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American Morning

Death Toll Likely to Reach 11 in Tragic Accident Off Coast of Oregon

Aired June 16, 2003 - 07:33   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: The death toll likely to reach 11 in that tragic accident off the coast of Oregon. Two men are still missing. Nine people are dead after a small chartered fishing boat capsized Saturday morning. Only eight people reached shore safely.
The father of two boys said he was not sure he was ever going to make it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK HAMLETT, SURVIVED ACCIDENT: Trying to figure out how I was going to explain this to my wife and my daughter and praying that the boys got to beach, because I just had a piece that if I didn't make it, they still had a life to live.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating and John Goglia of the NTSB is with us now from the Garibaldi Marina in Oregon.

Sir, we appreciate your time this morning.

Today your investigation will go where once the sun comes up?

JOHN GOGLIA, NTSB BOARD MEMBER: Well, once the sun comes up we will go back to the vessel itself and continue our investigation into the mechanical condition of the vessel in much more detail than we did yesterday, although yesterday we didn't find anything obvious. We will also continue our witness statements, with not only the survivors, but additional Coast Guard personnel who witnessed this disaster, and any other eyewitnesses -- and there are a few among the general population -- to see if there's anything new that they may have seen.

HEMMER: When we went to bed last night, two men were still missing.

Is that still the case today?

GOGLIA: Yes, it is. It's my understanding that the Coast Guard, who has responsibility for search and rescue, has called off the search.

HEMMER: That's got to be disheartening to those families, again, who are holding out hopes to the very end. What can you tell us about the channel in which this boat was passing? Should that have been dredged, as many have alleged?

GOGLIA: Well, we will probably look at that in great depth. But I can tell you, having gone out on a Coast Guard motor vessel yesterday, that it's quite a challenge to get in and out of this area when the seas are running. And so it's clear that the seas were running very, very high that day, yesterday, or the day before yesterday. So we will take a good look at that and if we believe that dredging is necessary, then we will make that recommendation.

HEMMER: And the name of the boat was the Taki Tooo.

Based on what you've seen of it so far, should that boat have been in this channel?

GOGLIA: Well, we're going to question the captain's decision- making, that's for sure. It's a little too early for me to say one way or the other. The -- from what I've seen of the crews in this area, they are extremely knowledge. I'm talking about the other ships. And what I'm hearing from the people there, they know about the problems, they're very concerned with them. At the time of the accident, the captains on three boats that went out before him were communicating the conditions to him.

So, at least on the surface, it looks like they had some concern. They had some knowledge and they would, probably felt like they were dealing with it properly. But we will take a look at it and if we think that that was the case.

HEMMER: Can you give us and our viewers a better sense of how a wave of this size can come so suddenly and strike in the manner that it did?

GOGLIA: Well, I'm told because of the ocean floor just off the coast here, the swells that come in from the ocean get to rise up very quickly. And like I said, I was out on a boat yesterday and I can tell you that those swells or waves had my undivided attention and I was told that that was a very good day. And if that was a good day, I'd hate to be out there on a bad day.

HEMMER: Boy, I'm certain of that.

Is there a lesson to be learned here in wearing a life jacket?

GOGLIA: Oh, there's no question about it. You know, we're told by the Coast Guard that everybody who perished had no life jacket either on or -- of course they wouldn't be holding them by the time they were recovered. But the eight people that were up on deck, which is where the life jackets are least accessible, were not wearing any life jackets. And the people who did survive, who made it to shore, did have life jackets. And, you know, in the drowning accidents in this country, some 85 percent of them are not wearing any sort of a flotation device or life jacket.

HEMMER: There is a lesson... GOGLIA: So we need to start a campaign...

HEMMER: John Goglia of the NTSB.

Thanks for talking with us there in the State of Oregon and best of luck again going forward today on Monday.

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





of Oregon>


Aired June 16, 2003 - 07:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The death toll likely to reach 11 in that tragic accident off the coast of Oregon. Two men are still missing. Nine people are dead after a small chartered fishing boat capsized Saturday morning. Only eight people reached shore safely.
The father of two boys said he was not sure he was ever going to make it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK HAMLETT, SURVIVED ACCIDENT: Trying to figure out how I was going to explain this to my wife and my daughter and praying that the boys got to beach, because I just had a piece that if I didn't make it, they still had a life to live.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating and John Goglia of the NTSB is with us now from the Garibaldi Marina in Oregon.

Sir, we appreciate your time this morning.

Today your investigation will go where once the sun comes up?

JOHN GOGLIA, NTSB BOARD MEMBER: Well, once the sun comes up we will go back to the vessel itself and continue our investigation into the mechanical condition of the vessel in much more detail than we did yesterday, although yesterday we didn't find anything obvious. We will also continue our witness statements, with not only the survivors, but additional Coast Guard personnel who witnessed this disaster, and any other eyewitnesses -- and there are a few among the general population -- to see if there's anything new that they may have seen.

HEMMER: When we went to bed last night, two men were still missing.

Is that still the case today?

GOGLIA: Yes, it is. It's my understanding that the Coast Guard, who has responsibility for search and rescue, has called off the search.

HEMMER: That's got to be disheartening to those families, again, who are holding out hopes to the very end. What can you tell us about the channel in which this boat was passing? Should that have been dredged, as many have alleged?

GOGLIA: Well, we will probably look at that in great depth. But I can tell you, having gone out on a Coast Guard motor vessel yesterday, that it's quite a challenge to get in and out of this area when the seas are running. And so it's clear that the seas were running very, very high that day, yesterday, or the day before yesterday. So we will take a good look at that and if we believe that dredging is necessary, then we will make that recommendation.

HEMMER: And the name of the boat was the Taki Tooo.

Based on what you've seen of it so far, should that boat have been in this channel?

GOGLIA: Well, we're going to question the captain's decision- making, that's for sure. It's a little too early for me to say one way or the other. The -- from what I've seen of the crews in this area, they are extremely knowledge. I'm talking about the other ships. And what I'm hearing from the people there, they know about the problems, they're very concerned with them. At the time of the accident, the captains on three boats that went out before him were communicating the conditions to him.

So, at least on the surface, it looks like they had some concern. They had some knowledge and they would, probably felt like they were dealing with it properly. But we will take a look at it and if we think that that was the case.

HEMMER: Can you give us and our viewers a better sense of how a wave of this size can come so suddenly and strike in the manner that it did?

GOGLIA: Well, I'm told because of the ocean floor just off the coast here, the swells that come in from the ocean get to rise up very quickly. And like I said, I was out on a boat yesterday and I can tell you that those swells or waves had my undivided attention and I was told that that was a very good day. And if that was a good day, I'd hate to be out there on a bad day.

HEMMER: Boy, I'm certain of that.

Is there a lesson to be learned here in wearing a life jacket?

GOGLIA: Oh, there's no question about it. You know, we're told by the Coast Guard that everybody who perished had no life jacket either on or -- of course they wouldn't be holding them by the time they were recovered. But the eight people that were up on deck, which is where the life jackets are least accessible, were not wearing any life jackets. And the people who did survive, who made it to shore, did have life jackets. And, you know, in the drowning accidents in this country, some 85 percent of them are not wearing any sort of a flotation device or life jacket.

HEMMER: There is a lesson... GOGLIA: So we need to start a campaign...

HEMMER: John Goglia of the NTSB.

Thanks for talking with us there in the State of Oregon and best of luck again going forward today on Monday.

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





of Oregon>