West
Park ranger dies in freak accident while helping visitors during annual festival
A ranger at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah died on Friday after sustaining injuries while working with visitors during an annual astronomy event.
The National Park Service (NPS) said 78-year-old Park Ranger Tom Lorig was working with visitors at Bryce Canyon’s annual Astronomy Festival at about 11:30 p.m. on Friday when he directed a visitor to a shuttle bus and fell.
During the fall, Lorig hit his head on a large rock.
The visitor quickly notified a nearby law enforcement park ranger as Lorig lay unresponsive on the ground.
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Bryce Canyon National Park Ranger Tom Lorig died after he tripped and fell during the Astronomy Festival on June 7, 2024. (National Park Service)
Several park rangers, medically trained bystanders and local EMS provided lifesaving care but could’t revive Lorig.
“Tom Lorig served Bryce Canyon, the National Park Service, and the public as an interpretive park ranger, forging connections between the world and these special places that he loved,” Park Superintendent Jim Ireland said in a statement. “As our community processes and grieves this terrible loss, we extend our deepest condolences to all of Ranger Lorig’s family and friends. We also want to express gratitude to the National Park Service and Garfield County emergency services staff who responded as well as to the bystanders who assisted NPS first responders.”
NPS said Lorig worked as a registered nurse in the Seattle area for 40 years. He also worked as a permanent, seasonal and volunteer park ranger for more than 10 years.
SENATOR BLASTS FEDERAL PARKS OFFICIALS FOR REPORTEDLY BARRING AMERICAN FLAGS IN BELOVED NATIONAL PARK
Ranger Tom Lorig was directing a visitor when he fell and hit his head on a large rock. (National Park Service)
Lorig started his time with NPS in June 1968 at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico.
Over the decades that followed, he served at 13 other national park sites, including Badlands, Bryce Canyon, El Malpais, Florissant Fossil Beds, Glen Canyon, Klondike Gold Rush, Mount Rainier, New River Gorge, Olympic, Saguaro, Yosemite, Zion and Dinosaur National Monument.
“Tom was a dedicated public servant, and his loss will be felt by the many who knew him across the National Park Service,” a post on the Bryce Canyon NPS Facebook page reads.
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San Francisco, CA
Alcatraz City Cruises ferry slams into SF’s Pier 31, shattering passenger windows
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — A ferry carrying passengers collided with Pier 31 while docking Sunday evening, breaking multiple windows and leaving some riders shaken.
Video of the incident shows the vessel striking the pier, with several passengers saying the impact knocked people off their feet and turned a scenic trip into a frightening experience.
“He’s like, ‘Mom, I thought this was going to be the best day, but this is just the worst day ever,’” said Olivia RiosAcuña, describing her young son’s reaction. She said she booked the City Cruises tour because of her son’s love of boats. The family spent much of the day on the deck before heading downstairs as the ferry prepared to dock.
“Next thing I know, I just heard a really loud noise and the whole boat shook,” she said.
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RiosAcuña said the vessel struck the pier multiple times, shattering windows and causing panic among passengers. One woman tumbled down a staircase during the incident, she said.
“I was terrified. I was like, what on earth is going on? And then I was like, okay, who on earth is driving this boat?” she said.
Genesis Alcocer, another passenger, said she did not immediately realize the extent of the damage but feared the worst.
“For me, I was like, oh my god, we’re gonna sink. I’m not the best swimmer,” Alcocer said.
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She said crew members did not initially communicate what was happening.
“The people that worked there were not making a big deal about it, but you could tell in their face that they were panicking,” she said.
Daniel Aburto, who was also on board, questioned the crew’s experience.
“Is it your first day? That was my thought. Like, this is your first day. There’s no way, there’s no way,” he said.
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Passengers said they were kept on board for about 20 minutes before being directed to exit the ferry. RiosAcuña said she was surprised by the tone of a staff member as they disembarked.
“This guy’s like, ‘Have a great day. You guys sure had an exciting entry,’ or something like that,” she said. “I was like, exciting? More like traumatic. My kid’s still crying.”
RiosAcuña, Alcocer and Aburto said they do not plan to take another City Cruises trip anytime soon.
No injuries were reported.
Alcatraz City Cruises provided a statement to ABC7:
On Sunday evening, an Alcatraz City Cruises vessel was involved in a docking incident upon return to Pier 31. There are no currently reported injuries, and an investigation of the incident will be conducted to determine it cause. Any impacts to service will be provided as additional information becomes available.
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Denver, CO
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Seattle, WA
Vancouver, BC police seek help in Seattle, Portland to identify dead kayaker
SEATTLE – Canadian officials are turning to the Pacific Northwest public for help identifying a kayaker who died along the shores of a Vancouver, B.C. beach in 2022.
Microscopic pollen spores discovered on the Jane Doe’s personal belongings unlocked a major breakthrough in the four-year-old cold case, leading investigators to believe she likely spent her last days in the Seattle or Portland area.
The backstory:
On Sept. 29, 2022, at approximately 9 p.m., a tugboat crew navigating the waters off Spanish Banks in English Bay, Vancouver, spotted something floating in the dark.
The crew discovered it was a woman and pulled her from the water, but she died hours after rescue. An inflatable kayak was also found drifting nearby, but there was no identification on the woman, only a backpack, candy, sweater, and insulin.
Photos of the unidentified kayaker found in English Bay in 2022.
Investigators believe the woman was in her 30s and of African descent. No missing person was found to match her description through DNA and fingerprint testing.
An autopsy found the woman did not die of drowning, but showed signs of severe anaphylaxis, meaning she could have had a fatal medical emergency while out on the water. Foul play is not suspected.
Dig deeper:
After efforts to identify the Jane Doe yielded no results, Vancouver, B.C. police sent the woman’s backpack and sweater across the border for testing of environmental particles.
According to the report, fabric on the woman’s sweater contained pollen grains and fern spores unique to the Interstate 5 corridor of the Pacific Northwest, specifically in the Seattle and Portland areas.
What you can do:
Authorities hope the results of the chemical analysis, along with the woman’s photo, will help someone recognize the unidentified kayaker.
If you have any information, please contact investigators at 604-717-0619 or email thekayaker@vpd.ca.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the Vancouver Police Department and CTV News Vancouver.
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