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CNN Live Today

American Hero: Interview With Wayne Alzraki

Aired October 17, 2002 - 10:05   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.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Al Qaeda is also suspected to have some sort of a connection to the weekend bombings in Bali, where more than 180 people died, and hundreds more were injured.
The force of that blast was so great that identification of the dead is extremely difficult. Some Americans are among those casualties. One of them is being hailed a hero this morning, and CNN's Mike Chinoy has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE CHINOY, CNN SENIOR ASIA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Wayne Alzraki came all the way from Cocoa Beach, Florida to surf in Bali. He says it's the best. But on Saturday night, it became the worst. Wayne was barely 50 meters away when the bomb went off.

WAYNE ALZRAKI, AMERICAN TOURIST: I came around the corner and seen all of this destruction, the fire and flames and people.

CHINOY: With no emergency services in sight, Wayne plunged into the inferno in a desperate attempt to save lives.

ALZRAKI: In the first few minutes, there was only me and one other guy. It was just no medical supplies. There was no trained people to help us. So, for the first 30 minutes, we were pretty much on our own. It was maybe...

CHINOY: Amid the chaos, Wayne took out his camera, and in his hotel garden, he showed me a story of horror and heroism.

(on camera): Tell me again about this woman here.

ALZRAKI: That was the third woman I had taken out. She -- she, you know, told me, "Help me, help me," as I went by. And I tried to help her up, and I grabbed her arm, and just pulled off all of her skin just trying to lift her up.

There was about 10 people over up in there, maybe 100 feet on the other side of the road that we couldn't get to. I tried twice to enter the area, you know, trying to keep low from the flames and everything, and trying not to get hurt, you know, and -- but there was -- I could get halfway, and just the heat, I would just turn around and go back.

And then, this guy with a helmet showed up in long sleeves and long pants, and he dashed in there and drug one out. And he went back for another one. He drug a girl to the edge where maybe four or five of us grabbed her and pulled her over here.

CHINOY (voice-over): Mike Chinoy, CNN, Bali.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And right now, we are joined by the man profiled in that piece and hailed as a hero.

Wayne Alzraki joins us now from Bali.

And, Wayne, we want to thank you for taking time to talk with us, and we really appreciate getting a chance to talk to you, because you really are a hero, and not in just many people's eyes; in ours as well.

I have to ask you, I watched that video that we just ran, and I noticed you'd catch your breath when you were talking to Mike Chinoy when you were trying to describe what happened when you tried to save that woman. Does that -- how does that feel to you? I mean, do you still see these images when you close your eyes now?

ALZRAKI: Yes, I'm having a lot of trouble sleeping, and, yes, it kind of runs over my brain, you know, over and over.

HARRIS: What do you think this is going to do to this island? I know that you've been there a lot, and it means a lot to you to be there. What do you think this is going to do to that island and to peace there?

ALZRAKI: I hope that Bali continues to be a tourist mecca, like the people here are really great, and it's a great place to be. And I just hope people keep coming back and don't let it discourage them, you know?

HARRIS: Yes, but you are a Westerner, and you know that these bombings have been targeted at Westerners. Why do you stay there? Do you feel safe there?

ALZRAKI: Yes, I feel safe. I'm just not going to let them, you know, control my life and tell -- you know, I'm not -- you know, those people were victims, you know. They didn't have any say about it, but I'm not going to be -- choose to be a victim and let them tell me how to live my life or what to do or where to go. And that's the way I feel.

HARRIS: Good for you, man. Good for you.

Wayne, we've got some video from those pictures that you took, and I know this is probably rather difficult for you to do, but we've got people who are watching these for the first time who have got to be wondering exactly what that must have felt like to see these scenes and what was going on.

I'm sure -- can you see -- when this rescue attempt of yours and some of the other people -- and some of the other nameless people who jumped into this fire and went in there, what makes a person like you do something like this?

ALZRAKI: I don't know. I'd like to think everybody would do it, you know. You just see somebody that needs help, and you're the only one to do it, you do it, you know. I don't know.

HARRIS: Do you ever stop to think why weren't you among those who were injured?

ALZRAKI: Oh, I just stepped on a nail somewhere in the middle. That was about it, you know. A lot of mental wounds, that's about it.

HARRIS: Yes. I'm sure that's tough enough to deal with. Did you have any idea of how many people were inside?

ALZRAKI: No, I don't. It was lucky it didn't happen about another hour later, because between 11:00 and 12:00 is when really --- you know, that's when it really started partying there, you know. That's when it really started happening, and luckily, they chose the wrong time, you know. I mean, they got a lot of people I know, but it could have been twice as bad. It really could have been.

HARRIS: Yes, and as we were watching these pictures that you took, we had the video up on the screen while you were talking, I just want to ask you this on the way out here. Is there any one image or any one rescue attempt that you made in all of that evening that sticks out the most in your mind?

ALZRAKI: Well, the one that sticks out the most is the one I didn't get to make. I saw about 10 to 15 people that were calling for help for like 20 minutes, and we couldn't reach them. We couldn't get water on them, and that's what sticks in my mind the worst, you know. I wish I could have done something for them.

And then, after a while, I just wanted them to stop yelling for help. I wanted them to -- you know, like you don't let a dog, you know, suffer. I didn't want them people to suffer. I just wanted them -- I almost wanted them to die, because it was horrible to see them, you know, suffering like that, you know.

HARRIS: Yes.

ALZRAKI: And be right next to them and not be able to do anything.

HARRIS: Well, when...

ALZRAKI: I know it sounds terrible.

HARRIS: Yes.

ALZRAKI: But, I mean, that's...

HARRIS: Well, when you consider, Wayne, that...

ALZRAKI: ... it's pretty coarse and -- I don't know.

HARRIS: I can understand, and I see you struggling with it right now.

Let me ask you this, I mean, because you were right there in the grip of this whole thing. When you consider that humans did this to other humans, and then you see what humans, like yourself, actually did to help these people, and then you see the humans who were in it who were suffering from it, what they did to struggle to survive, what does all of that tell you about all of us?

ALZRAKI: I don't know. I think they were -- they were trying to make some sort of message or statement, and what it is, is lost in all of that rubble, destruction, death. And I don't see any positive thing that -- why anyone would do that, and -- you know, and anybody have any sympathy for their cause, whatever the hell it is, you know, by using those methods, you know.

HARRIS: Yes. On the way out, Wayne, let me ask you this. You say that this is not going to stop you from continuing to enjoy your time there in Bali and that you're going to stay there and keep going back there, but does something like this and going through this, does it -- it's got to change you somehow, some way, does it not?

ALZRAKI: Yes, I'm sure it has. I don't -- yes, it has, but the Balinese people, they deserve, you know, my support, everybody's support and generosity and help. You know, they were victims just as much as anybody else, just as much as New York was a victim, and you don't blame New York for being bombed. Don't blame Bali for being bombed.

HARRIS: Great message, and the gospel according to Wayne Alzraki. We sure appreciate you sharing it with us this morning. And, Wayne, we wish you the best. We know you're going to have some tough times getting through the next few nights, and I know you're having trouble sleeping now, and here's hoping it gets better for you. You made a lot of things better for a lot of people. God bless you. Take care.

Wayne Alzraki, live in Bali.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.







Aired October 17, 2002 - 10:05   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Al Qaeda is also suspected to have some sort of a connection to the weekend bombings in Bali, where more than 180 people died, and hundreds more were injured.
The force of that blast was so great that identification of the dead is extremely difficult. Some Americans are among those casualties. One of them is being hailed a hero this morning, and CNN's Mike Chinoy has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE CHINOY, CNN SENIOR ASIA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Wayne Alzraki came all the way from Cocoa Beach, Florida to surf in Bali. He says it's the best. But on Saturday night, it became the worst. Wayne was barely 50 meters away when the bomb went off.

WAYNE ALZRAKI, AMERICAN TOURIST: I came around the corner and seen all of this destruction, the fire and flames and people.

CHINOY: With no emergency services in sight, Wayne plunged into the inferno in a desperate attempt to save lives.

ALZRAKI: In the first few minutes, there was only me and one other guy. It was just no medical supplies. There was no trained people to help us. So, for the first 30 minutes, we were pretty much on our own. It was maybe...

CHINOY: Amid the chaos, Wayne took out his camera, and in his hotel garden, he showed me a story of horror and heroism.

(on camera): Tell me again about this woman here.

ALZRAKI: That was the third woman I had taken out. She -- she, you know, told me, "Help me, help me," as I went by. And I tried to help her up, and I grabbed her arm, and just pulled off all of her skin just trying to lift her up.

There was about 10 people over up in there, maybe 100 feet on the other side of the road that we couldn't get to. I tried twice to enter the area, you know, trying to keep low from the flames and everything, and trying not to get hurt, you know, and -- but there was -- I could get halfway, and just the heat, I would just turn around and go back.

And then, this guy with a helmet showed up in long sleeves and long pants, and he dashed in there and drug one out. And he went back for another one. He drug a girl to the edge where maybe four or five of us grabbed her and pulled her over here.

CHINOY (voice-over): Mike Chinoy, CNN, Bali.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And right now, we are joined by the man profiled in that piece and hailed as a hero.

Wayne Alzraki joins us now from Bali.

And, Wayne, we want to thank you for taking time to talk with us, and we really appreciate getting a chance to talk to you, because you really are a hero, and not in just many people's eyes; in ours as well.

I have to ask you, I watched that video that we just ran, and I noticed you'd catch your breath when you were talking to Mike Chinoy when you were trying to describe what happened when you tried to save that woman. Does that -- how does that feel to you? I mean, do you still see these images when you close your eyes now?

ALZRAKI: Yes, I'm having a lot of trouble sleeping, and, yes, it kind of runs over my brain, you know, over and over.

HARRIS: What do you think this is going to do to this island? I know that you've been there a lot, and it means a lot to you to be there. What do you think this is going to do to that island and to peace there?

ALZRAKI: I hope that Bali continues to be a tourist mecca, like the people here are really great, and it's a great place to be. And I just hope people keep coming back and don't let it discourage them, you know?

HARRIS: Yes, but you are a Westerner, and you know that these bombings have been targeted at Westerners. Why do you stay there? Do you feel safe there?

ALZRAKI: Yes, I feel safe. I'm just not going to let them, you know, control my life and tell -- you know, I'm not -- you know, those people were victims, you know. They didn't have any say about it, but I'm not going to be -- choose to be a victim and let them tell me how to live my life or what to do or where to go. And that's the way I feel.

HARRIS: Good for you, man. Good for you.

Wayne, we've got some video from those pictures that you took, and I know this is probably rather difficult for you to do, but we've got people who are watching these for the first time who have got to be wondering exactly what that must have felt like to see these scenes and what was going on.

I'm sure -- can you see -- when this rescue attempt of yours and some of the other people -- and some of the other nameless people who jumped into this fire and went in there, what makes a person like you do something like this?

ALZRAKI: I don't know. I'd like to think everybody would do it, you know. You just see somebody that needs help, and you're the only one to do it, you do it, you know. I don't know.

HARRIS: Do you ever stop to think why weren't you among those who were injured?

ALZRAKI: Oh, I just stepped on a nail somewhere in the middle. That was about it, you know. A lot of mental wounds, that's about it.

HARRIS: Yes. I'm sure that's tough enough to deal with. Did you have any idea of how many people were inside?

ALZRAKI: No, I don't. It was lucky it didn't happen about another hour later, because between 11:00 and 12:00 is when really --- you know, that's when it really started partying there, you know. That's when it really started happening, and luckily, they chose the wrong time, you know. I mean, they got a lot of people I know, but it could have been twice as bad. It really could have been.

HARRIS: Yes, and as we were watching these pictures that you took, we had the video up on the screen while you were talking, I just want to ask you this on the way out here. Is there any one image or any one rescue attempt that you made in all of that evening that sticks out the most in your mind?

ALZRAKI: Well, the one that sticks out the most is the one I didn't get to make. I saw about 10 to 15 people that were calling for help for like 20 minutes, and we couldn't reach them. We couldn't get water on them, and that's what sticks in my mind the worst, you know. I wish I could have done something for them.

And then, after a while, I just wanted them to stop yelling for help. I wanted them to -- you know, like you don't let a dog, you know, suffer. I didn't want them people to suffer. I just wanted them -- I almost wanted them to die, because it was horrible to see them, you know, suffering like that, you know.

HARRIS: Yes.

ALZRAKI: And be right next to them and not be able to do anything.

HARRIS: Well, when...

ALZRAKI: I know it sounds terrible.

HARRIS: Yes.

ALZRAKI: But, I mean, that's...

HARRIS: Well, when you consider, Wayne, that...

ALZRAKI: ... it's pretty coarse and -- I don't know.

HARRIS: I can understand, and I see you struggling with it right now.

Let me ask you this, I mean, because you were right there in the grip of this whole thing. When you consider that humans did this to other humans, and then you see what humans, like yourself, actually did to help these people, and then you see the humans who were in it who were suffering from it, what they did to struggle to survive, what does all of that tell you about all of us?

ALZRAKI: I don't know. I think they were -- they were trying to make some sort of message or statement, and what it is, is lost in all of that rubble, destruction, death. And I don't see any positive thing that -- why anyone would do that, and -- you know, and anybody have any sympathy for their cause, whatever the hell it is, you know, by using those methods, you know.

HARRIS: Yes. On the way out, Wayne, let me ask you this. You say that this is not going to stop you from continuing to enjoy your time there in Bali and that you're going to stay there and keep going back there, but does something like this and going through this, does it -- it's got to change you somehow, some way, does it not?

ALZRAKI: Yes, I'm sure it has. I don't -- yes, it has, but the Balinese people, they deserve, you know, my support, everybody's support and generosity and help. You know, they were victims just as much as anybody else, just as much as New York was a victim, and you don't blame New York for being bombed. Don't blame Bali for being bombed.

HARRIS: Great message, and the gospel according to Wayne Alzraki. We sure appreciate you sharing it with us this morning. And, Wayne, we wish you the best. We know you're going to have some tough times getting through the next few nights, and I know you're having trouble sleeping now, and here's hoping it gets better for you. You made a lot of things better for a lot of people. God bless you. Take care.

Wayne Alzraki, live in Bali.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.