Park officials in Death Valley National Park are seeking the public's help in identifying the person they believed toppled a historic structure while towing their vehicle out of the mud.
In a news release yesterday, the NPS reports that the 113-year-old Saline Valley Salt Tram tower – one of four within the park – appears to have been felled sometime between April 1 and 27. Evidence at the scene reveals that a vehicle drove "a short distance of the legal roadway" before becoming stuck in muddy conditions caused by flooding last year, which created a temporary lake in the desert terrain, and closed sections of the park.
Officials believe the driver attached a winch to the tower to extract their vehicle, knocking it down in the process. They then left the scene without reporting the damage.
“I have hiked along sections of this tramway, and am amazed by the tenacity it took to build,” says Superintendent Mike Reynolds. “I hope the person responsible for this damage will contact us so we can discuss restitution.”
The 13-mile aerial tram is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was constructed by the Saline Valley Salt Company to transport salt to Owens Valley and opened in 1911, It climbed over 7,000 vertical feet at steep vertical grades up to 40 degrees, according to the NPS.
Park rangers ask that anyone with information on this incident contact the NPS-wide tip line at 888-653-0009 or go.nps.gov/SubmitATip.
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