Crater Lake Special Events Log

The Smith Brothers' Chronological History of Crater Lake National Park

1995

February 27, 1995

Albert J. Hendricks, EOD's as the Park's 26th Superintendent. In 1961 Mr. Hendricks, along with his parents, visited Crater Lake and took a boat ride. "One of our concerns is to maintain that water clarity. We're going to be in a position of doing everything that can to be more efficient, yet serve the public better. At the same time, we need to protect our natural resources." (See: Summer, 1961)

A Chinook helicopter from the Washington Army Reserve drops a new 12, 000 pound, $150.000, 33 foot research boat into the Lake from Discovery Point. The new boat is especially designed for work on Crater Lake and his unofficially christened "Neuston" for an organism that dwells on the surface of the Lake. The old research boat is removed. Researchers had used an old pontoon-style boat for the past eight years, but the vessel would rock heavily during Lake swells. The Neuston will provide better safety for researchers while giving them a few extra advantages such as radar had a crain. The boat will also be used for search and rescue.

A three-year-old boy falls three stories from room 301 and lands in a newly planted bush between the Lodge and the caldera wall. Rescued by doctor father and air lifted out by helicopter to Bend. Was unhurt. The boy had leaned against an unhooked window screen while sitting on the window box.

August 12, 1995

20th Annual Crater Lake Rim Run Winners: Men: 6.7 Scott Van Jacob, Carlisle, Penn 35:49

13.0 Scott Martin, 31, of Ashland, OR 1:20:43 (Scott's third win)

26.2 Jerry Spears, 30, of Lancaster, CA 2:40:30 (new course record)

Women 6.7 Monica Hakki-' Davidson, 23, West Linn, OR 40:24

13.0 Rosa Gutierres, 31, of Sunnyvale, CA 1:24:14 (new course record)

26.2 Carol Tuckerman, 30, of Dundee, OR 3:31:45

Dorothy Gifford, a 73 year-old Medford woman Falls to her death from Sinnott Overlook. The woman was sitting on the stone wall, changing film and her camera, when she apparently fainted from the combination of high elevations and the effects of recent surgery and plunged 700 feet to the rocks below.

September 24, 1995

An Aerospatiale AS 350 helicopter from Seattle, (heading for Las Vegas) crashes and sinks in 1,500 feet of water between Wizard Island and the Lodge. Several dozen Park visitors watch while the helicopter skimmed over the smooth surface of the Lake and then suddenly plunged into the deep water. Speculation is that the pilot, George W. Causey, 52, of Enumclaw, WA, became confused by the near perfect reflection and flew toward the Lake's surface thinking it was sky. There was no indication of the engine problems,. Killed, along with the pilot, was passenger Edward O. Tulleners, of West Linn, on his 45th birthday. The helicopter was a seven passenger Eurocopter, built by the world's largest manufacturers of civilian helicopters. Little was recovered except for some shred's of the rotors and seat cushion. In June, 1996, Park Superintendent Al Hendricks was quoted as saying, "The technology is there to proceed with the recovery. What we are struggling with is whether it's worth it. Both families decided the bottom of Crater Lake would be a pretty good place (for the crash and victims) to spend eternity."

Crater Lake, along with most other federal facilities, is shutdown for three weeks due to a Congressional budget battle and impasse.

Shopping for the first time has replaced Crater Lake as the region's most popular tourist draw. In a survey conducted by the S.O. V. A of the most visited places in the region, respondents cited shopping as number one at 41 percent followed by Crater Lake at 39 percent, historical sites at 30 percent, and Shakespeare at 19 percent.

A total of 17 fires for the season. Nine were human caused and 8 were lightning caused. The largest (Calypso), grew to about 10 acres.

Fiscal Year 1995

0NPS budget set at: $2.7 million

Season 1995 Visitation: 542,611

(Next stop 1996)

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COPYRIGHT © 1999 LARRY B. SMITH AND LLOYD C. SMITH. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WORLDWIDE.