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Missing Boy Scout Found; Bush Promotes Energy Plan
Aired March 20, 2007 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Don Lemon live at CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Brianna Keilar in for Kyra Phillips.
Search teams are calling it A1 outcome. Of course, that's a good thing. Missing Scout Michael Auberry is found alive and doing pretty well after three nights alone in the North Carolina woods. We're hearing from some very relieved rescuers.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
LEMON: It is the top of the hour. We come to you with a developing story. A missing Scout found this morning, rescuers talking about their efforts in finding this young boy. And one of the rescuers, spoke to CNN just moments ago. Name is Misha Marshall, and she talked about how her dog found the Scout.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MISHA MARSHALL, FOUND MICHAEL AUBERRY: Unbelievable. I'll carry it with me the rest of my life.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What did you see?
MARSHALL: Saw him. He saw him first, and we went in to him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did he say anything to you? What happened?
MARSHALL: No, he was a little disoriented, but he's great.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You saw him walking around?
MARSHALL: He was off the trail.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was he stumbling around?
MARSHALL: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was he crying?
MARSHALL: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When he saw you, what did he do?
MARSHALL: He was glad. It took him a minute to realize we were there for him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And that you were friends?
MARSHALL: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was he calling out for help? Or were you guys calling out his name?
MARSHALL: No, no. The dog scented in to him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The dog scented in to him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How far was he from the original spot that he was camping out at, do you know?
MARSHALL: About a mile, up the trail.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A mile?
MARSHALL: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Which way?
MARSHALL: North.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you describe the kind of overall scene when you guys found him?
MARSHALL: You know, just obvious delight on our part. And he was safe and that's all we cared about. We do this for the kids.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What was his reaction again, when he saw you guys?
MARSHALL: It took him a minute, but then he realized, who we were and, you know, he's been out there for a few days. So he's a little disoriented. He's good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did he talk to you?
MARSHALL: Uh-huh, he can talk.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What did he say to you?
MARSHALL: He said, I'm hungry. Give me some water, you know, stuff like that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: CNN's Bob Franken has been with the searchers and family every step of the way.
And Bob, people are thrilled. You must be very happy also to be covering a story with such a good ending.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's always certainly preferable. This is one where you don't maintain your normal detachment.
You see behind me somebody who became very friendly with the media. He is the incident commander. The person in charge of this operation, Dave Bauer, who's been holding a news conference to fill in some of the gaps, many of which we have been able to provide firsthand.
We know about the fact he was found by the South Carolina Dog & Rescue organization, and the dog, Gandalf, and there's been a lot of conversation about how, when they encountered the young boy, that he initially didn't have any response at all. And then when they told him that they were there to rescue him, he then became very friendly.
He told the rescuers that he thought that this Boy Scout troop would be looking for him. Obviously he was a bit disoriented. He needed some water. They gave him that. Plus, some peanut butter cookies. Not quite sure why somebody who's dehydrated would want peanut butter -- crackers -- but that's what the person got.
In the meantime, he has now been taken by ambulance to the hospital. They're doing a medical check. Dave Bauer, as I said, is the one giving us a briefing right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID BAUER, INCIDENT COMMANDER, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: It was not in our original search area. It was just outside the original search area, so when today we (inaudible) it up, into the segments, and we put people out in the segments, it was actually team number 51, the 51st assignment we had out there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRANKEN: You know, what is so very interesting about that is that they have gone through a variety of approaches to the search in the several days. Overnight, last night, there was a meeting, they decided to come up with this computer model of the 5,900 acres of the Blue Ridge Mountain area, where they were searching.
A computer model identified 35 different sectors. In each of those sectors they determined what would be the most specialized team of searchers to send. And it was, as you heard, in sector team 51, team 51, which was this dog team, that found young Michael, and of course brought such a happy ending to the story -- Brianna.
KEILAR: Bob, it had been three days. It was still a search and rescue, but was there fear growing that perhaps this wouldn't end so well? Had hope waned?
FRANKEN: They did not admit to that publicly, but I think it was inevitable that people were beginning to wonder why they could not have such a good result. But they insisted all along this kind of thing had the potential for having a happy ending for a variety of reasons. One of which, although, the fact that he is 12 years old means he's probably durable. Secondly, he was dressed warmly. Thirdly, as a Boy Scout, he would have had some survival training, all of which they felt mitigated in favor of them finding him alive. And, of course, we know that's exactly what happened.
KEILAR: Thanks, Bob. Bob Franken covering this for us every step of the way from McGrady, North Carolina.
We're going to have much more straight ahead on our top story. A 12-year-old Boy Scout found, alive and well, in North Carolina. More ahead.
LEMON: Absolutely. That is a developing story. And we have another developing story, we're going to get you to the Breaking News Desk.
Betty Nguyen will take you to Butler, Pennsylvania, right?
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: In fact, Middlesex Township, which is about 45 minutes north of Pittsburgh. You're looking at a map of it. But we want to take you to the live pictures, because a trench rescue is going on as we speak.
You see all the people surrounding this concrete slap right there. Well, underneath that concrete slab is a 14-year-old boy. It's not known exactly how he became trapped underneath this slab, or even how the slap got on top of him. In fact we don't even know where it had come from.
If it had fallen over the side you see right there, because there is rushing water underneath them. But the main concern this point is finding a way to safely remove this six-foot concrete slab off of the 14-year-old boy.
They're also -- we've been watching this for some time now, for at least an hour. They've been sticking air bags underneath any little holes they can find. What that's doing is, once they blow those up, it's relieving some of the pressure from this some heavy concrete slab, which is on top of the boy.
If you look at this wide shot, you will see the helicopter, and some other emergency vehicles are standing by to take this boy to the hospital just as soon as he is set free from this concrete slab. But there's a lot of concern, because when people underneath such a heavy piece of material like this, it can be very difficult and life- threatening if you remove it improperly.
That's what they have been trying excruciatingly trying to do in the safest manner possible. Again, I don't know what that water near it. If this is a sewer drain, or if it's a nearby creek, but unfortunately somehow this boy got trapped underneath this slab.
We're trying to get more information, but the main concern is to get him free and to a medical helicopter where he can be taken to the hospital for his injuries -- Don.
LEMON: Betty, you're right. And we'll check back with you on this one. Thank you so much.
Vice President Cheney is back at work this hour after an unplanned to trip to the hospital. His office first called it a routine visit. But now we're learning, it was more. Let's get the latest from Elaine Quijano, who is traveling with President Bush in Missouri.
Hi, Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon to you, Don. That's exactly right, some confusing information initially out of the vice president's office.
But now a Cheney spokeswoman, Megan McGinn telling CNN that Vice President Cheney today suffered some discomfort, apparently in his left leg. You'll recall that's the same leg where he had a blood clot that was found a couple weeks ago after an international trip.
Today Vice President Cheney was taken to George Washington University Medical Center for an examination. And an ultra-sound, according to his office, showed no extension or complication from the blood clot, we are told. But after initially telling the reporters that, in fact, this visit to George Washington University Medical Center was in fact routine, the vice president's office backtracking, saying instead that it was not a routine visit. That the vice president did in fact experience that discomfort, but the bottom line, no complications from this blood clot. The vice president is back at work.
Meantime, here in Kansas City, Missouri, President Bush is here to highlight hybrid and flex few technology, and to specifically tout his energy plan to cut down on America's consumption by 20 percent over the next 10 years. The president, today, is touring couple of plants, a GM plant, a Ford plant. And he's going to be making remarks. In fact, at this hour. An administration official, Don, telling CNN that the president will in fact in his remarks challenge Congress to pass his energy legislation by this summer -- Don.
LEMON: All right. Elaine Quijano, thank you so much for that.
LEMON: Lost in the wilderness since Saturday, and then found alive today. We'll take you back to North Carolina for the latest on Michael Auberry.
And you are looking at live pictures now coming in from Butler, Pennsylvania. This is a trench rescue. We're going to bring this to you. Betty Nguyen is checking this story. She'll have it for you when we come back from a break. CNN NEWSROOM continues in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: An intricate trench rescue going on in Pennsylvania -- Betty Nguyen.
NGUYEN: They're being very cautious here. Let me tell you why, Don, and you'll see more of it when we show the live pictures. Right there, you see that big concrete slab. We've learned a little more about how heavy this thing is. It's six feet long, and it weighs 3,800 pounds, so you can understand the extreme caution that these rescue workers are using to lift it off the 14-year-old boy who is trapped beneath this.
The slab, in fact, was a temporary wall to hold up the roadway, there. And crews were digging to put in a sewer line. If you look very closely by the guy in the red, toward his feet, you can see the rushing water below, which I assume is part of that sewer line that they were trying to install there. So this slab was holding up the roadway as they were working to install that.
We don't know how it fell on this 14-year-old boy. We also don't know why this 14-year-old boy was in this area on a school day, like today, unless they're having spring break at this time. I'm not sure about that.
But regardless, he is in some dire trouble right now becoming trapped underneath this 3,800 pound concrete slab. What medical crews are trying to do, right now, besides make sure that his vital signs are OK, they're sticking what they're call air bags in the open crevices, between the boy and this concrete slap. When they blow those up, it will relieve some pressure. But just imagine that kind of weight on you. Again, this is just a 14-year-old boy.
We don't know the circumstances of how this concrete slap fell on top of him. But right now it's a race against the clock to try to get him out from under it. And two, a helicopter that is waiting to take him to the hospital, just as soon as he is set free. So, we're going to continue to watch this for you, Don.
LEMON: Do know if it fell, or was it -- did he somehow just go under it, or we don't know?
NGUYEN: That's the question. What we're getting information about is this was a temporary wall. For so long all we knew that it was a six-foot concrete slap.
Oh, wait! I'm being told right now he is out. Do you see him?
LEMON: Yes, there he is.
NGUYEN: He's being lifted out.
LEMON: There he is, Betty.
NGUYEN: They're trying to get him to a helicopter that is waiting by, obviously with that kind of weight on him, there's a lot of medical implications. And they're trying to get him to a hospital just as soon as possible. I wish they could zoom in, so we get another look at this. But again they were using air bags to relieve pressure and try to free him in the easiest possible way.
And now they're trying to get him up this little embankment. They're dealing with so many conditions, Don. The good news is he's out.
LEMON: They probably don't want to get in real close, Betty, depending on his condition. I'm sure they're being told not to go real tight on him. But, wow, right during the report, you know? NGUYEN: Yeah, well, hey --
LEMON: He is pulled out of there.
NGUYEN: And now the concern is what kind of injuries does he have? Of course we'll be following this for you, Don. And bringing you the latest.
Again, the good news, in this trench rescue is that the 14-year- old boy, who was trapped underneath a 3,800-pound concrete slab has now been free. And crew workers are trying to get him up this embankment, or hill, and onto an awaiting helicopter, which will take him to a nearby hospital.
LEMON: Wow. Like I said, right there in your live shot, wow. So, we're going to let you go and find out more information on this.
NGUYEN: OK.
LEMON: And the, we'll stay with these picture a little bit longer. And tell our viewers that this 14-year-old boy has been rescued. As Betty, just said, 3,800-pound wall. They believe it was holding up part of the highway there, six feet long. So I just want to linger on these pictures so you can see them there. And Betty is going to check on the latest on his condition and what other information she might be able to get.
Thanks, Betty
Brianna.
KEILAR: It's a quarter past the hour and here are some of the stories we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM.
He's weak, but otherwise he's fine. A Boy Scout missing since Saturday in the North Carolina mountains; 12-year-old Michael Auberry was found about a mile and a half from the camp where he was last seen.
Now, first the White House said it was a routine visit, but now there's word Vice President Cheney went to a Washington hospital today because of pain in his leg, the same leg where doctors found a blood clot earlier this month.
And the flames were quick and help was slow. A fire at a nursing home in southern Russia has killed more than 60 people. There's word the closest fire station was almost an hour away.
LEMON: This one was a mystery and sadly it has been solved. A Purdue University freshman who disappeared in January, well, he's turned up dead. Apparently the victim of a bizarre accident. We get the details from Jennifer Carmack of CNN affiliate WRTV.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENNIFER CARMACK, REPORTER, WRTV (on camera): We now know that body found in Owen Hall on Monday night is that of Purdue freshman Wade Steffey.
Now according to the Tippecanoe County coroner, Steffey's death has been ruled an accidental electrocution. According to a Purdue spokesperson, Wade was apparently was trying to get back into Owen Hall on January 13th to get his coat that he had left inside a friend's room.
He went into this basement utility room door, the room was apparently dark, and investigators believe the 19 year old tripped on a high voltage line causing him to fall into a transformer connector. That high voltage apparently killed him instantly. His parents say this brings closure, though it's not the outcome they had hoped for.
DAWN ADAMS, WADE STEFFEY'S MOTHER: There was a lot of missing pieces that were so puzzling before, that makes sense now.
DALE STEFFEY, WADE STEFFEY'S FATHER: It's been an incredible two months. It's been very difficult, but we've been very humbled by the outpouring of support and the level of concern. And just -- we're thankful today more than anything we're just thankful that we have our son.
CARMACK: Officials say that utility room had been checked during past searches, but Steffey's body was not visible from the door because he was behind one of those transformers. It's still not clear why that door was left unlocked the night of January 13th. From Purdue University, I'm Jennifer Carmack for CNN News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: Now to the controversy surrounding the firings of several U.S. attorneys, stacks of papers, piles of questions, 3,000 pages of Justice Department documents might not be enough for House Democrats. They want to know much more about the prosecutor firings. And they want to hear it, not read it. CNN's Dana Bash is on Capitol Hill for us -- Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, they want to hear it. As a matter of fact, as we speak right here in the Rayburn House Office Building, actually right down the hall from where I am, White House Counsel Fred Fielding is now meeting with senior members of the Judiciary Committees on the Senate and House side, giving them the answers they have been waiting for; as to whether or not Karl Rove, the president's top political adviser, and other current and former Bush officials will actually come and testify under oath, voluntary, before Congress, as Democrats and even Republicans have requested.
Or whether they're going to say no or perhaps offer some kind of compromise. I spoke with the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, John Conyers, as he was walking into the meeting. And he was clearly not in a mood for compromise. He said that he was aggravated that the White House missed the deadline that they had given them for last Friday to get this answer.
And he has already put on the books, for tomorrow morning, Brianna, a vote to allow him to subpoena Karl Rove and others if the answer today, that they're getting right now, behind closed doors, is no. No, that Rove and others will not be allowed to testify.
The strong suspicion, from Republicans and Democrats, is that the answer likely will be no, because the president historically has been very reluctant to allow his top aides, who are not confirmed by the Senate to come and talk to Congress. Especially in public under oath, because he has in the past claimed executive privilege.
But this is so politically hot right now, and it is coming from Democrats and Republicans, this demand, that they want to hear from Rove and others, that it will be interesting to see how the White House tries to calm this, and whether or not they will try some kind of middle ground, Brianna.
But, as I said, that's going on behind closed doors. We'll hear from at least the members of Congress who are coming out of that meeting, right here, as soon as it's done.
KEILAR: We'll be watching this showdown. Dana Bash, live on Capitol Hill. Thanks, Dana.
BASH: Thanks, Brianna.
LEMON: Harry Reid is now speaking on the Hill. I'm just getting word now, we're going to a press conference? OK. All right.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: New developing story here. Betty Nguyen, during a live report just moments ago, we witnessed a trench rescue live.
Betty, and you have some new information for us?
NGUYEN: We are getting new information. The good news is he has been set free from that 3,800-pound slab of concrete there in the Middlesex Township, about 35 miles south of Pittsburgh.
But to get the details on exactly what happened as we're watching video of the crews trying to get the 14-year-old boy to an ambulance or helicopter standing by to take him to the hospital, we want to go on the phone with the deputy director of the Butler County 911, his name is Robert Young.
Mr. Young, are you with us?
ROBERT YOUNG, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, BUTLER CO. 911: Yes, I am.
NGUYEN: If you could fill in the details here, what happened, do you know?
YOUNG: About an hour to 45 minutes ago, the 911 Center received a call reporting this 14-year-old child trapped under a piece of concrete. As how the mechanism happened or how it fell, I'm not sure at this time.
NGUYEN: Who called it in? Someone that just happened to be passing by and saw it?
YOUNG: That's my belief, yes.
NGUYEN: Do you know what's going on in this area? We've been told this concrete slab is not only 3,800 pounds, and six-feet in length, but it was part of a temporary wall that was holding up the roadway as they install some sewer lines. Do you know anything more about that?
YOUNG: There is a sewer line project in that area. I cannot state that this retaining wall was part of that project.
NGUYEN: As we've been watching this, it was quite a remarkable rescue, they had to put air bags underneath this really heavy piece of concrete to reduce the pressure and get the boy out. Do you know any more about the injuries? Have you been told anything along those lines?
YOUNG: We have not been updated on the patient's condition.
NGUYEN: When it came to people calling in, and you getting information out to the authorities, I imagine there was a real scramble to find the type of equipment to remove this heavy piece of concrete?
YOUNG: Actually, we have a trench rescue team here in Butler County just for this type of an event, so our resources were in place and responded very quickly.
NGUYEN: But I also understand, according to wire reports, this is their first-ever trench rescue? True?
YOUNG: Yes, this is a relatively new team and this is their first rescue.
NGUYEN: As we wait to see the condition of the boy, I guess, to the extent, though. It is a success in the sheer fact that the boy has been set free from that. The biggest concern coming into 911, as you were managing all of this?
YOUNG: The biggest concern was getting the resources there in a timely manner.
NGUYEN: Do you feel they were there in time? How long before the first call until someone was on the scene to help this boy?
YOUNG: I don't have an exact time, but it was just minutes. Probably within five, six minutes.
NGUYEN: That is good news. Do you even know anything more about this particular 14-year-old, or why he may have been near this site?
YOUNG: I cannot add to that, no.
NGUYEN: OK, maybe you know this, is it spring break there? Or are kids in school at this time? YOUNG: No, it is not spring break. We should have our kids in school.
NGUYEN: OK.
Robert Young, the deputy director of the Butler County 911 System, thanks for the information that you've been able to provide.
Don, the good news here is that this 14-year-old, we don't know how he became trapped under this 3,800 pounds of concrete, that big six-foot slab. Which we're being told was part of the roadway there as crews were trying to dig up a sewer line, and install one. That obviously somehow came crashing down on the boy, and now he is free. Thank goodness. We'll stay on top of this and let you know as soon as we know any information as to the condition of this boy.
LEMON: Yes. Betty, thank you so much for that.
KEILAR: President Bush is in the heartland today, making a pit stop at two automobile factories. Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with the details.
Hi, Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Brianna.
President Bush is right now visiting the second of two Kansas City area plants. It marks his first visit to a domestic auto factory since taking office more than six years ago. The president is touring the GM and Ford plants to get a glimpse of their latest hybrid cars, and to repair some frayed relationships with the industry.
The president has been clear that the days of federal bailouts, like the one for Chrysler in 1979 are long gone. Still the auto giants are eager to voice some of their other concerns, including mileage standards, health care, and a federal investment to help advance alternative fuels -- Brianna.
KEILAR: Susan, as you noted, the president doesn't have exactly the warmest relationship with the auto industry. Is this a peace offering?
LISOVICZ: Some would see it that way, Brianna. The chiefs of GM, Ford and Chrysler did meet with the president last year, but only after the president delayed the meeting twice. The automakers, and their workers, were also upset after the president said Detroit should take responsibility for is problems and make relevant products. But he's also expected to promote his 2010 fuel proposal, which calls for reducing U.S. gasoline use 20 percent, by 2017. Today's tour is also leading up to another White House meeting with the auto executives that could come as early as next week.
Turning to Wall Street, well, some positive momentum following yesterday's triple-digit gains. We did get some new housing numbers this morning. New home construction jumped last month, but permits for future building fell for the 12th straight time in 13 months. So, a mixed report there.
But the Dow is up 44 points or a third of a percent. Ditto for the Nasdaq. And that's the latest from Wall Street.
Coming up, a court ruling over allegations connecting a blue chip company to Satanism. Brianna and Dionne -- Don!
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSS TALK)
LEMON: Dionne?
(LAUGHTER)
LISOVICZ: Do you know there is Bennifer and then there's Brionne --
LEMON: Don and Brianna, Dionne. I kind of like that.
LISOVICZ: You know what I meant.
LEMON: You coined a new one, Susan Lisovicz. Always on top of it.
KEILAR: Thanks, Susan.
LEMON: All right, Susan. Thank you so much.
And we are following, developing stories, much, much more on this developing story we're working on here in the NEWSROOM: A missing Boy Scout found safe in the woods of North Carolina. We'll hear from the rescuers in just a few moments. Right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
A missing Boy Scout found safe in the woods of North Carolina. We'll hear from the rescuers in just a few moments right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Hello, I'm Don Lemon, live at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.
KEILAR: And I'm Brianna Keilar in for Kyra Phillips.
Thumbs up in North Carolina, and paws up too, as a search dog name Gandalf tracks down a missing Scout. Michael Auberry is getting a checkup, but rescuers say he's in good condition considering his three-day ordeal. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have found Michael. He is OK. They're getting ready to walk out now. (INAUDIBLE) did you copy that?
(END VIDEO CLIP) LEMON: Well, that simple radio message and the words A-1 set off a celebration in North Carolina, in the North Carolina mountains. Michael Auberry is found alive. The 12-year-old now back with his parents after three days and three nights alone in the woods. The boy was on a camping trip with his Scout troop when he wondered off. It was a rescue dog named Gandalf that first spotted the boy walking about a mile and a half from the campsite. Now this was just hours after rescuers changed their search pattern. Last hour we spoke with Ranger Tina White about what can best be described as a great day in North Carolina.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TINA WHITE, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: I was on site when the parents received the news, so it was definitely not a moment to interrupt. A lot of hugs and kisses and a lot of tears. But the family was just grinning from ear to ear and very happy with good reason. But, no, I'll wait until after they have some of that private time and then we'll talk with them to see if we can get them to come and talk a little bit more about their experiences.
LEMON: And, Tina, a lot of hugs and kisses among the family members, but what about the people who were looking for him as well? I imagine your reaction was pretty similar.
WHITE: Oh, it was widespread. I was telling folks earlier, it wasn't just the rescuers and the family and the people that you would think of right off, it's the folks from the media, too. We were all smiling and we were all just so excited to be there at that moment when we heard the radio call come across giving us that good news.
LEMON: And there was one thing -- was there a change in strategy, Tina, that led to finding Michael?
WHITE: Yes, there was definitely a lot of work put in to trying to figure out the priority areas. Where is it most likely that Michael's going to be based on the terrain and the topography. So quite a bit of time and effort was put into making these determinations on what are the most likely areas. They came up with 35. And it turns out that we found Michael in one of those segments.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: When Michael Auberry disappeared, he was wearing two jackets, one of them was fleece. Rescuers say people have been out a week or even longer with much less protection. Now Michael's also had a bit of survival training, having earned his first-class rank. And that means he's had to prove that he can find his way around day or night without a compass. With a compass, he's had to complete a course that covered at least a mile. So he and his fellow Scouts were camping in Doughton Park, which covers 6,000 acres along the Blue Ridge Parkway near the Virginia state line.
He served under Saddam Hussein, was tried for the same atrocities and convicted and today he died on the same gallows. Former Iraqi vice president Taha Yassin Ramadan was hanged for his role in a bloody crackdown on Shiites in 1982. One hundred forty-eight men and boys were killed after a failed attempt to assassinate Saddam Hussein.
LEMON: A chopper down. A distress call sends another helicopter crew into the skies over Iraq. In a CNN exclusive, our Alex Quade reports on rescuers who risk all to brings their comrades back alive.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEX QUADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): Downed air crew.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sandy (ph) one, this is mud hub (ph) 51.
QUADE: Looking for cover. Isolated in the middle of a war zone, desperate for rescue before enemy insurgents find them first. Training based on the real thing in Iraq and Afghanistan. That's what happened to these soldiers, their Chinook in a sandstorm.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were on a reply submission. Dust in the sands (ph). The aircraft started to roll. We really didn't have time to think. We had to ground aircraft. Rolled over on its right side.
QUADE: Two combat search and rescue helicopters, known as Jollys, responded. Pilot, call sign Shrimp.
They worried that you wouldn't come get them because of the sandstorm.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had to. That crashed helicopter is like a beacon. The insurgents, they will definitely descended on that. They would have became POWs.
QUADE: So Shrimp and the second Jolly, piloted by Chief, flew into the same sandstorm that took the Chinook out.
How difficult were the conditions?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's kind of like being in a heavy rainstorm without the windshield wipers on.
QUADE: The soldiers, injured but alive, waiting for the pararescuemen, or PJs, just like they've learned.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The PJs run out armed, you know, to the tee. They kind of drag them back to the aircraft, you know, because we need to go.
QUADE: They now face an insurgent ambush. The events sketched by one of their copilots.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were being engaged.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Multiple missiles fired from shoulder of insurgents.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Corkscrew missiles come up. I kind of break to the right. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was being shot at. And the only thing I knew to do at that time was to turn back into it and put as many rounds in that area that I could. We abated the missiles, broke hard, banked, caught our breath and flew the rest of the way back to our base and delivered the five individuals to the hospital.
We know that we're going to go through some hard stuff, but that's why we do it.
QUADE: They're doing it in Iraq and Afghanistan right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And they say the two soldiers have been recovered. The crash site has been secured.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Both of the soldiers were recovered.
QUADE: Combat search and rescuemen ready for the next call.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There is a recovery operation going on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it happened once, there's a very good chance it can happen again.
QUADE: Alex Quade, CNN, Avon Park Air Force Range, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: And you can see Alex's next report later on "The Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer beginning at 4:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.
KEILAR: Another scandal for the president's trusted adviser. Will this one stick? Or is Karl Rove made of Teflon? A look ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: President Bush is talking up his energy policy today, but the real heat is on his attorney general. This morning, Mr. Bush phoned Alberto Gonzales, who's facing calls to quit over the controversial firings of eight U.S. attorneys. The White House says the president reaffirmed his "strong backing" for Gonzales. The White House is also denying reports that it's already looking to replace Gonzales.
KEILAR: Well, what does the U.S. attorney controversy have in common with the Valerie Plame-Wilson case? What do both have in common with President Bush's election victories and countless political strategies? Karl Rove, of course. So when Rove's name surfaced in the prosecutor firings, Democrats may have hoped they'd finally cornered the president's political guru. But CNN's Brian Todd reports there aren't many corners in the Oval Office.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BRIAN TODD, ABC CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): That sound Karl Rove hears from up the street could be the political knives being unsheathed for him yet again.
SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER, (D) JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Karl Rove was in the middle of this mess from the beginning.
TODD: E-mails linking the president's top political advisor to the firings of U.S. attorneys have some Democrats believing they've got him this time. But do they? None of the e-mail puts the firings squarely at Rove's feet. And CNN contributor William Bennett says this effort to get Rove in front of Congress is part of a Democratic obsession with the man who's credited with engineering Republican victories in two controversial presidential elections and one midterm.
WILLIAM BENNETT, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: I know him. I've worked with him. He's a very smart guy. I can tell you, not everything originates with him.
TODD: But Rove was involved in the CIA leak scandal. Acknowledged by journalist Robert Novak as one of his sources for the identity of former operative Valerie Plame-Wilson.
VALERIE PLAME-WILSON, FORMER CIA OPERATIVE: Karl Rove clearly was involved in the leaking of my name and he still carries a security clearance to this day.
TODD: But leaking a covert operatives name is not illegal if you don't know they're undercover. Rove went before a grand jury five times to clarify what he knew, who he spoke to and when, even clearing up previous misstatements and he was never charged.
JIM VANDEHEI, POLITICO.COM: Love him or hate him, the guy's a shrewd tactician, a shrewd politician. And I think he knows how he can, you know, keep himself at a far enough distance from some of these activities so they do not hurt him or backfire on him and Bush politically.
TODD: One former colleague says Rove may have a problem if it's discovered that he was involved in firings U.S. attorneys who were investigating Republicans. But this person doesn't believe they have Rove this time either. After all, the former colleague says, Rove was not among those who misled Congress about the firings.
Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LEMON: And straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM, entertainment news with Brooke Anderson. She's in L.A.
Brooke, what's on tap?
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Don.
Well, we're going to tell you what's next in the paternity battle that has captured worldwide attention. And we'll show you just how well a high-profile divorcee with one leg can dance. So Stay tuned to the NEWSROOM.
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LEMON: All right. This new video in from North Wilksbury (ph), North Carolina. This is Wilkes Regional Hospital. If you take a close look there, Michael Auberry, the 12-year-old Boy Scout who went missing and then was found, this is him on a stretcher being taken into the hospital.
This is courtesy of our affiliate WSPA in North Carolina. The first pictures right here on CNN of the young man being taken into the hospital to be looked after, after he was lost in the woods for about three days. Lost from his Boy Scout troop.
So those new pictures just in to the CNN NEWSROOM. As soon as we get more information on this developing story, we'll certainly bring it to you live here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Brianna.
KEILAR: Don, this could be a crucial day in the battle in the Bahamas over Anna Nicole Smith's baby. Now back in Florida, a judge who was briefly involved in the case is in trouble with the law. So for more on that, let's go to CNN entertainment correspondent Brooke Anderson. She has all of today's entertainment headlines.
Hi, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Hi, Brianna.
Yes, the clue that could unlock the mystery of the paternity of Anna Nicole Smith's daughter Dannielynn, could be provided soon, finally. The fatherhood has been hotly debated, as we all know, since Dannielynn was born last September. Sources are telling the entertainment news website, XMZ.com, that at a meeting in the Bahamas today, the judge will probably order DNA samples from Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead, who both claim they're the father.
Stern was Smith's companion until she died and he is listed as the father on the birth certificate. But Anna's former boyfriend, Larry Birkhead, claims he too is the biological father. So, Brianna, maybe by the time Dannielynn is ready to say "daddy" she will know for sure whom that is.
KEILAR: And we'll find out too. We've been waiting for so long, of course. And you know, Brooke, this is a case of where truth is just stranger than fiction. There are so many characters in this real-life drama that you really just can't even make up. And as we said before, one of them has gotten into a little trouble. Can you tell us about that?
ANDERSON: A bit of trouble, absolutely. Judge Lawrence Korda, who heard arguments weeks ago as to where Anna Nicole should be buried, is facing a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession. Several Hollywood, Florida, police officers say they noticed Korda smoking a joint in a public park on Sunday afternoon.
Local police there say that a misdemeanor ticket is common for this type of offense and that the judge not getting any kind of special treatment. But his future, he's a family court judge, so his future behind the bench in Broward County is another matter. Brianna, we're going to have to wait to see what sort of consequences he will face down the road.
KEILAR: All right. Well, let's turn our attention away now from Anna Nicole. Last night, of course, was Heather Mills' much anticipated debut on "Dancing With The Stars." How did it go?
ANDERSON: You know what, she did really well. Her appearance was highly anticipated because Mills has a prosthetic leg. But there she was dancing away last night. I thought she was very graceful. And Mills said she wanted to be an inspiration to others with artificial limbs, others who have disabilities. She finished with a score of 18 out of 30 from the judges. That put her ahead of some of the other competitors, all of whom have their natural limbs. And after the show, Mills seemed pretty pleased. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEATHER MILLS, CHARITY ACTIVIST: Now the scores have come out pretty good. I don't feel I'm at a disadvantage at all. I'm kind of pleased because where I might have my artificial leg and it effects balance and stuff, other people might not move the same.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Mills lost her leg in a motorcycle accident. And she's also seeking to rehab a public image that has taken some hits lately as she goes through a really messy divorce from rock legend Paul McCartney.
Now you can see Mills on "Larry King Live" tonight. She's going to be talking about her dancing moves. So you can watch that.
And then flip over to "Headline News" because tonight on "Showbiz Tonight" the new strange developments in the Anna Nicole Smith drama. A judge in the case arrested on drug charges. We're going to have more on that.
Plus, is Larry Birkhead the target of a stalker? And will this be D-day in the DNA baby battle? Complete coverage. TV's most provocative entertainment news show, "Showbiz Tonight," 11:00 Eastern and Pacific, Headline Prime. A.J. Hammer and I hope to see you then.
Brianna.
KEILAR: Thanks, Brooke.
And let's go now to Don for some developing news in the NEWSROOM.
Don. LEMON: Yes, we do have some developing news. Let's grab these pictures real quick. I just want to show you. This is House Judiciary Committee John Conyers. They're outside speaking now.
But here's what happened. They emerged from this meeting, along with Congressman Chris Cannon, with White House Counsel Fred Fielding saying that the White House has agreed to let Karl Rove, Harriet Miers and their aides be interviewed privately by the House Judiciary Committee. No oath would be given in this.
But this information just coming in here to the CNN NEWSROOM that the White House counsel, Fred Fielding, says the White House has agreed to let Karl Rove, Harriet Miers and their aides be interviewed privately.
And that is all regarding, of course, those U.S. attorneys who were supposed to be let go. The firing of at least eight U.S. attorneys. We're going to have much more of this in the CNN NEWSROOM. We'll be back right after this.
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