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American Morning
Amazing Story of Survival
Aired October 10, 2003 - 08:23 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.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now to what is fair to call an amazing story of survival. Melinda Lopez fell off a shrimp boat in the Gulf of Mexico. Even though the water was rough, she swam all night, reached an oil platform.
With more on her ordeal, here is Chou When (ph) of Houston affiliate KHOU.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHOU WHEN, KHOU CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The rescue happened in a matter of minutes. Her survival played out like something out of a movie.
MELINA LOPEZ: It was an incredible ordeal. Awful.
WHEN: Melinda Lopez's ordeal would begin 70 miles off the coast of Galveston on Tuesday, at 4:00 that day.
LOPEZ: When I stepped on the back rail of the boat, my shoe came off and it just, it caused me to slip and fall in the water.
WHEN: Lopez said she screamed for help then slowly started drifting out to sea.
LOPEZ: I was swimming all kinds of ways. I tried to flat on my back for a little while so I wouldn't cramp up and like it was hard to keep my head above the water.
WHEN (on camera): The U.S. Coast Guard estimates Melinda Lopez drifted for more than 13 hours out in the open seas. For Lopez, she says the time felt like eternity.
LOPEZ: I think I didn't want to die like that. I wanted to get out of that water.
WHEN: Her dramatic Coast Guard rescue would come on this oil rig, nearly 27 hours after she fell overboard. Lopez says she swam towards the rig after hearing its bells and climbed on, writing SOS on the platform using spray paint she found on the rig.
LOPEZ: They asked me how are you, you know? I said I'm fine. I want my mom.
WHEN: Lopez's wish came true.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just held her most of the time, that's all. I was just so happy she was here.
WHEN: Melinda Lopez tells 11 News the next time her shrimp boat heads out to sea, she won't be on board. She's saying good-bye to her life as a shrimper, greeting life with more caution.
Chou When, 11 News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Yes, I think unbelievable does sum it all up.
We're going to talk to Melinda Lopez right here on AMERICAN MORNING 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
Aired October 10, 2003 - 08:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Now to what is fair to call an amazing story of survival. Melinda Lopez fell off a shrimp boat in the Gulf of Mexico. Even though the water was rough, she swam all night, reached an oil platform.
With more on her ordeal, here is Chou When (ph) of Houston affiliate KHOU.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHOU WHEN, KHOU CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The rescue happened in a matter of minutes. Her survival played out like something out of a movie.
MELINA LOPEZ: It was an incredible ordeal. Awful.
WHEN: Melinda Lopez's ordeal would begin 70 miles off the coast of Galveston on Tuesday, at 4:00 that day.
LOPEZ: When I stepped on the back rail of the boat, my shoe came off and it just, it caused me to slip and fall in the water.
WHEN: Lopez said she screamed for help then slowly started drifting out to sea.
LOPEZ: I was swimming all kinds of ways. I tried to flat on my back for a little while so I wouldn't cramp up and like it was hard to keep my head above the water.
WHEN (on camera): The U.S. Coast Guard estimates Melinda Lopez drifted for more than 13 hours out in the open seas. For Lopez, she says the time felt like eternity.
LOPEZ: I think I didn't want to die like that. I wanted to get out of that water.
WHEN: Her dramatic Coast Guard rescue would come on this oil rig, nearly 27 hours after she fell overboard. Lopez says she swam towards the rig after hearing its bells and climbed on, writing SOS on the platform using spray paint she found on the rig.
LOPEZ: They asked me how are you, you know? I said I'm fine. I want my mom.
WHEN: Lopez's wish came true.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just held her most of the time, that's all. I was just so happy she was here.
WHEN: Melinda Lopez tells 11 News the next time her shrimp boat heads out to sea, she won't be on board. She's saying good-bye to her life as a shrimper, greeting life with more caution.
Chou When, 11 News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
O'BRIEN: Yes, I think unbelievable does sum it all up.
We're going to talk to Melinda Lopez right here on AMERICAN MORNING 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
