A man broke his leg during a Christmas Eve hike at Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas. But because of the partial government shutdown, park staff and resources were limited, so strangers helped to carry him to safety, CNN reported.
About 1.5 miles into a hike with a friend, Josh Snider slipped off a rock he was climbing and fell between 6 and 8 feet.
Tom Fan, his wife and children came along Snider and his friend, Michael Bright. They called emergency services, and an operator said she could call a ranger but recommended they find a way to relocate to the trailhead, as no medical treatment could be provided along the trail.
The group began to carry Snider back. Another hiker found them and pitched in, and a ranger also joined the effort before the improvised rescue team reached the trailhead.
"All he wanted to do was get me out of there safely. He kept cracking jokes and trying to keep things light," Snider said of the ranger.
In some previous shutdowns, such as the 2013 government closure, national parks closed. This time, the Interior Department told national parks to remain open if they could, according to BuzzFeed News.
As the partial government shutdown continues for its 13th day, conditions in national parks continue to deteriorate. Although many national parks are closed, some have remained open, but with severe staffing cuts. The shortage of workers has affected park conditions.
Joshua Tree National Park, about 130 miles from Los Angeles, closed its campgrounds on Wednesday as toilets overflowed and visitors spread trash.
Piles of broken sleds, smoldering fires left unattended, overflowing bathrooms. This is what I saw today at @USFSLassen's Eskimo Pass snow play area. Booze everywhere in spite of the many neon "alcohol prohibited" signs. Shameful disregard for our #publiclands. #ShutdownStories pic.twitter.com/5g7OzMCVrg
— Public Land Lover (@publiclandlvr) December 31, 2018
"The park is being forced to take this action for health and safety concerns as vault toilets reach capacity. In addition to human waste in public areas, driving off road and other infractions that damage the resource are becoming a problem," the National Parks Service said in a statement announcing the closure.
Yosemite National Park said on Sunday that it would be closed in certain areas.
Hetch Hetchy and Mariposa Grove are now closed due to lack of restrooms and resulting impacts from human waste. People entering closed areas are being cited. https://t.co/OXlp1YQkGO
— Yosemite National Park (@YosemiteNPS) December 30, 2018
Canyonlands and Arches national parks in Utah shut down on New Years Eve after a snowfall. Because of the shutdown, they were unable to plow roads.
With bare-bones staff unable to stop visitors from disregarding rules in parks that remain open, some have expressed concern that the shutdown could have a lasting impact on the parks.
A former superintendent of Virginia's Shenandoah National Park said that stories were emerging of people using off-road vehicles because rangers could not stop them, USA Today reported.
"We're afraid that we're going to start seeing significant damage to the natural resources in parks and potentially to historic and other cultural artifacts," senior budget director of the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association told The Associated Press. "We're concerned there'll be impacts to visitors' safety."
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Daniel Moritz-Rabson is a breaking news reporter for Newsweek based in New York. Before joining Newsweek Daniel interned at PBS NewsHour ... Read more
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