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American Morning

Grim Recovery Efforts in Oklahoma

Aired May 27, 2002 - 07:03   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Also up front this morning, grim recovery efforts in Oklahoma, where a barge collided with an interstate bridge early Sunday morning sending about a dozen vehicles into the water. That effort continues, and David Mattingly live now from Webbers Falls in the state of Oklahoma.

David, good morning.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. Waiting for dawn to break here in Oklahoma, and when it does, divers are set to return to that grim task of recovering victims and vehicles from the Arkansas River.

It was just about 24 hours ago now that a section of the I-40 bridge collapsed. That bridge crosses the river, and it collapsed after being struck by a barge.

Now, today, we have something new to show you this morning. It is amateur video that was taken at the scene just a few minutes after the bridge collapsed.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People in the water down there?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Probably.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) gone there yet?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Law enforcement has been down there, and...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a semi-tractor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): You can hear the disbelief in their voices, stunned motorists on Oklahoma's Interstate 40. The bridge crossing the Arkansas River, a section larger than a football field snapped apart, falling away 100 feet into the water. Below, an empty barge idled in the current after the captain reportedly unconsciousness at the wheel veered and rammed into the bridge.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Coast Guard has talked and the FBI has talked with the pilot of the boat, who is presently in the hospital in Muskogee. And so, we don't know the results of the tests, but we do understand that the pilot passed out or blacked out shortly before this incident occurred.

MATTINGLY: Five people, all injured, were rescued quickly, but then hopes faded as strong currents and muddy water made further rescues impossible. Recovery efforts were delayed most of the day until the section of the interstate bridge resting on the barge could be secured. Divers, however, did locate what they describe as a cluster of vehicles under water, and recovery efforts today are expected to go slowly.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY: When diving teams called it a night on Sunday, they still had no idea exactly how many vehicles fell from the bridge, or how many people might have lost their lives in the waters below. So far, there are three confirmed dead, two women, one man, and three vehicles, badly damaged vehicles have been recovered from the water. We are expecting to see much more of that today as the recovery operation gets under way as soon as we have some daylight.

Bill, back to you.

HEMMER: It made for a tough, tough weekend there, David.

Thank you, David Mattingly, in eastern Oklahoma. In a moment, we are going to talk with the governor. Frank Keating will be our guest to talk about recovery efforts again as they continue today.

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