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CNN Live Today

Navy to Help With Mining Rescue

Aired July 26, 2002 - 12:04   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: In light of the setback, the Navy is spending -- or sending in supplies that could help rescuers reach the miners.

CNN Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, joins us now with the details on this.

Tell us about these decompression stretchers -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Right, Kyra.

Yesterday, the Navy here began sending some men and equipment to the site in hopes that if they can -- if the men can be rescued, if the miners can be brought to the surface, this military equipment can be moved very quickly to help them with decompression.

Now, the Navy, of course, has years, decades of experience in decompression sickness and air embolisms from its operations with submarines and deep-diving operations. So they have moved in some large pieces of equipment, some hyperbaric chambers in which the men could be placed, similar to this, that would help them get over any decompression sickness or air embolisms.

Now, these stretchers that you are seeing that they have moved in will carry them by helicopter to hospitals if they can get them out -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, Barbara...

STARR: There are...

PHILLIPS: I'm sorry, were you going to say something, Barbara? I apologize.

STARR: I was just going to let people know there are about 50 Navy personnel on site right now, including two doctors, and one of them is the Navy's director of Undersea Medicine, the senior man with the most experience in this area. They are standing by on site, hoping the men can be brought to the surface, and then they can move in to help.

PHILLIPS: All right, Barbara Starr, I understand we are going to go live now to the area where the governor is speaking about this rescue effort. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.