along the river in anticipation of rising water. Great Falls Tavernwas sandbagged, and the new bridges and boardwalk to Olmstead Island wereclosed. On March 6th, the Potomac crested at 12.34 feet at Little Falls(2.34 feet above flood stage), and at 24.9 feet at Point of Rocks (8.9 feetabove flood stage). The high water and warm weather brought thousands ofvisitors out to the park and resulted in numerous incidents involving unsafevisitor activities, closure violations, and traffic congestion. Parkrangers and maintenance employees are currently assessing the damageinflicted on the park. Initial reports indicate that numerous locationsalong the tow path have been breached, scoured and/or washed away. [KevinFitzGerald, CR, CHOH, 3/8]
Thursday, March 11, 1993
93-105 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Follow-up on Flooding
Numerous sections of the park remain closed as a result of the floodingwhich occurred over the past weekend. Based on the damage assessmentscompleted by park maintenance and ranger staff, the park estimates thatdamage and cleanup costs will be in the vicinity of $400,000. This sumincludes the cost to restore the tow path, remove mud and trees, and payovertime recorded during the incident. [Kevin FitzGerald, ACR, CHOH, 3/10]
Wednesday, March 31, 1993
93-153 - NCR Areas (Virginia/Maryland/DC) - Follow-up on Oil Spill
As of yesterday morning, the oil from Sunday's 350,000-gallon spill hadflowed down the Potomac as far south as Alexandria, Virginia. The largestoil slick - about 100 yards long by 300 yards wide - was reported in thevicinity of Theodore Roosevelt Island, which is administered by GeorgeWashington Memorial Parkway. A light sheen of oil was also reported insidethe Tidal Basin near the Jefferson Memorial; booms have been in place at thebasin inlet since early afternoon on the 29th. Staffs from the parkway, C&OCanal and National Capital Parks are taking part in site evaluations alongthe river's shorelines and are searching for wildlife affected by the spill. Reports have been received of dead fish along the shoreline south of theDistrict of Columbia, but none have been confirmed. A contract wildliferehabilitator has been brought in; Sharon Taylor, an NPS veterinarian, is onscene and working with them. [John Howard, NCRO, 3/30]
Friday, April 2, 1993
93-153 - NCR Areas (Virginia/Maryland/DC) - Follow-up on Oil Spill
As of yesterday afternoon, the oil sheen from last Sunday's spill into thePotomac River extended 55 miles south from Sugarland Run, where the fuelentered the river. Oil has spread over vegetation, wetlands and wildlifeall along the Virginia, Maryland and District of Columbia shorelines,including George Washington Memorial Parkway, Great Falls, C&O Canal, andNational Capital Parks. No closures are currently reported in any of theseareas. Colonial Pipeline contractors have begun initial cleanup of areaswithin Great Falls and the parkway. Park resource management staffs arepresently conducting the pre-assessment phase of the overall naturalresource damage assessment process. [John Howard, NCRO, 4/1]
Monday, April 19, 1993
93-190 - C&O Canal (Maryland) - Flooding
The park was closed from the Monocacy River to Cumberland on Saturday due toflooding conditions. No further details are currently available. [Dispatch, CHOH, 4/17]
Wednesday, April 21, 1993
93-190 - C&O Canal (Maryland) - Follow-up on Flooding
The park has reopened following another weekend of flooding caused by heavyrainfall on already saturated soils in the Potomac and Shenandoah Riverbasins. The most extensive damage occurred in the upper portions of thepark, primarily in the Paw Paw Subdistrict. A dike/culvert located in thecanal was mechanically lowered late Saturday night to prevent flooding tohomes in the Mexico Farms subdivision near Cumberland, Maryland. Damage tothe tow path and canal is estimated at nearly $250,000, which includes thecost of clearing mud and debris from boat ramps, aqueducts and parking areasand filling and grading washed-out portions of the tow path. The Potomaccrested at almost six feet above flood stage at Paw Paw on Saturdayafternoon. Further flooding is anticipated today, as additional heavyrainfall is forecast for the area. [Kevin FitzGerald, ACR, CHOH, 4/20]
Tuesday, June 22, 1993
93-390 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Sexual Assault
Shortly after 6 a.m. on June 20th, a 46-year-old woman from Germantown,Maryland, parked her car near Chain Bridge and went walking on the canaltowpath toward Georgetown. When she was just south of Arizona Avenue, shewas confronted by a 25- to 35-year-old male who blocked her path and forcedher into the woods along the canal. The man then threatened to kill her andsexually assaulted her. The suspect was last seen leaving the area alongthe canal towards Chain Bridge. Park Police units searched the area byfoot, car and helicopter, but were unable to find the man. The victim wastaken to Georgetown Hospital, where she was treated and released. The caseis being investigated by the criminal investigations branch. [Lt. JohnHarasek, USPP, 6/20]
Thursday, July 1, 1993
93-390 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Follow-up on Sexual Assault
Just before 6 p.m. on June 28th, a 33-year-old man was arrested and chargedwith the sexual assault which occurred in the area of the park's towpathsouth of Arizona Avenue on June 20th. An arrest warrant had earlier beenissued which was based on information compiled by Park Police criminalinvestigators and officers assigned to the case. The warrant was executedwhen the suspect was located around 27th Street and Connecticut Avenue. [Lt. John Damadio, USPP, 6/29]
Tuesday, July 6, 1993
93-439 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Marijuana Eradication
On June 26th, ranger John Bailey was on patrol along the tow path in area of Williamsport, Maryland, when he detected an unusual odor coming from an areabetween the tow path and the Potomac River. A search of the area led to thediscovery of a total of 99 marijuana plants growing in a 150-foot radius. The plants averaged 18 to 24 inches in height; they did not appear to havebeen cultivated, and no evidence of cultivation was detected. The plantswere pulled, weighed (21 pounds), and burned at the Antietam Creek rangerstation. Total valuation was placed at about $21,000. Bailey locatedanother 138 marijuana seedlings growing wild in the Charles Mill area nearthe river the next day. Once again, no evidence of cultivation could befound. The plants were pulled, weighed (14.8 grams) and burned. Value wasplaced at $1,000. [Kevin FitzGerald, CHOH, 7/2]
Tuesday, July 20, 1993
93-502 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Marijuana Eradication
On July 14th, rangers were contacted by personnel from the Maryland statepolice aviation unit and advised that two marijuana plots had been foundwithin the park boundaries in the vicinity of Noland's Ferry. Rangers BillOrlando and Tom Nash met with state police officers in Frederick thefollowing day to gain additional information and were then able to locateboth plots. The first contained a total of 48 plants between one and twofeet tall. Although the plot was surrounded with wire fencing, the plantsdid not appear to have been tended for some time, as they were drying outfrom lack of water and record high temperatures. The second contained 66plants from six to seven feet tall and had evidence of recent cultivation. The tops of all of the plants had recently been cut. All plants in bothplots were removed and burned at the Antietam Creek ranger station. Theestimated value was placed at $228,000, which brings the total number ofplants eradicated over the past three weeks to 351 and the total valuationto $250,000. [Kevin FitzGerald, ACR, CHOH, 7/19]
Monday, August 30, 1993
93-634 - C&O Canal (Maryland) - Arrest for Assault
On the afternoon of August 22nd, ranger George DeLancey was on patrol in theMcCoy's Ferry campground when he observed two men - K.C., 33, andK.B., 26, both of Hagerstown, Maryland - fighting at a campsite. As DeLancey approached, the two separated; K.B. then walked to a pickuptruck and picked up a crescent wrench while K.C. reached down and pickedup a hand axe. DeLancey radioed for backup, entered the campsite, andordered both men to drop their weapons. Both refused. As K.C. beganwalking toward DeLancey, DeLancey drew his service weapon, pointed it atK.C., and ordered him to drop his axe. K.C. did so. As DeLancey turnedin K.B.'s direction, K.B. dropped his weapon. DeLancey thenseparated the two men with the assistance of K.C.'s brother. Uponinvestigation, DeLancey learned that K.B. had come to the camp site witha female companion to visit K.C. K.B., who had been drinking, becamehostile towards K.C. and attempted to choke him with a wire around hisneck. K.C. was able to get his hands between his neck and the wire andpushed K.B. away. K.B. was taken into custody, held overnight at alocal detention center, then taken to federal court in Baltimore. K.C.was released on his own recognizance. K.B. is to appear in court onSeptember 10th. [Keith Whisenant, CHOH, 8/23]
Thursday, April 21, 1994
94-181 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Suicide
Several citizens heard a shot fired at the Carderock picnic area late on themorning of April 11th. One who investigated found an elderly man slumpedover the bench of a picnic table. An NPS employee reported the incident,and Park Police officers responded. They found the victim and a revolverunder the table. The death has been ruled a probable suicide. [Lt. RichardMunsky, USPP, 4/12]
Wednesday, June 8, 1994
94-276 - C & O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Attempted Assault
On the evening of Sunday, June 5th, a park ranger on patrol in the Point ofRocks area encountered L.B., 46, on the canal crossover bridge. L.B.was under the influence and had narrowly escaped being run over by a passingvehicle moments earlier while passed out on the bridge. The rangerrecognized L.B. from an encounter two nights earlier at the same location,at which time he'd escorted L.B. off park property. As before, L.B. wasacting erratically, appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and/ornarcotics, was uncooperative, and made references to his military hand-to-hand combat experience. When the ranger advised L.B. that he was going tobe cited, L.B. began to verbally threaten him, then prepared to strike him. The ranger displayed his OC pepper spray and ordered L.B. to stop advancingfour times; when L.B. continued to advance, the ranger sprayed and subduedhim, placed him under arrest, took him to a local hospital for treatment,then had him incarcerated under a $1,500 bond. L.B., who has an extensivecriminal history, including disorderly conduct and narcotics convictions,was so familiar at the detention center that he was on a first name basiswith the guards. The trail date is June 17th. [Kevin FitzGerald, CHOH,6/7]
Monday, June 20, 1994
94-317 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Attempted Suicide; Life Saved
While on foot patrol on the Potomac River shoreline, ranger Jim Brown cameupon a man lying out in the sun dressed entirely in black. Because the heatindex at the time was over 100 degrees, Brown decided to check on him, andfound that he was semi-conscious and unresponsive. He called for assistanceand immediately began emergency treatment. While searching for a medicalert tag, Brown discovered a small pouch containing a .38 caliber five shotrevolver lying partially under the victim. The victim was placed on oxygenand an IV, but his condition did not improve. He was medevaced to a localhospital by Eagle One, the Park Police helicopter, where it was discoveredthat he'd ingested approximately 200 tablets of Xanax, a barbiturate, in anattempt to commit suicide. The victim is expected to fully recover. Without Brown's intervention, he would not have survived. [Steve Pittleman,CHOH, 6/13]
Friday, March 24, 1995
95-118 - C&O Canal (Maryland) - ARPA Convictions
On March 17th, B.B., 37, and C.B., 42, entered guilty pleasefor ARPA violations before a federal magistrate. They were fined a total of$200, placed on a year's unsupervised probation, ordered to pay $1,400 inrestitution to the NPS, and ordered to forfeit equipment used to discover theCivil War artifacts found in their possession when arrested by rangers inNovember of 1993. The investigation of this case, conducted by ranger MikeSabitini, led to the discovery of more than two dozen freshly excavated holesin former Union Army fortifications on park land. [Kevin Fitzgerald, ACR,CHOH, 3/20]
Wednesday, April 26, 1995
95-181 - Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Car Clout Convictions
On April 21st, D.L., 32, of Hagerstown, Maryland, pled guilty tocharges of trespassing in a motor vehicle, destruction of property, andpossession of stolen material in magistrate's court and was sentenced to 18months in prison. The charges stemmed from a vehicle break-in at McMahon'sMill last October 8th in which rangers set up a bait vehicle in response toseveral car clouts at that location. D.S., 21, also of Hagerstown,pled guilty to possession of stolen property last fall; he was fined $1,000 andsentenced to two years' supervised probation. D.S., who lived with D.L., committed suicide a month later. [Kevin Fitzgerald, CR, CHOH, 4/24]
Monday, May 8, 1995
95-201 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Suicide
Early on the morning of May 1st, a jogger found the body of a man near LockEight on the canal. The victim had apparently taken his own life by hanginghimself from a tree. Park Police officers are investigating. [Bill Lynch,NCRO, 5/2]
Wednesday, July 12, 1995
95-397 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Car Clouting Arrest and Conviction
On July 2nd, rangers arrested L.P. of Martinsburg, West Virginia,after a ranger conducting surveillance of a parking area at Lock 34 saw himenter a locked vehicle and remove a woman's purse. L.P. had been thefocus of an extensive investigation involving rangers and authorities from WestVirginia and Maryland. The park alone has logged over 50 car clouts so farthis year. Rangers conducted weekend surveillance of target parking areas overa two-month period, during which time information was gained that narrowed thefocus on L.P. A search of L.P.'s vehicle led to the recovery ofadditional stolen property. Victims from two car clouts stopped to report thecrimes while the vehicle search was in progress and discovered their propertyamong the recovered items. L.P. was charged with theft under 18 USC 661and with tampering and misappropriation of property under 36 CFR; he also facesdrug possession and additional car clouting charges in Maryland. L.P.pled guilty to the theft charge under a plea agreement and was sentenced to sixmonths in jail pending a pre-sentencing investigation. Further investigationon property recovered could lead to additional state or federal charges. [CRO,CHOH]
Thursday, August 3, 1995
95-487 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Suicide
A visitor found the body of R.G., 36, of Point of Rocks, Maryland,along the shore of the Potomac River on the afternoon of July 28th. Investigators determined that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. R.G. had recently been diagnosed with cancer. [Kevin FitzGerald, CR, CHOH]
Thursday, August 31, 1995
95-574 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Car Clout; Assault on Ranger
Ranger John Bailey was conducting a surveillance operation in the Charles Millarea around 11 p.m. on August 26th when a vehicle with two occupants enteredthe parking lot. The passenger, E.M., 35, began examining the twovehicles in the lot, then entered one through an unlocked door. E.M. was soonjoined by the driver, who has not yet been firmly identified. After they'dtaken several items, Bailey approached and attempted to apprehend them. Thedriver picked up a large rock, held it over his head, and began approaching theranger, telling E.M. to "make him shoot us." E.M. instead fled on foot; thedriver then returned to his vehicle, shifted it into reverse, and attempted torun Bailey down or pin him between the other parked vehicles. As Bailey drewhis weapon, he was struck on the hand by the vehicle's open door, which knockedthe gun to the ground. The driver then left the area. Back-up units from thepark, county and state soon arrived along with a canine unit. E.M. was locatedrunning down the tow path about a mile from the scene and was quickly subduedby the dog. He's being held on $10,000 cash bond and faces larceny, tampering,resisting arrest, and other charges. E.M. has an extensive criminal historyand was out of prison on parole when the incident occurred. The driver,believed to be T.R., 32, is still at large, and is also being sought byMaryland state police for a theft that occurred adjacent to the park on theprevious evening. [Kevin FitzGerald, CR, CHOH]
Monday, October 30, 1995
95-709 - C&O Canal (D.C./Maryland) - Resource Theft Conviction
On October 16th, R.P. of Leesburg, Virginia, plead guilty inFrederick County circuit court to one count of felony theft stemming from aninvestigation into theft and illegal logging in the park. R.P. wassentenced to four years in prison, with all but 18 months suspended; thesentence is to run consecutively to one he is currently serving in Virginiawhich will expire in the spring of 1997. The plea agreement and convictionfollowed a lengthy joint investigation by park personnel, FBI agents and countyinvestigators into the theft of farm equipment from private lands and thelogging and sale of pawlownia trees from the Point of Rocks area of the parklast year. Pawlownia wood is in high demand on the Asian market for use inhigh quality furniture. Rangers John Bailey and Kevin FitzGerald and naturalresource management specialists Dianne Ingram and Bill Spinrad solidified thecase with the FBI through the use of GPS equipment to locate and map the 25plus tree stumps in an area where the elimination of adjacent privately ownedproperty was critical in making the case. [CRO, CHOH]
Tuesday, December 5, 1995
95-574 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Follow-up on Assault on Ranger
T.R., 32, who was wanted for the August 26th assault on ranger JohnBailey during a car clouting incident, was arrested two weeks ago on unrelatedburglary charges by state and county officers. T.R. was subsequentlyindicted by a federal grand jury for the assault on Bailey. On November 30th,T.R. attempted to hang himself in his cell in the Washington County detentioncenter while awaiting trial in both cases against him. He is currently in thehospital and in critical condition. [Kevin FitzGerald, CHOH]
Monday, January 22, 1996
96-17 - Mid-Atlantic Areas - Flooding
The heavy rains which fell throughout the Mid-Atlantic regions and New Englandon Friday, January 19th, coupled with the melting of several feet of snowthroughout the area, caused severe flooding in several parks. The followingreports - some preliminary and by phone - were received as of this morning;more are expected later today:
* C&O Canal - Flooding caused by the Potomac River closed the park onSaturday. The river in all sections of the park exceeded flood stage byeight to 20 feet. The visitor center at Williamsport was evacuatedbefore it was flooded. The visitor center at Great Falls Tavern, theresource management office at Seneca, and the historic Abner Cloud Housewere sandbagged in an effort to divert rising flood waters. A fulldamage assessment can not yet be made because most areas of the parkcan't yet be reached, but damage is expected to be heavy. Over 90% ofthe park is flooded; most historic structures have been flooded, mostcabins and trailers belonging to park retentions along the river havebeen heavily damaged, and major scouring and erosion of the towpath areexpected. Flood levels rival those of the disastrous floods of 1972 and1985, when the park had to remain closed for months due to heavy damage.
[CR, CHOH; Einar Olsen, RAD/NCFO; Bill Halainen, IO, Wet and Wild Incident,DEWA]
Monday, January 29, 1996
96-17 - Mid-Atlantic Areas - Follow-up on Flooding
Additional reports have been received regarding the impacts of last week'sfloods:
* C&O Canal, Harpers Ferry, Great Falls - On January 26th, SecretaryBabbitt visited the three park areas to examine flood damage to groundsand facilities. The full-day visit consisted of both on-groundinspections and aerial overflights. Damage assessment teams and cleanupcrews continue their work in these and other areas within NationalCapital Field Area. C&O Canal is closed; portions of the park willremain closed for months, while other areas will open in the near future. Portions of other parks are also closed. Preliminary damage assessmentsfrom these areas indicate that restoration costs will run into themillions of dollars. An SSO task force is assisting the parks with theirefforts. Media coverage has been extensive.
[Einar Olsen, CR, RAD/NCFA; Bill Halainen, DEWA]
Friday, February 9, 1996
96-52 - C&O Canal (Maryland) - Burglary Arrest
Park Police officers arrested J.R. of Arlington, Virginia, on January25th for the burglary of a construction trailer at Fletcher's boat house. J.R. was found on an adjacent street; in his possession were tools andother items missing from the trailer. Officers retraced his path from the siteand located several bags containing additional items which had been taken fromthe trailer and stashed for later retrieval. J.R. was charged with felonyburglary, felony theft and destruction of property. [Bill Lynch, LES, NCFO]
Friday, March 15, 1996
96-99 - C&O Canal (D.C./Maryland) - Explosives
On the morning of March 11th, Park Police officers responded to a report of apiece of military ordnance at the Anglers Inn. The item was found to be aKorean War era 2.75 inch anti-tank rocket warhead. The area was evacuatedand Army bomb disposal units were summoned. The device was destroyed at thescene and the area was reopened at 5 p.m. [Bill Lynch, LES, NCFAO]
Thursday, March 28, 1996
96-122 - Rock Creek/C&O Canal (D.C.) - Pollution Investigation
For many years, the Army Corps of Engineers operators of the district's watersupply facility at Dalecarlia have periodically discharged heavilychlorinated water into Battery Kemble Run, a tributary of the Potomac River,as part of the facility's cleaning operation. These discharges, which werein violation of the Clean Water Act (33 USC 1311), killed all aquatic life inthe stream and created strong odors which resulted in numerous complaintsfrom park neighbors and visitors to Fletcher's Boathouse, a park concessionfacility. A joint investigation was launched by the Park Police, the SSO'sRanger Services office and EPA's Criminal Investigation Division. Shortlyafter it was begun, Corps managers determined that it was in their bestinterest to eliminate the illegal discharge to preclude prosectuion. Nofurther enforcement action is contemplated. The Dalecarlia facility has beenthe subject of numerous complaints and inspections by EPA, and the Corps isnow attempting to turn over the facility to local officials. [Einar Olsen,CR, RSD/SSO, NCFA]
Friday, April 12, 1996
96-142 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Body Found
The body of an unidentified man was found in the canal just north of ChainBridge on the morning of April 9th. Investigation into the cause of deathcontinues. [Bill Lynch, LES, NCFDO]
Tuesday, April 23, 1996
96-159 - Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (Maryland/DC) - Special Event
Secretary Babbitt spent four days in the park last week, hiking 61 miles ofthe towpath from Harpers Ferry to Georgetown in the District of Columbia. Hedecided to make the trek following January's flood, which caused an estimated$20 million in damage to the park, and patterned it on a 1954 hike by SupremeCourt Justice William O. Douglas, who made his hike to convince skeptics tosave the canal and towpath from obliteration. The hike began with a rally onApril 17th which was hosted by Harpers Ferry NHP, and concluded with hundredsof participants from NPCA's annual "March for Parks" accompanying SecretaryBabbitt on the final three miles into Georgetown for a noontime rally. Babbitt was accompanied by park staff throughout the hike, and was joined atvarious times by local, regional and national media, members of Congress,local community leaders, school groups, volunteer organizations, outdooradvocacy groups, and area residents. The event received extensive mediacoverage. [Kevin Fitzgerald, CHOH]
Tuesday, April 23, 1996
96-160 - Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (Maryland/DC) - Special Event
On April 22nd, President Clinton and Vice President Gore visited the GreatFalls area of the park for two hours as part of their annual Earth Dayactivities. They walked out on to Olmstead Island, where they met withmembers of the Montgomery County Youth Corps who are assisting with cleanupand repair efforts stemming from last January's flood. They worked brieflywith the group clearing debris, then went to the falls overlook, wherePresident Clinton gave his Earth Day speech to an audience of about 200invited guests (including numerous VIPs), 150 school children and park staff. The event received extensive local and national media coverage. [KevinFitzgerald, CHOH]
Friday, May 24, 1996
96-235 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Car Clout Arrests
On May 15th, the park received a call from a visitor whose car had beenbroken into that day at the Monocacy River boat ramp. The victim was able toprovide descriptions and the license plates of the two vehicles seen leavingthe area. Rangers Jim Brown and Mike Sabatini drove to the Damascus,Maryland, address of the registered owner of one of the vehicles the next dayand discovered the car they were seeking, which was occupied at the time byGinger Staub, 20, and a juvenile male. The pair admitted to participation inthe car clout and provided information on two other individuals involved inthe theft - R.W., 19, and R.T., 18, also of Damascus. Brownand Sabatini contacted R.W. around 10 that evening. R.W. had in hispossession items which were taken in the car clout, including fishing rods,tackle, and cassette tapes. The method used to enter the vehicle - smashingwindows with a pipe - matched that employed in two recent incidents in thepark and others which had occurred recently on state and regional park lands. Rangers are cooperating with investigators from the other agencies to closeas many of these cases as possible. [Kevin FitzGerald, CHOH]
Thursday, June 20, 1996
96-293 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Illegal Aliens
Over the past three months, Park Police officer Eric Hafener has arrested 11illegal aliens who were in possession of counterfeit INS resident alien cardsand Social Security cards. Hafener encountered all 11 while patrolling theshoreline of the Potomac River, checking for fishing licenses and otherresource violations. Those arrested have been charged under 18 USC. Twohave pled guilty and await deportation procedures. INS is conducting afollow-up investigation. [Bill Lynch, LES, NCFDO]
Thursday, June 20, 1996
96-297 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Drowning
On June 8th, R.I. and a female companion were seated on rocksadjacent to the Potomac River at Great Falls when R.I. stood up to leave,apparently lost his balance, and fell into the river. Rangers, Park Policeofficers, and local police and fire personnel conducted an extensive butfruitless search for him. His body was recovered from the river near ThreeSisters Island three days later. [Bill Lynch, LES, NCFDO]
Thursday, June 20, 1996
96-298 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Probable Drowning
K.G., a 38-year-old homeless man, fell into the canal near 30th Streetin the District on June 16th. Two city police officers pulled him from thewater. Although he was barely conscious at the time, he later died. Anautopsy is scheduled. [Bill Lynch, LES, NCFDO]
Monday, September 9, 1996
96-511 - East Coast Areas - Follow-up on Hurricane Fran
Reports on the impacts of Hurricane Fran have been received from a number ofEastern parks. Of particular note is the fact that the flooding along theShenandoah and Potomac Rivers has in most cases been as or more severe thanthat which occurred during January, making this the first year since theNational Weather Service began keeping track early this century that areasalong those rivers have been hit by two major floods. As of Sunday night,the Potomac was flowing past Little Falls in Maryland at more than 300,000cubic feet per second (cfs) - 130 times the normal volume. When theShenandoah River crested on Saturday, it had a flow rate of 153,000 cfs, ormore than 200 times its typical rate.
o C&O Canal - The park completed all preparations for the hurricane andfor the flooding forecast for the Potomac River by Friday. All 36hiker/biker campsites were evacuated and closed; the drive incampgrounds at Spring Gap, Fifteenmile Creek, McCoys Ferry and AntietamCreek were evacuated and closed; the Williamsport visitor center atCushwa Basin was evacuated and closed; and equipment and materials werestaged in anticipation of the need to sandbag the Great Falls Tavern,clear debris, remove downed trees, and undertake related recoveryactions. The Shenandoah River, which joins the Potomac River atHarpers Ferry, crested at 20 feet over flood stage Saturday night, andthe waters of the Potomac rose with equal rapidity. The entire parkwas officially closed at noon on Saturday, and park staff begansandbagging Great Falls Tavern and barricading access points. ThePotomac crested along much of the park's length on Sunday; althoughwaters have not yet full receded, it's clear that much of the extensiverepair work from last January's flood - including 15,000 hours of laborrendered by 3,500 volunteers - has been washed away. Sandbags aroundthe tavern held, however, and the building has apparently been sparedfrom any serious damage.
[Greg Styles, IC, SHEN; Kevin Fitzgerald, CHOH; Gary Pollock, GWMP; SandyAiley, PIO, NCFA; Jim Fox, BLRI; Bob Woody, CI&VS, CAHA; Newt Sikes, CUIS;John Breen, FOPU; Andrew Loveless, Superintendent, KIMO; John Tucker,Superintendent, FOSU; Chuck Harris, CR, CALO; Mike Johnson, CR, FRSP;Washington Post]
Tuesday, September 10, 1996
96-511 - East Coast Areas - Follow-up on Hurricane Fran
Damage reports are beginning to filter in as flood waters recede and parkstaffs gain access to their areas:
o C&O Canal - Efforts are currently underway to determine which areas canbe safely opened to the public as the flood waters subside. Severalincidents of closure violations were reported. Additional erosion hasbeen observed in those areas that were flooded in January. Heavyaccumulations of debris have been noted on and behind aqueducts. Acomprehensive damage assessment will be conducted as the flood watersrecede and sections of the canal become visible. Great Falls Tavernand concession operated facilities will be closed until further notice.
[Mark Hardgrove, SAJU; Mark Woods, VIIS]
Thursday, September 12, 1996
96-511 - East Coast Areas - Follow-up on Hurricane Fran
Additional reports have been received regarding on-going hurricane and floodrecovery efforts:
o C&O Canal - The park's staff continues to work extended shifts in aneffort to determine the extent of the damage inflicted on the area andto reopen portions of the park for use this coming weekend. Crews areonce again discovering heavy siltation, debris and trees along thetowpath and in parking lots, access points, campgrounds and boat ramps. The visitor center at Williamsport was flooded with two feet of water,compared to five feet received in January. A large section of stonewall in Georgetown collapsed during the heavy rains and has closed aportion of the towpath in that area indefinitely. There was far lessloss of property than in January due to work undertaken by park staffand volunteers before the river rose and to better working conditions(the January effort was hampered by snow and ice and by the governmentshutdown then in effect). The park's four campgrounds and 36hiker/biker campsites will likely remain closed through next spring. Heavy rains are forecast for today, which will help the clean-up effortby washing away some of the accumulated silt, but may also causeadditional flash flooding. Although it appears that much of the workcompleted by park staff and over 4,000 volunteers on 218 separateprojects since January may have been lost, only a fraction of the $24million appropriated by Congress and donated by individuals andcorporations has actually been expended to date.
[Greg Stiles, SHEN; Ann Childress, CVS, FOSU Group; Don Boucher, FMO, NCSO;Kevin FitzGerald, DR, CHOH]
Tuesday, September 17, 1996
96-511 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Follow-up on Hurricane Fran
Approximately 90% of the park reopened to the public on Friday, September13th, as a result of intensive efforts by the entire park staff. Thestandard for opening the towpath was lowered as a result of lessons learnedduring the January flood; only those areas which poses serious threats tolife or property remain closed, pending additional short-term or long-termrepairs. At present, the bridges and boardwalk on Olmsted Island and allpark campgrounds and hiker/biker campsites remain closed. The contract todesilt the canal and repair the towpath from Georgetown to Lock 5 and fromLock 18 to Violette's Lock, the first major contract initiated to repairJanuary's damage, began on schedule on September 5th, and was resumedfollowing the brief delay caused by Hurricane Fran. The work should becompleted by Christmas, which will permit the reopening of those two sectionsto canal boat operations by next spring. Detailed damage assessments are setto begin later this week. Repair and rehabilitation projects stemming fromthose assessments will be incorporated into the January flood recovery plan. [Kevin FitzGerald, CV&RP, CHOH]
Monday, October 7, 1996
96-580 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Accidental Death of Employee
Maintenance employee Nelson Griffith, 62, of Luray, Virginia, was fatallyinjured while removing trees from the canal's towpath near Lock Five on themorning of Sunday, October 6th. At the time of the accident, he wasattempting to cut a large tree stump, which apparently broke free and fell onhim. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Nelson had worked for the NPS for30 years. An investigation into the accident is underway. [Bill Lynch, LES,NCSO]
Tuesday, October 8, 1996
96-580 - C&O Canal (Maryland/D.C.) - Follow-up on Employee Death
Maintenance employee Nelson Griffith, 62, died last Sunday morning whilefelling a tree along the towpath in the vicinity of Lock Five. Efforts weremade to resuscitate him by rangers, maintenance employees and Park Policeofficers, but were unsuccessful. Nelson had worked on the canal since thepark's establishment in 1971. The work that he was engaged in at the time ofhis death was directly related to park repair and restoration effortsfollowing the two major floods that struck the park this year. He issurvived by his wife, Shirley, and by three daughters and a son. Funeralarrangements are currently being made and will be passed along as soon asthey are completed. The employee assistance program has been activated toassist both family members and park employees in dealing with his death. Thepark received valuable and timely assistance from staff at Shenandoah andColonial in notifying and assisting family members until the superintendentand chief of maintenance at C&O could personally contact them. [KevinFitzGerald, CHOH]
Thursday, October 10, 1996
96-580 - C&O Canal NHP (Maryland/D.C.) - Follow-up on Employee Death
Funeral services for park maintenance employee Nelson Griffith will be heldat 11 a.m. this morning at the Morning Star Lutheran Church near Luray,Virginia. Condolences may be sent to his wife, Shirley, and other familymembers at 9 Oakcrest Drive, Luray, VA 22835. [Kevin FitzGerald, CHOH]
Thursday, October 10, 1996
96-596 - C&O Canal NHP (Maryland/D.C.) - Suicide
Visitors found the body of M.P., 21, of Mount Airy, Maryland, alongthe Potomac River just south of Harpers Ferry on the afternoon of October5th. M.P. apparently took his own life after a recent series of personalincidents involving work and family. Ranger John Bailey is leading theinvestigation and being assisted by Maryland state police. [KevinFitzGerald, CHOH]
Thursday, October 31, 1996
96-647 - C&O Canal NHP (Maryland/D.C.) - EMS Assist; Life Saved
When ranger Jim Brown stopped at a gas station in Poolesville to refuel hispatrol vehicle on October 30th, he saw some of the attendants moving around asmall white sedan. Moments later, one of them told Brown that there was anunconscious man slumped over in the front seat of the car. Brown notifieddispatch, then began CPR. County medics arrived and began administeredadvanced life support measures. The victim's pulse was restored prior totransport to a hospital. He is now in the hospital and in stable condition. [Tom Nash, DR, CHOH]
Thursday, June 5, 1997
97-247 - C&O Canal NHP (DC/MD/WV) - Rescue
During the early morning hours of June 5th, the Park Police received a reportthat two people - W.P. and B.F. - were overdue from acanoeing trip on the Potomac River in the area of Swain's Lock. An extensivesearch of the area was begun in conjunction with local police and firepersonnel. A USPP helicopter with night vision and infrared equipmentlocated the pair stranded on a rock island in the rain-swollen Potomac Rivernear Lock 24. They were lifted from the island by a basket descending fromthe helicopter, then flown to safety. [Bill Lynch, RLES, NCRO, 6/5]
Friday, July 25, 1997
97-390 - Chesapeake and Ohio Canal NHP (MD/DC) - Marijuana Eradication
On July 18th, a joint NPS, county and state narcotics operation led to theidentification of four plots with about 250 plants growing in the areaadjacent to the Potomac River west of Hancock, Maryland. The plants rangedin height from three to eight feet, and evidence at the scene indicated thatthey were being actively cultivated. Ranger George DeLancey installed aremote sensing video camera on the 19th, and the task force providedpersonnel for surveillance on the 21st. The decision to eradicate the plantswas made the following day. A total of 254 plants with an estimated streetvalue of over $300,000 were destroyed. [Kevin FitzGerald, CHOH, 7/23]
Friday, July 25, 1997
97-397 - Chesapeake and Ohio Canal NHP (MD/DC) - Body Found
On July 18th, a fisherman on the Potomac River near Dam #3 found and reportedwhat he believed to be a human skeleton lodged between some boulders justbelow the dam. Rangers and maintenance personnel responded and confirmed thefind. The remains are believed to be those of a 60-year-old woman who hasbeen missing since last December 31st and whose vehicle was found in theMountain Lock parking area in early January. Maryland state troopers and thestate medical examiner are continuing the investigation. [Kevin FitzGerald,CHOH, 7/23]
Friday, August 29, 1997
97-511 - C&O Canal NHP (MD/DC/WV) - Assault; Employee Arrest
On August 27th, park maintenance employees A.J. and R.T.exchanged words during the morning hours. At the end of their tour, both menleft the park and stopped just outside the entrance to the Great Falls area,where additional words were followed by A.J. reportedly assaulting R.T.with an ice pick before leaving the scene. R.T. was not seriously injuredand was treated at the scene. Since the incident occurred off park property,Montgomery County police were called to investigate; they subsequentlyobtained a warrant for A.J., charging him with first degree assault. Ratherthan return to work on the 28th, A.J. advised the park that he would turnhimself in after seeking legal council. [Kevin FitzGerald, CHOH, 8/28]
Tuesday, March 31, 1998
98-125 - C&O Canal NHP (MD/DC) - ARPA Violation
While on patrol in the Brunswick area of the park on the afternoon of March15th, ranger Bill Orlando noticed a shovel with fresh dirt on it in the backof a truck in the boat ramp parking lot. Orlando contacted R.S.,the owner of the truck, who was standing nearby, and asked whether he'd beenengaged in any recent digging. R.S. said that he'd been digging forbottles and showed Orlando the location. Investigation revealed that he'dexcavated four large pits and a small hole in the vicinity of an old dumpwithin the park. Ranger Jim Brown and park archeologist Jill Halchinassisted with processing the crime scene, assessing the value of the itemstaken, and determining the restoration costs. Twenty-three bottles wereseized from R.S.'s truck. Although he only admitted to having excavatedone of the pits, plaster casts of his boot prints will be used to link him tothe other four. R.S.'s collection included bottles that were over 70years old, but he had missed a number of bottles that were over 100 yearsold. The commercial value of the bottles and the cost of restoration andrepair of the site will likely exceed $500 and the felony ARPA threshold. The U.S. attorney's office in Baltimore has authorized the case and willproceed with prosecution under the provisions of ARPA. [Kevin FitzGerald,CHOH, 3/30]
Wednesday, June 3, 1998
98-251 - C&O Canal (MD/DC) - Boating Fatality
Ranger George DeLancey received a report of a boating accident at Dam #5 onthe Potomac River just after 6 p.m. on the evening of May 20th. DeLancey,who was not far away, arrived minutes later and learned from a visitor thattwo persons who were aboard a jet ski that had capsized had been swept overthe dam, falling between 15 and 20 feet to the rocks below. DeLancey, withhelp from a fisherman, boated out into the river and located S.J.,30, of Frederick, Maryland, who was performing CPR on G.Y., 31,also of Frederick. G.Y. had suffered a deep laceration to his forehead. DeLancey continued CPR while transporting G.Y. to advanced life supportunits waiting on shore, but CPR was discontinued shortly thereafter at thedirection of an emergency room physician. S.J. and G.Y. had launchedfrom the Four Locks area and traveled over two miles downstream to theslackwater area behind the dam. S.J. was familiar with the hazard, as he'dboated in the area many times in the past. The jet ski apparently rolled asS.J. was attempting to turn and travel back upstream, dumping both men intothe river. Maryland Division of Natural Resources police are leading theinvestigation, as they have primary jurisdiction over incidents on the river. The exact cause of death was still under investigation at the time of thereport. [Kevin FitzGerald, CHOH, 5/21]
Thursday, June 18, 1998
98-303 - C&O Canal NHP (MD/DC) - Special Event
On Monday, June 15th, a special event was held in the park in conjunctionwith the National Trust for Historic Preservation's annual announcement ofthe eleven most endangered historic places/resources in America. The eventwas held at the Monocacy Aqueduct, which was on the list. Attending wereHillary Rodham Clinton, Maryland senators Paul Sarbanes and Barbara Mikulski,trust executive director Richard Moe, NPS deputy director Jackie Lowey, andmany other NPS, state and county officials. Mesa Verde NP andChancellorsville Battlefield were the other NPS areas on this year's listing. Security and traffic control were coordinated by the park's protection staffand Secret Service, with assistance by personnel from Harpers Ferry NHP,Antietam NB, Monocacy NB, Appalachian NST, and NCR Ranger Activities. TheHistory Channel will be airing a feature on the list at 10 p.m. on June 22nd. [Kevin FitzGerald, CHOH, 6/16]
Thursday, September 3, 1998
98-559 - C&O Canal NHP (MD/DC) - Drowning
On the evening of August 29th, two men swam across the Potomac River from theMaryland side to Great Falls, then tried to swim back. M.P., 19,failed to make it to shore. Witnesses said that they heard him yelling fromthe river. Park Police officers and county units searched for him for aboutfour hours before terminating the effort at 12:30 a.m. On August 30th, akayaker spotted his body near Difficult Run. County fire and rescue unitsrecovered it. [Henry Berberich, RLES, NCSO, 9/1]
Tuesday, September 15, 1998
98-587 - C&O Canal NHP (MD/DC) - Boat Fire
A park-owned and operated canal barge, which serves as a tour boat, caughtfire at its dock at 30th Street in Northwest Washington around 2:45 a.m. onSeptember 12th. City firefighters responded and extinguished the blaze. Thebarge sustained extensive damage, and is believed to be a total loss. Theboat's value has been placed at $200,000. Investigators from the city firedepartment, Park Police, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)are investigating the fire. [Henry Berberich, RLES, NCSO, 9/14]
Monday, December 7, 1998
98-747 - C&O Canal NHP (MD/DC) - Assist; Search, Probable Drowning
Park Police officers and C&O Canal rangers searched the Potomac River nearGreat Falls for a missing kayaker on November 28th. A 26-year-old man fromMarietta, Georgia, had been kayaking with four friends when his kayak flippedover and he fell into the river. Local fire and rescue units joined in theeffort, but no trace of the kayaker has yet been found. [Henry Berberich,RLES, NCSO, 12/1]
Thursday, December 10, 1998
98-750 - C&O Canal NHP (MD/DC) - Structural Fire; Probable Arson
Local 911 operators received a report of a structural fire in the Two Locksarea of the park on the evening of December 5th. Several local firedepartments responded. While on patrol in the area, ranger George DeLanceysaw flames of 50 to 100 feet in the Two Locks area and firefighters attackingthe blaze. The fire was in the Old Carpenter House, which was completelydestroyed by the blaze. An investigation of the fire, which has been deemedsuspicious in origin, is currently underway. [Tom Nash, CHOH, 12/8]
Thursday, March 4, 1999
98-798 - C&O Canal NHP (MD/DC) - Poaching Conviction
On the morning of October 24, 1998, rangers in the park's Western MarylandDistrict were operating a decoy deer in an abandoned apple orchard near thecanal towpath. They saw J.G. drive slowly past the decoy, then return afew minutes later, get out of his vehicle, and fire one round at the decoyfrom his muzzleloader rifle. J.G. was cited for taking wildlife in the parkand his weapon was seized. He appeared in magistrate's court on February19th and entered a guilty plea. The magistrate fined him $1,000 and orderedhis rifle and scope forfeited to the government. [Mark Spier, CHOH, 2/26]
Wednesday, July 14, 1999
99-369 - C&O Canal NHP (MD/DC) - Serious Employee Injury
Harpers Ferry Center interpretive planner Katherine "Kate" Hammond wasseriously injured in a biking accident on the canal towpath around 6 p.m. onFriday, July 9th. Hammond, who is stationed in Denver, was in town to assistin an interpretive planning course currently underway at Mather TrainingCenter. She apparently hit an obstacle and was thrown head first into a rockwall, sustaining numerous facial fractures and lacerations. Hikers found herunconscious and reported the accident. Hammond is in Washington CountyHospital in Hagerstown, Maryland. Her prognosis is good, but she mustundergo further treatment and is expected to be away from work for some time. [Garry Cummins, Manager, Harpers Ferry Center, 7/12]
Thursday, September 16, 1999 99-543 - Southeast/Northeast Region Areas - Follow-up: Hurricane Floyd
The following updates have been received from parks being affected by Hurricane Floyd:
o C&O Canal NHP (MD/DC) - The National Weather Service does not expect flooding along the Potomac River, but the park has nonetheless taken some precautions, including removal of equipment from picnic areas and campgrounds. Tidal sections of the river could experience flooding due to tides and water pushed up the river by the hurricane.
[Ken Garvin and Daryl Rhodes, SERO, 9/15-16; Barbara Goodman, Superintendent, TIMU/FOCA, 9/15; Linda Brown, CR, MOCR, 9/15; Jim Zahradka, IC, CALO, 9/15; Gary Bremen, IO, BISC, 9/15; Mike Johnson, CR, FRSP, 9/15; Doyle Nelson, CR, DEWA, 9/15; Rick Nolan, CR, FOMC, 9/15; Dave Griese, CR, FIIS, 9/15; Mike Litterst, PAO, COLO, 9/15; Denise Pearce, CAHA, 9/15; LES, CAHA, 9/16; Nora Martinez, CR, CANA, 9/16; Hattie Squires, MOCR, 9/16; Martha Bogle, COSW, 9/16; Dave Parker, FOMA, 9/16; Wally Mattis, CM, FOFR, 9/16; Gordie Wilson, FOMA/CASA, 9/16; John Tucker, Superintendent, FOSU/CHPI, 9/16; John Burn, CR, ASIS, 9/16]
Thursday, November 18, 1999
99-679 - C&O Canal NHP (DC/MD) - Arson Fire
Ranger Ryan Peabody, Clear Springs VFD firefighters and state fire marshals responded to a structural fire along Dam #5 Road at 1:30 a.m. on November 14th. They found the 1850's Shank House totally engulfed in flames. The fire has been classified as an arson. The structure was on the LCS, but was not occupied. This is the second historic structure in that area to be set on fire in the past year. The Clear Springs VFD also responded to another suspicious fire on the same day, this one outside the park. A joint investigation is being conducted by park staff and state fire marshals. [Tom Nash, CHOH, 11/17]
Monday, November 29, 1999
99-702 - Chesapeake and Ohio Canal NHP (MD/DC) - Poaching
Ranger Todd Gearman checked a car parked adjacent to park land near Pennyfield Lock just prior to dusk on October 30th. He saw a tarp, maps and soft bow case in the vehicle. The car was blocked in, and Gearman and ranger Joe Pond began a search of the woods. They soon came upon a man - W.H. of Alexandria, Virginia - in subdued clothing with a compound bow, portable tree stand and camouflaged backpack with arrows. W.H. had blood on his clothes and told the rangers that it had come from gutting a deer that he'd just killed. He was cooperative and led them to the fresh carcass of an eight-point white-tail buck. He was charged with several violations of 36 CFR Part 2. Trophy hunting for large bucks is increasing in suburban and urban park areas. Over the past year or so, several national hunting magazines have published articles about hunting in suburban areas. [Tom Nash, Acting CR, CHOH, 11/1]
Wednesday, December 8, 1999
99-723 - C&O Canal NHP (MD/DC) - MVA with Two Fatalities
A single-vehicle accident occurred on SR 51 in the Spring Gap section of the park just before noon on December 5th. Park, state and county units responded and found that the vehicle had left the road on a sharp curve, struck a guardrail, traveled about 150 feet through the air, then landed upside down in a section of the canal containing water. Both the driver and passenger had been killed in the accident. A joint investigation is underway. [Tom Nash, Acting CR, CHOH, 12/7]
Thursday, December 30, 1999
99-755 - C&O Canal NHP (MD/DC) - Poaching
On November 27th, a ranger and USFWS agents arrested G.T. for hunting in the park. G.T. was seen firing at a six-point buck inside the park and was found to have previously baited the area with corn. He's suspected of having hunted on park land for the past several years. G.T. is a licensed taxidermist and known hunting videographer. Several CFR charges were filed against him. [Tom Nash, CHOH, 12/7]
Thursday, June 1, 2000
00-241 - George Washington Memorial Parkway/C&O Canal (VA/DC) - Fisheries Enforcement Operation
On May 27th, a multi-agency task force concluded "Task Force Potomac," a fisheries enforcement operation on the Potomac River in the Little Falls/Chain Bridge area. The operation took place over six days during a one-month period. Citations were issued for over 420 violations, including the illegal catching of striped bass and shad, use of cast nets, snagging, fishing without a license, and a multitude of public use violations. Hundreds of pounds of highly prized anadromous striped bass were seized, some of which was donated to a homeless shelter. The operation also gained valuable intelligence on potential commercial fishing violations. No injuries occurred during the operation despite the rugged terrain in the area. Participating in the task force were the Park Police officers, NPS rangers and EMS personnel, USFWS agents, and officers from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Virginia Marine Resources Commission, Maryland National Capital Park Police, DC Harbor Police, and Arlington Police. (Einar Olsen, RCR, NCRO, 5/30)
Wednesday, March 21, 2001
01-098 - C&O Canal NHP (MD) - Attempted Suicide
On the morning of March 16th, the Park Police received a call from a man who reported that his wife was suicidal and on her way to Great Falls. Several officers responded and located her unoccupied vehicle in the parking lot. Officer Christopher Curtin found her at the water's edge near Great Falls Inn. She told him that she was going to end her life. Eagle 1, several crisis negotiators, rangers and local fire and rescue personnel joined the officers at the scene. Sergeant Kathy Harasek, a trained crisis negotiator, worked with Curtin to establish a dialogue with the woman. Negotiations were successful, and the woman was taken to a local hospital for treatment. [Sgt. R. MacLean, USPP, NCR, 3/19]
Thursday, May 3, 2001
01-182 - C&O Canal NHP (MD/DC) - Assault on Ranger
On the afternoon of April 21st, ranger Ryan Peabody contacted a man who identified himself as G.H. G.H., who had the strong odor of alcohol about him, was sitting in the driver's seat of his 1998 GMC Sonoma with the keys in the ignition. G.H. told Peabody that he'd been drinking, so Peabody asked him to step out of his vehicle. G.H. instead attempted to drive off. A brief struggle ensued, during which Peabody's arm became entangled with G.H.'s as he sped off. Peabody was able to break free from the GMC and pursued. The pursuit lasted only a few minutes before Peabody terminated it due to G.H.'s reckless sdriving. Peabody and ranger Bill Pond interviewed several of G.H.' relatives and friends and were able to find a residence where they had reason to believe he might be hiding. The rangers drove by the residence and saw G.H. among a group of people standing outside the building. He was arrested. Further investigation revealed that G.H. had a history of assaults on police officers, and that he is currently a suspect in other local crimes, including hit and run and burglary. G.H. will be charged with assault on an officer, DWI and numerous traffic offenses. [Tom Nash, DR, CHOH, 4/30]
Wednesday, May 30, 2001
01-237 - C&O Canal NHP (MD/DC) - Stolen Vehicle; Arrests
Palisades DR Joe Pond was orienting new rangers Tad Pultorak and Rob Gydus to the park on the evening of May 26th when they came upon two men at the White's Ferry access who rapidly jumped into a 2000 Chevrolet Impala with New York plates and fled the area. Their suspicious activities led Pond to check the vehicle's registration while the rangers followed the Impala. The vehicle came back as possibly stolen, so the rangers continued to follow the car as it left the park and requested backup from Montgomery County PD. The driver of the Impala suddenly turned the car into a side road and stopped. The rangers made a felony traffic stop and arrested the two occupants - driver P.R., 53, and passenger R.W., 55 - without incident. The vehicle was confirmed as stolen and the owner said that he would press charges, so the two men were taken to a detention center and interrogated. The vehicle was impounded. Wilson was subsequently released, but Robinson was held for felony receipt of stolen property. [Keith Whisenant, CHOH, 5/29]
Wednesday, June 27, 2001
01-305 - George Washington Memorial Parkway/C&O Canal NHP (VA/MD/DC) - Resource Violations
On May 18th, a multi-agency task force concluded the spring 2001 operation of Task Force Potomac, a fisheries enforcement operation on the Potomac River in the Little Falls/Chain Bridge area. Citations were issued for 167 violations, including the illegal catch of striped bass, use of cast nets, snagging, fishing without a license, and a multitude of CFR public use violations. Personnel also provided EMS assistance to several visitors who sustained fishing-related injuries in the area. During a similar period last year, citations were issued for over 420 violations. In addition to the enforcement efforts, an education outreach effort has been begun to encourage responsible fishing and public use on park lands. Participating in the task force were USPP officers, NPS rangers, USFWS agents, and officers from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, DC Harbor Police, and Arlington County Police. [Einar Olsen, RCR, NCRO, 6/8]
Tuesday, July 24, 2001
01-386 - C&O Canal NHP (DC/MD) - Fugitive Arrests
On the evening of June 30th, ranger Bob Conway contacted two adults and a juvenile at the Little Pool backcountry campsite. A check of the two adults revealed both had felony warrants out against them - T.D., 41, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was wanted in Maryland for armed robbery and C.M., 38, also from West Virginia, was wanted for failure to appear on charges of distributing cocaine. Conway decided to clear from the contact and wait for backup. Six rangers from C&O Canal, Antietam and a local state park entered the campsite early the next morning while all were sleeping and made the arrests without incident. The fugitives were turned over to state officials for processing. [Dwight Dixon, DR, CHOH, 7/5]
Thursday, September 20, 2001
01-520 - C&O Canal NHP (DC/MD) - ARPA/Resource Violations
The park reports three significant ARPA/resource damage cases over the past month. On August 10th, ranger Jan Lemons came upon a group of juveniles in the park near Hancock. The kids were in the process of constructing a mountain bike course; they had cleared a large area of vegetation, constructed mounds for jumping, and disturbed known archeological sites. Numerous digging tools and wheelbarrows were confiscated. USPP detective John Critchfield is assisting Lemons in the investigation and numerous follow-up interviews. Charges are pending. On September 5th, park volunteer Tim Thomas saw two men digging and using metal detectors around Lockhouse 75. Ranger Buchanan responded and located the two men, identified as C.G., 28, and T.D., 27, both of Corriganville, Maryland. Both men had artifacts, metal detectors, and digging instruments in their possession. C.G. was arrested on site on an outstanding theft warrant. Rangers located and documented 16 holes in the area the following day. Leo Karpinski, an archeologist from Valley Forge, and James Andra, a GPS operator from C&O Canal, were called and assisted in the follow-up investigation. Interviews with both subjects were conducted and each gave detailed accounts of their activities. Charges are pending. Park maintenance reported digging around lock gate 29 on September 5th. Ranger Dwight Dixon investigated and found that both lock gates - which had been previously covered and protected under earth - had been excavated. The lock gates seemed to still be intact and in good condition. An interview with local volunteers revealed that they had uncovered the gates in an attempt to locate a piece of gate hardware which they wanted to display in the newly refurbished and opened lock house. The gates are being examined by resource managers to determine what actions are required to protect the uncovered structures. (Dwight Dixon, DR, CHOH, 9/18)
Friday, June 7, 2002
02-215 - C&O Canal NHP (MD/DC) - Theft of Government Funds
On May 23rd, rangers preparing a deposit of campground fees noticed adiscrepancy between sites occupied and corresponding payments. A spotcheck was done that same day comparing self registrations with currentoccupants of the full campground at McCoys Ferry. Other discrepancieswere discovered and several campers reported having given theirregistration money to the volunteer campground host. The campgroundhost, J.C., was contacted and admitted to taking campgroundfunds. Statements from recent campers have shown the total to be in thehundreds of dollars. Additional information has been received and theinvestigation is continuing. It is believed that the total amounts couldbe much higher, since this was the host's third year in the campground.Federal charges are pending. Martin Gallery is the lead agent on thecase. [Dwight Dixon, DR, CHOH, 6/5]
Wednesday, July 10, 2002
02-295 - C&O Canal NHP (MD) - Fatality
Rangers contacted a large group of people consuming alcohol in the parkaround 10 p.m. on June 30th. While the rangers were checking the group forwarrants, D.K., 24, of West Virginia, slipped away and fled. Whenquestioned, none of the others in the group reported knowing that he wasgone. Fishermen nearby said that they'd seen a man matching D.K.'sdescription heading up the tow path. The rangers looked for him, butwithout luck. The next morning, two people from the group told state policethat they'd seen D.K. jump into the Potomac River and that they were tohave picked him up at a known location on the West Virginia side. When hefailed to appear, they became concerned. They also told police that a boathad come up the river and that they thought they heard it hit something inthe water and stop and circle before it continued on up river. With theassistance of numerous agencies, divers searched the river until dark onJuly 1st. On July 2nd, they found D.K.'s body on the river bottom in about24 feet of water. Evidence indicated that he'd been hit by a boat. Alcoholis thought to have been a contributing factor. Rangers confirmed that therewas an active warrant out for D.K. State DNR is investigating thefatality, since they have primary jurisdiction on the Potomac River.[Dwight Dixon, Acting CR, CHOH, 7/3]
Tuesday, November 19, 2002
02-593 - Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (DC,MD,WV) - Murder Victim Found in Park
A jogger running along the canal towpath in the Weverton area on themorning of November 15 discovered the body of an apparent homicidevictim on a river access trail about 30 feet from the path. The man,subsequently identified as 43-year-old J.R. of Charlestown,West Virginia, died from a single gunshot wound to his neck. Thepassenger side window of J.R.'s van, found just outside the park, wasshattered. The case has been turned over to the Washington CountySheriff's Office, with the NPS assisting. Leads are being pursued. [Submitted by Keith Kelley, District Ranger]
Tuesday, January 21, 2003
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (DC,MD,WV)
Ranger Attacked; Shoots and Kills Assailant
Ranger Derek Anderson was on patrol in the Edwards Ferry area of thepark around 8 a.m. on Saturday, January 18, when he stopped to talk to aman who was standing on the boat ramp next to a taxicab. The manimmediately became combative and attacked Anderson. During the ensuingstruggle, Anderson was forced to use his weapon, shooting the manseveral times. Anderson's assailant died at the scene. Andersonsustained multiple contusions and scrapes during the attack. It waslater learned that the man had carjacked the cab after assaulting thecab driver earlier that morning. Montgomery County PD is the leadinvestigative agency.
[Submitted by Dwight Dixon, Acting DistrictRanger]
Wednesday, April 09, 2003
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (DC,MD,WV)
Follow-up on Shooting Incident
On March 13th, a Montgomery County (Maryland) grand jury ruled thatthe January shooting death of a carjacking suspect by ranger DerekAnderson was justifiable. Anderson contacted the man at the EdwardsFerry boat ramp on the morning of January 18th. A struggle ensued,during which Anderson employed pepper spray and his baton in aunsuccessful effort to subdue his assailant. Anderson then shot him inself defense. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
[Submittedby Keith Kelly]
Wednesday, May 07, 2003
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (DC,MD,WV)
Fisheries Enforcement Operation
On May 3rd, a multi-agency task force concluded a four-day operationentitled Task Force Potomac, a fisheries enforcement operation on thePotomac River in the Little Falls/Chain Bridge area. Citations wereissued for 160 violations, including the illegal catching of shad andstriped bass, use of cast nets, snagging, fishing without a license, anda multitude of CFR public use violations, such as illegal swimming inhazardous areas of the river. In addition to the enforcement operation,an educational outreach effort conducted by the NPS and PotomacConservancy is being implemented to encourage responsible fishing andpublic use on park lands. Participating in the task force were NCRresource protection unit rangers, USPP officers, USFWS agents, VirginiaDepartment of Game and Inland Fisheries wardens, DC harbor police,Maryland Department of Natural Resources police, Virginia MarineResources Commission police, and Maryland National Capital Park police.
[Submitted by Einar Olsen, Regional Chief Ranger]
Thursday, July 17, 2003
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (DC,MD,WV)
Drowning at Violettes Lock
A 50-year-old man from North Potomac fell from the cliffs above thelock onto rocks in the canal just after 5 p.m. on July 4th. He waspronounced dead at the scene by medics with Montgomery County FD.
[Submitted by Scott Fear, PIO, USPP]
Thursday, September 18, 2003
East Coast Areas
Isabel Comes Calling
Eastern parks in the path or potential path of Isabel have completedpreparations. As a precautionary measure, one of the Service's twonational Type 1 teams (JD Swed's team) has staging in Charlotte, NorthCarolina, in order to be prepared to respond as needed to any park orarea. A number of Type 2 teams are also on standby.
All federal agencies in the Washington area are closed today,including the NPS Washington Office. OPM will monitor the weather andmake a determination later today on whether or not offices will reopenon Friday.
Here's a rundown on the status of many of the parks in or near thestorm's path (south to north):
- Chesapeake and Ohio Canal NHP - Park staff have reviewed the park'sflood plan. All picnic tables, portable toilets and other loose itemshave been removed from campgrounds and other facilities. Signs advisingof the public closure of the area have been posted. Employees have beengiven tetanus shots; vehicles and equipment have been readied; emergencyfood and water have been placed at selected locations. The concession atGreat Falls will be closed today. Railings have been removed from theGreat Falls overlooks, and sandbags prepared for placement. The canalboat has been drydocked.
This summary was compiled from reports submitted by Ken Garvin, SERO;Brenda Ritchie, EICC, SHEN; Russ Wilson, Superintendent, SAHO/GATE; AnnChildress, Superintendent, MOCR; Mark Hardgrove, AssistantSuperintendent, CAHA; Mike Litterst, PIO, COLO; Bob Kirby,Superintendent, PETE; Wayne Valentine, IC, FIIS; José Rosario,Acting Chief, Park Operations Support, GATE; Cindy MacLeod,Superintendent, RICH; William Kenyon, NCR Dispatch; Scot McElveen, ChiefRanger, HAFE; Wayne Sanders, Chief of Maintenance, GEWA/THST; Tom Nash,Chief Ranger, COLO; Russ Smith, Superintendent, FRSP; Clay Jordan, IC,SHEN; Steven Ambrose, Park Ranger, HOFU; Frank Mills, IC, STLI; EdWhitaker, IC, DEWA.
Monday, September 22, 2003
East Coast Areas
Hurricane Isabel Slams Virginia, Carolina Parks
Hurricane Isabel caused moderate to extensive damage in many parkswithin Southeast, National Capital and Northeast Regions. As ofyesterday, 36 parks had reported damage sufficient to require thepreparation of conditions assessments. Although most of these parks arenot requesting any additional assistance, several have sustained damagesufficient to warrant oversight of recovery efforts by incidentmanagement teams.
Here's a rundown on the affected parks (south to north),excluding those that reported negligible impacts:
- Chesapeake and Ohio NHP - Damage assessments are focusing onthe lower 24 miles of the canal. It will take several days to completethem. The towpath is closed to traffic. As of Saturday, about a fifth ofthe park had been visited and checked; within that area, there wereabout 80 downed trees and several damaged structures. Many access pointsare blocked by downed trees or high water.
Additional reports will appear daily during recovery operations,which will likely go on for some time. Current information and essentialdocuments from the incident management teams will be available at theIMT web page: http://www.nps.gov/fire/allrisk/.Please check if for additional details.
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT; KenGarvin, SERO; Don Boucher, NCRO; Doug Wallner, NERO; Ann Childress,Superintendent, MOCR; Wouter Ketel, IC, and Bob Vogel, Superintendent,CALO; Paul Stevens, Liaison Officer, IMT, and Barry Munyan, ADR, CAHA;Vidal Martinez, Superintendent, GEWA; Reed Johnson, Superintendent,APCO; Clay Jordan, IC, Type 3 IMT, SHEN; Mike Hill, Superintendent,ASIS; Charlie Strickfaden, Chief Ranger, FOMC; Gregory Smith, ChiefRanger, MORR; Maryanne Gerbauckas, Superintendent, EDIS; Bill Sanders,Superintendent, HOFU; Cindy McLeod, Superintendent, RICH; Bob Kirby,Superintendent, PETE; Russ Smith, Superintendent, FRSP.
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
East Coast Areas
Hurricane Isabel Cleanup Moves Into High Gear
Damage assessments and the organization of repair and rehabilitationoperations are underway at parks throughout the Mid-Atlantic states.Assisting with and supporting these efforts are JD Swed's Type 1 team(currently relocating from Charlotte to Williamsburg), Rick Brown's Type2 team, and Clay Jordan's Type 3 team at Shenandoah. Here's a rundown onthe current status of affected parks (south to north):
Chesapeake and Ohio NHP
The lower 24 miles of towpath reopened to the public at noon onSunday. The remainder of the canal - from Seneca Creek toCumberland - is closed. Great Falls entrance road remains closeddue to downed power lines. About half of the park had been assessed atthe time of the report on Sunday.
Additional reports will appear daily during recovery operations,which will likely go on for some time. Current information and essentialdocuments from the incident management teams will be available at theIMT web page: http://www.nps.gov/fire/allrisk/.Please check if for additional details.
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT; KenGarvin, SERO; Don Boucher, NCRO; Bob Martin and Doug Wallner, NERO; MaryDoll, PIO, Outer Banks Group; Wouter Ketel, IC/Chief Ranger, and DonnaTipton, PIO, CALO; Laura Joss, Superintendent, FOMC; Vidal Martinez,Superintendent, GEWA/THST; Cindy MacLeod, Superintendent, RICH/MAWA; BobKirby, Superintendent, PETE; Laurie Coughlan, Superintendent, HAMP; ClayJordan, IC, Type 3 IMT, SHEN; Tom Nash, Chief Ranger, COLO; BillSanders, Superintendent, HOFU; Mike Hill, Superintendent, ASIS.
Thursday, September 25, 2003
East Coast Areas
Hurricane Isabel Recovery Operations Continue
Yesterday's efforts focused largely on organizing incident managementoperations, orienting incoming personnel, obtaining equipment, andgathering important damage cost data for the regional and Washingtonoffices. Initial recovery efforts were hampered by heavy rain that fellon Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, causing new flood damage in manyareas already affected by Isabel.
The following reports were received from parks and regions over thepast 24 hours. They are listed from south to north. This informationeither supplements or revises information previously reported; noeffort is being made to recap earlier submissions with each newsummary.
Through the assistance of David Duran in the Service's NationalInformation Systems Center in Denver, URL's are posted below for maps ofthree of the hardest hit parks - Cape Lookout, Cape Hatteras, andColonial - so that readers can more easily determine referencedlocations. Others will be added in the future as needed. You can zoom inor out or pan from one park to another and can also turn additional datalayers on or off, e.g. National Geographic TOPO!, Relief Imagery, FloodHazard Areas, Land Cover Imagery, etc. The sites are, respectively:
http://maps2.itc.nps.gov/nps/parkatlas/jsp/atlas.jsp?zoomtopark=Cape%20Lookout%20National%20Seashore
For a gallery of photos of the hurricane's effects on several parks,put together by WASO ITC's Ken Handwerger, please go to http://inside.nps.gov/people/hurricane/. This gallery will be added to on a regularbasis.
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal NHP
More than four inches of rain fell in the Potomac River watershed onMonday night. The Monocacy River was about six feet above flood stage onTuesday. Park staff are reassessing the condition of the towpath. About48 miles of that towpath are now open (Georgetown to Pennyfield Lock andTaylor's Lodge to Dam #5), but the remainder - about 136 miles- remains closed. The Georgetown and Cumberland visitor centers areopen; the Great Falls and Williamsport visitor centers should open laterthis week. Almost all of the park has been assessed. Once allassessments are complete and areas are deemed to be safe, the park willbe fully opened.
Additional reports will appear daily during recovery operations,which will likely go on for some time. Current information and essentialdocuments from the incident management teams will be available at theIMT web page: http://www.nps.gov/fire/allrisk/. Please check if for additional details.
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT;Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT; Don Boucher, NCRO; Dan Davidson,Shenandoah EICC; Bob Kirby, Superintendent, PETE; Clay Jordan, IC, Type3 IMT, SHEN; Bob Martin, Regional Chief Ranger, NERO; Russ Smith,Superintendent, FRSP; Cindy McLeod, Superintendent, RICH.
Friday, September 26, 2003
East Coast Areas
Hurricane Isabel Cleanup Operations Continue
Overview
Crews and other resources have been arriving at the Williamsburg ICPfor JD Swed's Type 1 IMT since Wednesday, bringing the total number ofpersonnel currently assigned to the incident to 131. Early work effortsare focused on orienting personnel to the operations, with a heavyemphasis on safety due to the increased hazards involved in tree removaloperations, especially with vehicle traffic. Team members are alsoholding short training sessions on ICS for newly-arrived personnel, asthere are many people coming to this incident with minimal previousexposure to the system. The FMSS team continues to compile and inputfacilities assessment information received from the 38 park units thatsustained hurricane-related damage. The preliminary assessment has been100% completed by the parks. The FMSS team members are going out toparks beginning today to conduct comprehensive condition assessments.Crews will continue work on clearing the Yorktown Battlefield tour roadin Colonial NHP. Additional crews and other resources were dispatchedyesterday to Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania NMP, Richmond NB and PetersburgNB to work on tree clearing and other cleanup operations.
Many employees working in the parks being managed in this incidentare still without power at home. These same employees have been workingfor extended hours with little or no time off for over a week. Athree-person Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) team wasscheduled to arrive in Williamsburg yesterday. They will makearrangements to provide assistance to park employees dealing withincident-related stress
Rick Brown's Type 2 team, which is focusing on four sites in what'sbeing called the North Carolina Seashore Area, is divided into twobranches. The Outer Banks Group branch has four divisions - one forWright Brothers and Fort Raleigh, one for Bodie Island, one for HatterasIsland, and one for Ocracoke Island; the Cape Lookout branch has twodivisions - one for Core Banks and one for Portsmouth Village.
Principal problems confronting personnel on this operation have to dowith the time and distances between locations and the amount of travelrequired. Operations are underway in all divisions.
Park Updates
The following reports were received from parks and regions over thepast 24 hours. They are listed from south to north. This informationeither supplements or revises information previously reported; noeffort is being made to recap earlier submissions with each newsummary.
- Chesapeake and Ohio Canal NHP - The lower 166 miles of thetowpath are now open. The rest of the trail is closed because of downedtrees and towpath conditions. The visitor centers in Williamsport andHancock will reopen by tomorrow. Assessment has revealed damage to onehistoric and three modern houses. About 635 downed trees have beencounted so far; the total is expected to come to about 1,000 trees. Thepark has also determined that about 80,000 square feet of parking lotsand roads have been damaged. Many access points remain underwater orclosed by downed trees.
Additional Information
- NPS Interactive Map Center - Select maps of parks affected bythe hurricane: http://maps2.itc.nps.gov/nps/parkatlas/jsp/atlas.jsp
- Hurricane Photo Gallery - Photos showing impacts of hurricaneon parks and recovery efforts: http://inside.nps.gov/people/hurricane/
- NPS IMT Web Page - Home page for NPS incident management teams:http://www.nps.gov/fire/allrisk/
Reports compiled from submissions by Kris Fister, IO, Type 1 IMT;Barb Stewart, IO, Type 2 IMT; Karl Merchant, Plans Chief, Type 2 IMT;Dave Lattimore, Plans Chief, Type 1 IMT; Don Boucher, NCRO; ZekeSeabright, NCR Communications Center; Clay Jordan, IC, Type 3 IMT, SHEN;Bob Martin, Regional Chief Ranger, NERO; Cindy McLeod, Superintendent,RICH; Mike Litterst, PIO, COLO.
Thursday, January 19 2006
C&O Canal NHP
Park Employee Convicted of Theft
In May, 2004, a routine audit of a permanent visitor use assistant revealedpossible theft and fraud activity. A subsequent investigation determined thatthe employee had been selling accountable stock and falsifying and manipulatingshift and remittance reports. There was also evidence that the employee wasselling daily entrance receipts and retaining the money collected, both of whichoccurred over a period of several months. During an investigative interview, theemployee confessed to the illegal activities and resigned shortly thereafter. Ina negotiated plea agreement, the employee pleaded guilty to 18 USC 641, theft ofgovernment property. Sentencing included full restitution of the approximately$800 that was stolen, 100 hours of community service, and court costs. [WilliamReynolds, Senior LEO, National Capital Region]
Thursday, April 27, 2006
C&O Canal NHP
ARPA Investigation
On Thursday, April 13th, a ranger was dispatched to a small historic cemeteryin the park west of Hancock, Maryland, to investigate a report of digging at oneof the gravesites. The ranger found that a hole about five feet deep had beendug into a grave dating from 1875. Two large dirt piles were left on each sideof the hole. The piles were sifted by NPS archeologists who were summoned to thescene to assist with the investigation. They found numerous artifacts and othermaterials and also determined that the coffin had been entered. The gravesitewas the most elaborate in the cemetery, with a large headstone and a wroughtiron fence. Fifteen smaller holes were found in the surrounding area. Rangersbelieve that these resulted from metal detecting activity. This is the secondincident in which a grave has been entered in this cemetery, but the coffin wasnot breached in the first incident. An investigation is underway with assistancefrom regional archeologists, park staff, NPS special agents, and the U.S.Attorney's Office. [Dispatch, NCR]
Monday, May 8, 2006
C&O Canal NHP
Commercial Fishing Violations
On the afternoon of Wednesday, May 3rd, two rangers - one from C&O Canal,the other from Monocacy - came upon four people who were in the process ofloading harvested river clams from the Potomac River into their vehicle at theWarmwater parking lot in the Dickerson Conservation Area near Dickerson,Maryland. The park runs through the state-owned conservation area. The rangersfound from 400 to 600 pounds of clams that had been harvested from the river'sbottom that day and stored in several burlap bags and articles of clothing forloading into the vehicle. The poachers were using a wheeled dolly to transportthe clam-filled bags from the river's edge across federal park lands back ontostate land where the vehicle was parked. The rangers summoned state DNRofficers, who cited seven people for possession of illegally-harvested clams.Four of the seven were charged by the rangers for transporting illegally takenwildlife in violation of state law. Investigation revealed that the clams werebeing harvested for commercial gain. [Blair Williamson, Lead Dispatcher, NCRDispatch]
Friday, June 30, 2006
C&O Canal NHP
Probable Suicide at Monocacy Aqueduct
On the evening of June 21st, visitors heading out for a bike ride from theMonocacy Aqueduct parking lot saw a vehicle parked there with its enginerunning. When they came back two hours later, it was still there, with itsengine still running, so they notified the Frederick County (Maryland) Sheriff'sOffice. Deputies subsequently notified the regional communication center, andrangers were sent to the scene. The vehicle was identified as one belonging to amissing 21-year-old man from Rockville. Rangers searched the vehicle anddiscovered a box of shotgun shells with two missing. The father, who alsoarrived on scene, told rangers that his son had recently been discharged fromthe military for medical reasons and that he believed that he might have come tothe park to hurt himself. Rangers conducted a hasty search of the area throughthe remainder of the night, but were unable to find him. The search resumed thefollowing morning at 7 a.m. Rangers, assisted by the park's search dog, trackedand located the missing man's body in a heavily wooded area about 50 yards fromhis vehicle. He evidently shot himself. Rangers, Park Police and MontgomeryCounty deputies are investigating. [Blair Williamson, Lead Dispatcher]
Tuesday, August 1, 2006
C&O Canal NHP
Significant Vandalism To Private Vehicle
On the evening of July 14th, a park visitor returned from a boat trip on thePotomac River and found that his 2004 Chevrolet truck had been seriouslyvandalized. The truck had been pelted with large rocks, breaking four windowsand cause over $3,600 worth of damage. The man supplied rangers with the name ofthe person who he thought had damaged the truck - someone with a personalvendetta against him. The follow-up investigation led to two teenagers and a21-year-old man being charged with vandalism to private property. [Al Voner]
Thursday, March 22, 2007
C&O Canal NHP
Three Convicted For Grave Disturbance
In April 2006, two people walking in a backcountry area ofthe park near Hancock, Maryland, came upon a historic cemetery with agrave that appeared to have been excavated. They reported it toauthorities and an investigation ensued. Rangers confirmed that thegrave of Mary Ohr, who died in 1875, had been disturbed and also foundthat small holes had been dug into the ground in the area around thecemetery. Evidence indicated that metal detectors had probably beenutilized in committing the crime. The crime scene was carefullyprocessed with the help of NPS archeologists. Even though the hole dugover the grave was only five feet deep, it was found that Ohr's caskethad been entered. Last June, rangers and NPS special agents interviewedthree people, all residents of Hancock, Maryland - C.P., 24, Jo.C., 29,and Ja.C., 53. All three admitted to metal detecting and relic huntingin the park, and C.P. and Jo.C. were found to have excavated thegravesite. They also admitted to digging 25 to 30 holes in the areabefore finding the gravesite. They dug there in hopes of finding jewelryin the casket. After digging down about five feet, they said that theybegan "creeping out" and abandoned their excavation, not realizing thatthey'd already dug through Ohr's remains. On January 15th, Jo.C. andC.P. pled guilty in federal court to a 16 USC 470 ARPA violation. Aspart of a plea agreement, they were sentenced to pay the park $2,569 inrestitution for the damage incurred, ordered to serve a year's probationand complete 25 hours of community service in the park, required toforfeit two metal detectors, and banned from entering any NPS site fortwo years. On February 20th, W.C. pled guilty to diggingcultural/archeological resources and was ordered to pay $1,015.94 inrestitution to the park. In an apology letter written by C.P. to thepark, he admitted that the excavation of the grave "was a stupid andvery foolish thing to do." [Leigh Zahm]
Thursday, March 29, 2007
C&O Canal NHP
Investigation Into Serious Vandalism
Rangers are investigating a major act of vandalism at theMonocacy Aqueduct area of the park. During the overnight hours ofSaturday, February 10th, a kiosk with interpretive signs was destroyed.The restrooms in the area were also severely damaged. Anyone withinformation regarding this incident is asked to call the National ParkService at 301-714-2235. A $1,000 reward is being given to anyone withinformation leading to the successful conviction of those responsible.[Ryan Peabody]
Friday, April 6, 2007
C&O Canal NHP
Hit And Run Driving Arrest Leads To Discovery Of Stabbing Victim
Park maintenance employee Skip Barnhouse called theregional communications center on the afternoon of April 4th andreported a motor vehicle accident in Sandy Hook, Maryland, which isacross the river from Harpers Ferry. Barnhouse said that a driver,possibly drunk, had hit a parked car and was attempting to leave thescene on two flat tires. The center contacted the Maryland State Police,who advised that a trooper was already en route. Within minutes ofBarnhouse's call, acting chief ranger Ryan Peabody arrived on scene,boxed in the 2001 Mitsubishi sedan against the adjacent railroadright-of-way, and made a felony car stop. The 34-year-old driver, aresident of Knoxville, Maryland, was uncooperative and declined to obeyPeabody's commands. Peabody advised the communications center that heneeded assistance, and several park rangers and officers from theMaryland State Police, Washington County Sheriff's Office, and MarylandDepartment of Natural Resources responded. Meanwhile, Peabody seized anopportune moment to physically pull the driver from the vehicle, fearingthat he would injure himself or others by attempting to flee. He wastaken to the ground with the assistance of Barnhouse, placed undercustody, then turned over to state troopers when they arrived on scene.Blood on the driver's clothing was inconsistent with the motor vehicleaccident, so troopers went to his residence to investigate further. Theyfound a 34-year-old woman with life-threatening stab wounds and anunharmed 22-month-old child inside. The woman was flown by helicopter tothe Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. The Maryland State Police and NPSare continuing the investigation. [Blair Williamson, Lead Dispatcher,NCR Communications Center]
Friday, June 1, 2007
C&O Canal NHP
Suicide Thwarted Through Timely Intervention
Rangers had just cleared from an incident at AntietamCreek campground at about 3:15 a.m. on May 23rd when they came upon asemi-responsive man lying in a fetal position on the ground beside apicnic table. When they checked his campsite, they found numerousprescription medications and a possible suicide note. They immediatelybegan treating him, during which time he handed one of the rangers acard for a funeral home should he expire. Rangers had him stabilized bythe time advanced life support personnel arrived on scene and took himto Washington County Hospital. He was treated and released from thehospital. Further investigation confirmed that this had been a suicideattempt. [Ryan Peabody]
Friday, June 6, 2008
National Capital Region
Violent Thunderstorms Cause Damage, Closures To Parks Throughout Region
On Wednesday, June 4th, a series of powerful thunderstormspassed through the National Capital Region, prompting the NationalWeather Service to issue 70 severe thunderstorm, marine, and tornadowarnings in the Baltimore/Washington area. The storms left over 500,000homes and businesses with out power and spawned four tornados. Whilenone of the tornados struck any parks in NCR, virtually all NCR areassuffered damage from downed trees and power lines. The following is asynopsis of the preliminary storm impacts. The full extent of the damagemay not be know for several days.
C&O Canal NHP - Numerous trees are reported down acrossthe towpath. There's no power at Great Falls or the Ferry Hill Complexoutside of Sharpsburg. Power lines fell across the entrance road toGreat Falls, trapping nine vehicles inside the park. That road andMacArthur Boulevard were later opened. Downed trees and a power linetrapped three visitor cars at Swain's Lock; the visitors walked out toRiver Road to get transportation home. Canal Road in Washington County,Maryland, was blocked by a number of downed trees, trapping a number ofcars inside. Rangers cut one vehicle out, fire and rescue personnelremoved the rest of the trees and freed the remainder of the vehicles.PEPCO's power plant in Dickerson, Maryland, advised that they had a highvoltage line down across the plant's entrance road and requestedpermission to use the towpath to allow workers to exit the plant(C&O Canal runs through the power plant grounds). Rangers found,however, that the towpath downstream of the plant was not passable dueto downed trees. Road access to the towpath upstream of the power plantwas also closed due to downed trees, so plant employees were unable toexit the plant via the towpath. At Edwards Ferry, old brick house ruinscollapsed, blocking one lane. Access to Lock 25 has been closed pendingremoval of downed and hazard trees.
[Don Boucher, Emergency Services Coordinator, NCRO]
Friday, June 20, 2008
C&O Canal NHP
Attempted Assault On Seasonal Employee
On Friday, June 13th, seasonal rangers Dan Kirkwood andNaomi Munk were leading the mules that pull the canal boat Georgetownon the C&O Canal towpath upstream of the 31st Street Bridge inthe Georgetown area of Washington, D.C. They were about to hook the boatto the mules when they noticed a woman and man sitting on the ledge nextto the towpath. Kirkwood stopped the mules just past the couple. Thewoman stood up and said that she was sick, that she did not have hermedication, and that she was having a seizure. When Kirkwood attemptedto help her, the woman lunged first at him, then at the mules, all thewhile yelling about cruelty to the mules and animal welfare. Kirkwoodtried to hold her off, but the woman was able to grab the chain thatruns from the back mule to the singletree and pull herself almost underthe back mule. Kirkwood managed to wrestle her off, but she tried tobite him, so he released her. The woman then lunged another time.Kirkwood held her off and Munk moved the mules up the towpath away fromthe woman. The man who had been sitting with the woman helped restrainher. She continued to yell about animal cruelty. Kirkwood then hookedthe boat up to the mules and continued the trip up the towpath. He wasnot injured in the altercation. The incident is under investigation byC&O Canal rangers and DC police. [Brad Clawson, Chief Ranger]
Tuesday, June 23, 2008
C&O Canal NHP
Robbery And Attempted Sexual Assault
A lone man abducted a woman from a street near the parkwithin Washington, D.C., around 1:30 a.m. on June 14th, then dragged herdown to the canal at Lock 2 with the intent of sexually assaulting her.He forced her to the ground, but she fought back and screamed. He thengrabbed her purse and fled. The Park Police Criminal InvestigativeBranch is currently searching for the man, who is described as a blackmale, medium complexion, approximately 5'10" in height and between 20and 30 years of age. At the time of the crime the suspect was wearing ablack t-shirt, dark shorts, and sneakers. [Sergeant Robert Lachance,PAO, USPP]
Monday, September 8, 2008
Southeast/National Capitol Regions
Tropical Storm Hanna Causes Some Closures, Little Damage
Reports have been received from parks along the Eastern seaboardregarding this past weekend's passage of Tropical Storm Hanna, whichbrought only modest winds but heavy rains:
C&O Canal NHP - The park began storm preparations on Friday.Persons living in the park and groups with special use permits in parkareas were contacted and advised of the storm and the park's closure.The visitor centers at Great Falls and Georgetown were closed allweekend. The park also closed all access points and public use areas inMontgomery County and the District on Friday evening, employing parkgates or barricades. Water levels in the canal were lowered, and thecanal boats at Georgetown and Great Falls were dry docked. Park vehiclesfrom all divisions were staged outside the park, fully fueled and loadedwith SAR equipment. Rangers drove the towpath from Edward's Ferrydownstream, advising campers of the approaching storm and the closure. Aleak was discovered in the towpath upstream of Angler's Inn andbarricades and fencing were installed to keep visitors out of the area.Protection rangers and USPP officers were asked to respond, as visitorswere disregarding the barricades and closure signs. Some visitorscontinued to enter the closed area despite the presence of rangers andofficers. The leak at Angler's Inn turned into a major breach of thetowpath, at least 400 feet in length. Chain link fencing was theninstalled to try to keep visitors out of the area. A downed tree branchon power lines started a small brush fire at Great Falls on Saturdaymorning, but the fire was extinguished right away by park personnel. Theevent knocked out power to the Great Falls area until approximately 6p.m. Protection rangers and visitor services staff manned nine vehicleaccess points to the park to keep people from entering closed areas.Water spilled out of the canal at several locations in the Great Fallsarea, causing minor flooding of the Great Falls Tavern basement. Onedowned tree across the towpath was reported. This tree was blockingaccess to the town-owned campground in Brunswick and maintenancepersonnel removed it. The park halted a fund-raising bike ride by theAlzheimer Association at 1 p.m. on Saturday for safety reasons. A totalof 34 park personnel were involved in Tropical Storm Hanna operations inMontgomery County and the District. The park will continue to keep lowwater levels in the canal, and the nine vehicle access points betweenFletcher's Cove and Tschiffley Mill Road will remain closed until damageassessments are completed.
[Wouter Ketel, CALO; Don Boucher, NRCO; Saudia Muwwakkil, SERO]
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
C & O Canal NHP
Seriously Injured Volunteer Rescued From Park Trail
Park volunteer Russ Kennedy was badly injured in a fallwhile patrolling Billy Goat Trail, Section A, in the Great Falls Tavernarea of the park on the afternoon of November 2nd. Ranger Brad Sones andvolunteer Steve Delanoy responded. Kennedy was treated, then moved toPurple Horse Beach, where he was evaluated by Montgomery County Fire andRescue EMTs. Park Police sergeants Kenneth Burchell (pilot) and MarkVaranelli (rescue technician) flew to the location in 'Eagle,' the ParkPolice helicopter, landing on a sandbar between the Maryland andVirginia chutes at Difficult Run. In order to do so, Burchell had tohover the helicopter on the sandbar to keep it from sinking into thesoft terrain. Kennedy was loaded onto 'Eagle,' then flown to a hospital.He is currently being treated at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda,Maryland. Cards may be sent to him care of Suburban Hospital, 8600 OldGeorgetown Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20814. [Robert Lachance and BillJustice]
Monday, December 1, 2008
C&O Canal NHP
Man Shot Twice At Nolands Ferry
A 37-year-old man was shot twice in the back with a smallcaliber weapon while at the Nolands Ferry boat ramp late on the eveningof November 20th. He was flown to the University of Maryland ShockTrauma Center in Baltimore. Neither of the bullets that hit him causedsignificant injury, and he was released from the hospital the followingmorning - then arrested by Frederick County Sheriff's Departmentofficers on an active warrant. The shooter, identified as one J.N.,fled the scene and is still at large. The county is leading theinvestigation. Rangers Elizabeth Schuster and Dan Albus responded to theincident. [Brad Clawson, Chief Ranger]
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
C&O Canal NHP
Tornado Downs Numerous Trees In Oldtown Area
On Wednesday, July 29th, an F-1 tornado with winds between90 and 100 mph struck in the Oldtown area of the park. The tornadocreated a swath of destruction five miles long and over 100 yards wide.Electrical power was lost to 1,000 homes and businesses in the area. Thetornado uprooted and sheared an estimated 80 trees within a half milesection of the park's towpath, closing it to pedestrian and biketraffic. On Thursday, the Oldtown maintenance crew cleared the treesfrom the towpath surface and reopened it to visitor use. This clearingoperation was completed efficiently and safely on a hot and humid dayand among inter-tangled fallen trees. [Bill Justice, Chief ofInterpretation]
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
C&O Canal NHP
Park Recovers From Major Flood
On March 12th, based on projected rain forecasts, snowmelt, and Potomac River crest levels, the park implemented its floodemergency plan and brought in a Type 3 incident command team. The IC wasEd Wenschhof from Antietam National Battlefield. The park madepreparations for a severe flood, including removal of the contents oftwo visitor centers and a maintenance facility. After the storm passed,the park suffered flooding along the majority of its 184.5 mile lengthand damage to its infrastructure:
The towpath suffered complete breeches in two areas.
Numerous areas of the towpath had fallen trees, sink holes, and rootball holes.
Extensive damage was done to many miles of towpath surface due toscouring.
All park boat ramps and parking lots were flooded.
There was a partial failure of the gate at Lock 5, allowing floodwaters in the canal prism upstream of Georgetown.
Several lockhouses were flooded.
Most park campgrounds and day use areas were closed for four to fivedays.
As a result of hard work by park employees and parkvolunteers, facilities were protected from the flood waters and damagedareas were repaired to allow visitor use. The incident command team wasdemobilized on March 19th. Information and photographs of the flood canbe found at the C&O Canal NHP Sharepoint site at HYPERLINK"http://choh.nps.doi.net/flood2010/default.aspx" [Brad Clawson, Chief Ranger]
Thursday, April 29, 2010
C&O Canal NHP
Man Convicted Of Assault On Rangers
On March 26th, B.G. of Cumberland, Maryland, wasfound guilty of simple assault and disorderly conduct charges in theU.S. Magistrates Court for an incident that occurred on April 10, 2008.B.G., who owns property within the boundaries of the park, had ahostile interaction with park employees as they were marking the park'sboundary line. B.G. threatened the park employees and threw a woodensurveyors stake at ranger Brandon Brown. Brown used his electroniccontrol device to try to control B.G., but he continued to resistarrest and was wrestling on the ground with Brown when ranger Leigh Zahmapplied a second ECD dart cartridge to B.G. He was then handcuffed andarrested. The sentencing for these convictions will be on June 2nd.[Brad Clawson, Chief Ranger]
Friday, June 4, 2010
C&O Canal NHP
Mother And Daughter Drown In Potomac
A mother and her daughter drowned in the Potomac River onMemorial Day. On Wednesday evening, local officials pulled the body ofwhat is believed to be a 14-year-old Peruvian girl from the PotomacGorge, five miles downstream from where the girl and her 36-year-oldmother entered the Potomac River near Great Falls Park. The search forthe mother's body continued yesterday. It is believed the Peruvianfamily recently immigrated to the Washington area and was with otherPeruvian families enjoying the Memorial Day weekend. These two drowningson Memorial Day brings to eight the number of lives lost within the lastyear in the Potomac River Gorge, a 14-mile stretch of river from KeyBridge in the District of Columbia northward to the Great Falls on thePotomac. Between 2004 and 2008, with considerable interagencycooperation on the local, county, state and federal levels, there wereno preventable drownings in the Potomac River Gorge. While thatconsiderable interagency cooperation has actually grown stronger overthe years, the string of no preventable death by drowning was broken in2009. To raise the visiting public's level of awareness of the hazardsof this stretch of river, the National Capital Region's CommunicationsOffice, in concert with staff from C&O Canal, George WashingtonMemorial Parkway and the U.S. Park Police, have produced four-minutevideo presentations in English, Spanish and Vietnamese that directlyshow the fast-flowing water as it moves over treacherous rocks. Inprevious years, both parks have posted river safety signs in English,Spanish and Vietnamese on both sides of the river; those signs remainand additional signs are planned. Both parks have helped prepare aPotomac Gorge search and rescue atlas now used by all emergency serviceproviders, have added NPS bicycle and foot patrols, trail stewards andother volunteers to make visitor contacts, continue to conductpreventive search and rescue patrols, and have park interpretive staffincorporate river safety into programs and roving patrols. All of theseefforts will continue. [Bill Line, Communications Officer, NCRO]
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
C&O Canal NHP
Two Arrested For Car Clouts
For the past couple of months, C&O Canal NHP, HarpersFerry NHP, Antietam NB, and the surrounding areas have experiencednumerous thefts from unattended motor vehicles. Special operations andsurveillances have been conducted to apprehend the thieves. On September12th, ranger Leigh Zahm saw a break-in while conducting surveillance onthe Dargan parking lot. A man and a woman shattered a vehicle's windowwith a rock and stole a purse from it. Zahm managed to videotape theevent, but the thieves were not apprehended at that time. Later thatday, they were seen in another parking lot in the park by ranger DariusJones. Zahm positively identified the suspects - J.G. and T.W.- and they were arrested. The pair have been connected to severalof the auto break-ins and also to a forced entry and theft case at theCushwa Basin Visitor Center. Special agent Tim Alley is assisting withthe investigation. [Brad Clawson, Chief Ranger]
Friday, March 11, 2011
Northeastern Areas
Heavy Rains Cause Rivers To Rise
Heavy rains falling throughout the Northeast have causedsignificant flooding on small streams and are filling larger rivers totheir brims. Some flooding will likely occur in these parks:
C&O Canal NHP - A moderate flooding event was declaredby the superintendent yesterday in anticipation of moderate floodingalong the Potomac River and associated impacts to the park. The riverwill crest at varying points today and tomorrow. Throughout the weekend,water levels along the Potomac River and the C&O Canal will continueto be high. Visitor safety is the park's top priority. During thisperiod, access to some areas of the park will be closed. Currentclosures include the Billy Goat and Olmstead Overlook Trails at GreatFalls and the boat ramps at Monocacy, McCoy's Ferry and Spring Gap dayuse areas. Other closures may result if conditions warrant.
[Brad Clawson, Chief Ranger, CHOH; Kathleen Sandt, PIO,DEWA; Seam McGuinness, Superintendent, UPDE]
Friday, May 20, 2011
C&O Canal NHP
High Water Causes Closures, More Likely
Parts of the park have been closed to the public due tohigh water in the Potomac River:
Billy Goat Trail Section A and the Olmsted Island bridgesin the Great Falls area of the park are closed.
High water has covered the towpath areas near Whites Ferryand Edwards Ferry in Montgomery County, Harpers Ferry in Frederick andWashington Counties, and in the Dam 4 area in Washington County.
Several park roads are covered with water and are closed.
Spring Gap and Paw Paw campgrounds are closed.
Visitors are also being advised that all of the park's hiker-bikercampsites and boat ramps are in low-lying areas and should not be used.The river is still rising and is expected to continue to do so throughthe weekend, so other areas will likely be underwater soon. Furtherinformation on river levels is available on the National WeatherService's Advanced Hydrological Prediction Service HYPERLINK"http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=lwx" website for theregion. Maryland DNR also has information on the effect of water levelson its HYPERLINK"http://www.dnr.state.md.us/boating/pdfs/upperpotomac.pdf" website.[Bill Justice]
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
C&O Canal NHP
Man Convicted Of Burglary Of Park Neighbor's Residence
On May 3rd, W.A. was found guilty of threecounts of burglary and one count of malicious destruction in a jurytrial in circuit court in Washington County, Maryland, and sentenced toten years in prison. The charges stemmed from W.A.'s arrest in thepark on outstanding felony warrants last October. During the arrest andrelated inventory of W.A.'s property, evidence was gathered tocharge him with burglary for the forced entry and theft of items fromthe residence of park neighbor. Rangers Dan Johnston and Martin Gallerywere the arresting officers and testified at the jury trial. [BradClawson, Chief Ranger]
Thursday, August 25, 2011
C&O Canal NHP
Electrical Fire Suppressed In Engineers House
A smoke alarm went off at the Great Falls Engineers Housejust before 3 a.m. on Tuesday morning, alerting the local firedepartment. The Montgomery County Fire Department responded withnumerous vehicles. The fire started in an unused electrical outlet andspread to nearby boxes of paper, but was contained to a single wall in alower room. Park personnel conducted a preliminary assessment of thedamage yesterday and secured the building. The Engineers House islocated within C&O Canal near Great Falls. The house was built in1874-1875 to serve as a residence for the gatekeeper in charge of theWashington Aqueduct. In recent years, the Engineers House has been usedfor administrative purposes. [Annette Martin, Superintendent'sSecretary]
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
C&O Canal NHP
Park Declares Flood Emergency
Due to the very heavy rains falling on the region, thepark declared a flood emergency yesterday morning. Members of the park'sstaff are preparing for what the National Weather Service says could beone of the top ten major floods to strike the area. Areas of the parkare being closed, including hiker/biker campgrounds, drive-upcampgrounds, boat ramps, visitor centers, and day use areas. Portabletoilets throughout the park are being emptied and closed. The GreatFalls entrance road, Billy Goat A Trail, and Great Falls Overlook willbe closed beginning today. The Canal Quarters program, which providesovernight accommodations in some of the historic lock houses, has beentemporarily suspended. A section of the towpath has been closed betweenOffutt Street and Brehm Road in Allegany County because of a weakenedculvert. Additional closures are likely through the week. Visitors areasked to refrain from entering the park and to respect all safetybarriers, as there is a risk of being swept away by swift water orbecoming stranded along the towpath as the waters rise. The rising waterwill be carrying extremely hazardous debris, trees, and man-madeobjects. In addition to the rising water, waterlogged soils can lead toother hazards, including uprooting of trees and falling branches.Visitors are advised to observe the rising water from a safe distance.An internal incident command team has been established to manageinformation, coordinate resources, and ensure the orderly implementationand completion of the park's flood emergency response plan. The team'stop priorities are protection of life and the physical well-being ofemployees and visitors, and protection of park resources and governmentproperty. [Peggie Gaul, Education Specialist]
Friday, September 9, 2011
Eastern Areas
River Parks Deal With Heavy Rains, Rising Waters
The very heavy rains from the remains of Tropical StormLee that have fallen on many Eastern states this week have broughtrivers up to or above flood levels in many areas. Two parks havereported specific issues:
C&O Canal NHP - Due to a change in forecastfrom an original prediction of potentially catastrophic flooding, thepark has modified its response plan. Reduced risk of flooding hasallowed park staff to hold back on implementing the flood preparationplans that were scheduled to take place on Wednesday. Although recentheavy rainfall has resulted in extremely wet conditions and some minorflooding in parts of the park, most areas have reopened:
Visitor centers at Cumberland, Williamsport, Great Falls,and Georgetown are open.
Campgrounds and boat ramps throughout the park are alsoopen but will be wet and muddy.
The Great Falls Overlook will reopen today.
Canal boat operations will resume tomorrow, but the BillyGoat A Trail at Great Falls will remain closed through the weekend.
Park users are reminded to be cautious of swift water inthe Potomac River, which will be carrying hazardous debris, and to watchfor fallen and falling trees that will result from the extremely wetsoils and wind.
[Deb Nordeen, DEWA; Peggie Gal, CHOH]
Monday, September 12, 2011
C&O Canal NHP
Flashfloods Lead To Area Closures
Heavy rains caused flash flooding on Friday that led to anumber of closures throughout the park:
The entrance road to Great Falls closed for the day, butwas expected to reopen on Saturday.
The visitor center was also expected to reopen onSaturday, but boat operations will not resume until canal conditionsupstream are evaluated.
The Gold Mine, Ford Mine and Billy Goat Trails are closeddue to high water and severe erosion.
Parking areas and towpath access at Pennyfield Lock,Rileys Lock and Viollettes Lock are closed until damage assessments canbe completed and the areas are determined safe for visitor use.
Boat ramps throughout the park are open but will be siltcovered as the Potomac River recedes. Towpaths have also been scored insome areas, and downed trees have created unsafe conditions throughoutthe park. For more information on park conditions, go to HYPERLINK"http://www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/closures.htm".[Brad Clawson and Peggie Gaul]
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
C&O Canal NHP
Arsonist Sets Fire To Restroom Facility
On Tuesday, December 7th, rangers discovered that arestroom facility had been set on fire near the Big Slackwater boat rampin Washington County, Maryland. A joint investigation is underway withthe Maryland State Fire Marshall's Office. A reward is offered forinformation leading to the arrest and conviction of the person orpersons responsible for setting the fire. Anyone with informationregarding this crime may call the park hotline at 1-866-714-2250.[Hollie Lynch]
Friday, March 16, 2012
C&O Canal NHP
Construction Tug Sinks In Potomac River
A tugboat that was being used as part of the BigSlackwater reconstruction and stabilization project near Hagerstown,Maryland, sank on Wednesday night. It was tied to the work dock at thetime. It was recovered from the Potomac River yesterday afternoon by thecontractor, C., Inc., using the on-site crane. Officials from thepark and Maryland Natural Resource Police monitored the recovery effort.The tugboat, which sank in approximately 20 feet of water, was carrying200 gallons of diesel fuel. Two containment booms were placed around thetug's perimeter to control any spillage and the contractor surveyed thewater between the accident scene and Dam Number 4. Fortunately, none ofthe diesel fuel was spilled and a potential environmental hazard wasaverted. The reconstruction of the towpath at Big Slackwater has beenunderway since late summer 2010. This project will restore a section ofthe C&O Canal towpath that was destroyed by flooding in 1996.[Peggie Gaul, Public Affairs Officer]
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
C&O Canal NHP
Two Rescued From Within Closed Area
The park has an ongoing construction project in the BigSlackwater area that involves the reconstruction of the towpath alongthe Potomac River. This two-mile section of towpath was destroyed by astorm in 1996, resulting in it being closed to visitor use since thatdate, and last year received ARRA funds for its reconstruction. On theevening of April 14th, two bicyclists, a father and his 15-year-old son,were on their return trip upstream on the towpath and decided it wassafer to enter the closed section than to take the designated detour onthe rural roads. They trespassed through three closed signs and abarricade to enter this area. While walking their bikes on thisprecarious route, the father slipped and fell into the river. He thenswam out to a construction barge, where he became stranded while his sonwas stranded on the edge of the shore. He called 911 on his cell phoneto be rescued. Rangers and local fire and rescue personnel responded tothe incident. The two were rescued by boat and the father received aneducational charge to obey closure signs. [Brad Clawson, ChiefRanger]
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
C&O Canal NHP
Man Faces Manslaughter Charge In Death Of Climber
A federal grand jury has indicted D.D., 31, oncharges of voluntary manslaughter in connection with the death of a manin Carderock, an area within the park.
According to the indictment and other court documents, thevictim, another climber, was found on a trail in Carderock with massivehead injuries. The indictment alleges that after arguing with thevictim, D.D. killed him by repeatedly striking him in the head with ablunt object.
D.D. was arrested by New York State Police officers onJanuary 8th and had an initial appearance in U.S. District Court inAlbany, New York. He was then transported to Maryland by U.S. marshals.D.D. faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for voluntarymanslaughter.
The United States Attorney praised U.S. Park Policepersonnel for their work in the investigation.
For a copy of the full press release, HYPERLINK"http://www.justice.gov/usao/md/news/2014/IndictmentReturnedForMurderInNationalParkInMaryland.html"click here. For a related Washington Post article,HYPERLINK"http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/climber-charged-with-killing-friend-with-claw-hammer-in-national-park-in-bethesda/2014/01/14/33cbc3f8-7d32-11e3-95c6-0a7aa80874bc_story.html"click here.
[United States Attorney's Office, District of Maryland]
Monday, February 23, 2015
C&O Canal NHP
Park Police Officers Make Significant Auto Larceny Case
On February 4th, the Park Police receiveda report of a larceny from an auto in the upper parking lot of theWidewater parking lot on the C&O Canal.
Investigator Christopher Lawston andDetective Sergeant Carl Holmberg knew of a man named D.T. whohad been targeting that area. Both knew that D.T. frequented an Exxongas station in Forestville, Maryland, where stolen credit cards had beenused in the past. Holmberg went to the location and began to search forD.T. He located a vehicle that D.T. had used in previous cases andsaw that D.T. was pumping gas into an F-250 Ford pickup.
Holmberg approached D.T. and identifiedhimself as a police officer just as the gas pump asked if the userwanted a receipt for the gas. Holmberg acquired the receipt, which wasdetermined to be for a card owned by the complainant in the Widewatercase. D.T. was placed under arrest. Several gift cards were found onhis person.
A woman with D.T. consented to a searchof her vehicle and apartment, where Park Police officers recoverednumerous items that have been linked to at least nine complainants inseparate cases in Fairfax, Prince George, Alexandria, and CharlesCounties and with other parks within National Capital Region. Officersalso learned that D.T. had significant jail time pending for cases inother jurisdictions.
[Sergeant Lelani Woods, Public Information Officer]
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
National Park System
Follow-ups On Previously Reported Incidents
Washington Post An article in last Tuesday'sPost began with an overview of the situation: "The governmentshutdown has left America's national parks largely unsupervised. No oneis at the gate. No one is collecting a fee. The visitor centers areclosed. There are some law enforcement and emergency personnel on site,but certainly nothing as standard as a park ranger who can answer aquestion. People are streaming into the parks, enjoying the free access,but they're finding trash cans overflowing and restrooms locked. Vaulttoilets are not serviced, and there's hardly a flush toilet to be foundanywhere. If nature calls well, the woods are over that way." Thearticle includes references to volunteers collecting garbage, cleaningbathrooms and generally keeping an eye on Joshua Tree NP; closure of anaccess road at C&O Canal NHP that has caused hundreds of visitors topark on nearby neighborhood streets; and the loss of business tocommunities on both sides of the Rio Grande in Big Bend NP. Source:Washington Post.
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
National Park System
Park Operating Status Summary
A summary of recent openings, closures and other changes in thestatus of parks and their facilities,
Harpers Ferry NHP/C&O Canal NHP/Appalachian NST Severalcars of a CSX train derailed off a bridge while crossing the PotomacRiver at Harpers Ferry early on the morning of December 21st, causingthe NPS to close sites at Harpers Ferry, including The Point and JohnBrown's Fort, as well as parts of Chesapeake & Ohio NationalHistorical Park and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. Other areas including the crossings from Harpers Ferry to the MarylandHeights trail and the C&O Canal towpath, plus the footbridgeattached to the CSX bridge have also been closed. Source: HallieMiller, Baltimore Sun.
Wednesday, March 9, 2022
DC Area Parks
Deer positive for COVID-19
On February 25, the NPS announced that routine white-tailed deerdisease samplings in several DC-area parks have revealed that some deerare positive for the virus that causes COVID-19. Thus far, positivesamplings by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service andPennsylvania State University researchers have been found at CatoctinMountain Park, Rock Creek Park, Monocacy National Battlefield, andChesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. The NPS expectsthey'll see similar results at Antietam National Battlefield and HarpersFerry National Historical Park. The Centers for Disease Control andPrevention say that the risk of getting COVID-19 from animals in theU.S., including wildlife, is low. The NPS donates all suitable meat fromits deer management operations to local food banks, and though there isno evidence that humans can get COVID-19 through handling or eating gamemeat, the NPS has contacted local food banks to discuss their venisondonations. Source: WUSA9
February 8, 2023
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Sinkhole
On January 4, a visitor reported a sinkhole that opened up near thePotomac Dam No. 4 Left Abutment. Park staff have been monitoring theformation for any changes in the sinkhole or dam. Thus far, there havenot been any noticeable changes. The area has been fenced off, but thetowpath is still considered safe and remains open. The NPS is workingwith the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to address the sinkhole. Due to theregion's limestone karst terrain, sinkholes are common in the area.Source: Herald-Mail Media
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Potentially rabid raccoons
On March 21, the park announced that it had received reports ofseveral raccoons behaving abnormally near Lock 34 (mile 61.5). Thebehaviors may be a sign of rabies. They have warned visitors to becautious and to report any sick or abnormally behaving wildlife. Source:Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
June 21, 2023
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Guardrail lawsuit dismissed
A federal court dismissed a lawsuit brought against the park in August2023 that claimed the NPS' failure to install guardrails in a section ofthe parking lot led to a car accident. Source: Virginia Lawyers Weekly
December 27, 2023
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Wall instability
The park found that a historic wall along the Harpers Ferry Road betweenlocks 33 and 34 (mile marker 61.5) showed significant signs ofinstability and stone loss in dry-laid stone surfaces. The road segmentbetween Hoffmaster Road and the school bus turnaround on Sandy Hook Roadwas temporarily closed. On December 19, the road was reopened, with anongoing construction zone to finish the stone façade, restore the canal,and install guardrails. The project is expected to be complete thiswinter. Source: Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
March 20, 2024
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Two assaults
On March 6, an individual was assaulted on the Canal Towpath Trail abouta half-mile upstream from the Point of Rocks parking area in Frederick,Maryland. The person assaulted said that they were forced to the groundand had their nose and mouth covered by the assailant's hand before theywere able to escape. On March 10, an individual was reported chasing aperson on the towpath trail about a mile upstream of the Nolands Ferryparking area, headed toward the Point of Rocks parking area. Thedescription for the suspect and their vehicle is similar from bothincidents. The NPS is looking for any information the public mightprovide. Source: Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park,Herald-Mail Media
May 29, 2024
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Bridge damage
On May 24, the park closed the Polly Pond Bridge (mile 134.3) afterengineers found damage to the foundation, piers, and structure due toerosion. A detour is currently in place. No reopening date has beenannounced. Source: Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
