Park tragedy, fires mar holiday

It was a busy Independence Day weekend for local fire and park service officials.

The National Park Service at Lake Mead called off a search today for a missing Henderson man who disappeared the night of July 4 while boating off the Boulder Islands in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

A park spokesman said the search for Cole Sherman, 19, had been called off.

The search began after the Sherman's woman companion was picked up out of the water by a passing boater, who contacted the Desert Princess tour boat, which in turn notified the National Park Service Emergency Dispatch Center.

Investigators said the woman told them she and Sherman had been on a personal watercraft when they decided to go for a swim and the craft got away from them.

They became separated when they tried to swim to shore, investigators quoted the girl as saying.

The park spokesman described the weekend at the park as hectic, with "lots of injuries and lots of drinking," but nothing major.

Fire departments were busy over the weekend, beginning with two house fires Thursday.

Las Vegas firefighters responded to a blaze at 2904 Millie Ave. at about 1:15 p.m. Thursday and found a lawn, two palm trees, the rear of a one-story wood frame house, a tool shed and a gas meter on fire.

Spokesman Timothy Szymanski said damage to the property was about $25,000.

The cause of that fire and a second one Thursday, to a residence at 420 W. Washington Ave. are under investigation.

About $40,000 damage was done to the Washington Avenue house, according to Szymanski.

The resident of the house is an 87-year-old woman.

Friday investigators said a four-year-old boy playing with a barbecue lighter accidentally started a fire that did about $12,000 worth of damage to a home at 3017 Harborside Drive at about 10 a.m.

Two adults at the residence suffered minor burns.

On Saturday, fireworks caused about $20,000 worth of damage to a residence at 1905 Chapman Dr.

There were no injuries in the 6:49 p.m. fire.

Investigators said a 13-year-old boy, a resident of the house, set off fireworks in the street and one of the fireworks set the lawn on fire, which set three palm trees on fire which set the roof of the house on fire.

Also Saturday, fire caused extensive damage a vacant building at 2921 Poplar Ave.

There were no injuries in that fire, but in an unrelated incident Saturday a man was taken to the University Medical Center's Burn Unit with 2nd degree burns over 10 percent of his body, primarily his legs, after he reportedly attempted to re-ignite a firework that did not explode the first time it was lit.

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