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Search for Victims, Answers in Bridge Collapse

Aired August 02, 2007 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I knew the deck was going down, and it was -- there was no question about it. And I thought I was going to die.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CO-HOST (voice-over): The search for victims. The search for answers. What caused this disaster?

And America's bridges? Is anyone guarding against another catastrophe?

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MAJORITY LEADER: I think we should look at this tragedy that occurred as a wakeup call for us.

PHILLIPS: Special coverage right now in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips live in the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta.

DON LEMON, CO-HOST: And I'm Don Lemon, live at the scene in Minneapolis.

PHILLIPS: And we're covering the bridge strategy (sic) in Minnesota from all angles. Don will be joining me from the scene throughout the day.

What can we expect, Don?

LEMON: Well, we can expect to hear from investigators, but mostly, Kyra, we can expect to hear those stories, those personal stories from families who are involved in this and waiting -- awaiting word from their loved ones, and sadly, those whose family members who have died.

I want to show you some video that was sent in to CNN overnight, video of this horrendous, horrendous incident happening.

This is one of the traffic cameras, one of the surveillance cameras, that shows this tragic accident as folks were driving across the bridge; 6:05 p.m. Central Time, local time, when all of a sudden they heard a rumble that sounded like thunder. And then they thought they were in the middle of an earthquake when the bridge collapsed, trapping people and people falling into the water.

Many of those people, many of those cars still down there, have not been rescued. This is a recovery effort now.

We want to take you now to live video of the traffic -- traffic camera live right here on the scene. You see that bridge just cut off there. That was the major artery into this entire area, into the Twin Cities. Right here, the University of Minnesota in this area, very heavily, heavily used artery here.

As I mentioned, it's sad, because there are people who died. But there's also people -- there are also people who are waiting to hear from their loved ones. It's just heart-wrenching stories coming one after the other, Kyra, of people who are just waiting.

Just a short time ago I spoke with the Engerbretsen family. The interview left me speechless. Two young girls who had been adopted by this woman who's missing, and then their dad, their stepdad, the woman's husband, gave me an emotional interview not long ago.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kind of surreal. But we've just got to stick together and be a family, because that's what she'd want us to do.

LEMON: Talk to me about your mom. You're waiting for your mom. You told me that your mom adopted you when you were just little kids from Colombia. How old were you? Tell us about that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was three months, and my sister was four months. And my parents adopted us from Bogota, Colombia. And I think we're two of the luckiest girls in the nation right now, because our parents are wonderful people.

LEMON: What do you want folks to know about your mom?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just pray. Just pray, please. That's all we can ask right now. We're just hoping. Just be positive, and everything will be OK.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Yes, and the strength they say that their mother showed them and also the husband saying what kind of woman she was to adopt kids some 20 years ago. She's 60 years old. So at the age of 40, Kyra, she went to Colombia and adopted these two wonderful young ladies who both were so strong, came up to the scene with their boyfriends and stayed here and spoke to us.

Also want to mention, Kyra, that CNN, of course, has a team of reporters out here. We have our Allan Chernoff, who has been getting similar stories. And one very unusual story. A person thought their loved one was dead. Turns out their loved one is alive in the hospital and may be one of those Jane or John Does that everyone is hoping for.

Our Susan Roesgen is here. She is on the scene now. Our Soledad O'Brien is here. Anderson Cooper is going to be on the scene. We're all -- we're on top of this story with every resource that we have. And we'll be speaking to as many of those reporters who are getting these personal stories, and we're going to get to the bottom of this investigation.

Of course, "AC 360" will keep them honest, coming up tonight on CNN.

PHILLIPS: And we're looking at live pictures, actually, right along with you Don. Actually, we just lost the signal, but our affiliate, KARE-TV there, was bringing us live pictures.

And you talk about the missing and individuals wondering where their loved ones could be. Right now we're looking -- here we go again, a live shot here from the other helicopter.

Are there divers still in the water trying to make recoveries if, indeed, there are possible bodies still in that water?

LEMON: Absolutely, Kyra. And I'm going to turn around. I'm not sure if I'm on camera. I can't see air now, but I'm going to turn around, so pardon me for turning my back just to look at the scene which is behind me.

Yes, those divers were in the water as soon as this tragedy happened last night. They jumped into the water here and then when night fell, of course, it was so dangerous. They couldn't see. You know the river, the Mississippi, is very murky and very dangerous. They had to get out of that water.

So this morning, 7:30 Central Time, local time, they got back into the water, and they are looking to try to get as much debris from the river as possible. They're trying to get the cars, whatever may be in that river.

And we're being told by investigators, obviously, it is -- the water is treacherous. The bridge is still unstable. It is still a very dangerous scene. Barring all of the -- what we've heard from the families and how sad it is, I really think the sound bite of the day when it comes to the investigation comes from Mary Peters, who said bridges in America should not fall down.

PHILLIPS: And we're going to talk more about that, actually, with a couple of engineers. Coming up in the next couple of hours, we're going to talk a lot to you, Don. Thank you so much.

And here's a quick update on where things stand. If you're just tuning in, the death toll officially right now is at four. But that number is expected to climb. Don mentioned the divers are in the water right now, looking possibly for other bodies that might be in that water.

And it's because somewhere between 20 and 30 people are still missing. At least 79 people were injured.

The investigation into what caused this tragedy is already underway. The federal government has dispatched teams from the NTSB, FEMA, and a host of other agencies to help with the investigation.

First lady Laura Bush also expected to travel to Minneapolis tomorrow to meet with families of those that have been killed in the disaster.

Now, this is an emotional story for the people of Minneapolis, and for you, all of the viewers across the country watching, but perhaps the most deeply affected are those first responders who risked so much to rescue so many people, some of whom can't be saved, just comforted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF TIM DOLAN, MINNEAPOLIS POLICE: We know of several people that were pinned or trapped and, at the time that we left them, deceased. So -- and I'll just leave it at that. It's -- so -- and we also know there are several vehicles that were in the water that we -- we haven't gotten to yet. So -- but as far as pinned or trapped, there are several people. I'll say that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chief, were some of those people still alive? What did they say?

DOLAN: There was an individual case were an individual was severely -- obviously severely injured and was talking to medical personnel and was able to say his good-byes to his family, and he passed on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: The scene of the bridge collapse is still a very dangerous place with divers battling strong current right now and a lot of sharp objects as they search up to 50 submerged vehicles and not far away, dozens of family members still waiting to hear the fate of their loved ones.

Let's get back to Don Lemon, standing by for us in Minneapolis -- Don.

LEMON: Yes. Absolutely, Kyra. And we're certainly hoping that when they hear from their loved one that they will hear from their loved one and that it is absolutely good news.

And just that family that we've been talking about, the Engerbretsen family, earlier, said that they were holding out hope that they were going to be positive, because they were hoping that their loved one is still alive, as are many people who are doing that, as well.

We've been talking to you about the story, about the people who were right in the middle of this, who actually were on the bridge when this bridge collapsed.

We've been talking about the school bus that had kids, as well as staff and other people on that. One of those people is Nina Jenkins. She was stuck on that bridge. She spoke to our Anderson Cooper last night about her story. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NINA JENKINS, SURVIVOR: I feel like -- it really felt like it was like the bus was kind of like -- the bus driver (UNINTELLIGIBLE) it was like -- like a bus. The bus driver felt like it was shaking, like it was going to break. So then what happened was she kind of went a little fast, so that she can, like, try to get, like, over the bridge, but when that happened, it cracked, so it kind of went down. And then she put on the brakes.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: And how did you get off the bus?

JENKINS: This man named Jeremy Hernandez, he -- like, I think he first saw it, like what happened. So then he -- he busted open the back door of the bus. And then he was telling everybody to get back out from the back of the door. And then -- and then we jumped into the little highway, and then we jumped off from the highway up to the sidewalk, and then neighbors were helping us trying to get out.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And that was Nina Jenkins. I mean, just an horrific story. The big question that everyone is thinking, because you know, probably most of the nation, I would say, almost everyone in the country goes across a bridge at least once a day or a couple times a week. What would you do if you were in that situation? It really is the unthinkable.

And a lot of people jumped in, not just people who are paid to do it, but a lot of people, a lot of volunteers, jumped in to help those people. Those are really the real heroes in this situation.

One of them is Jeremy Hernandez. He's a young -- we're calling him a young hero, a young survivor. We talk all the time about CNN heroes. We're going to talk to him a little bit later on in the NEWSROOM.

Now, as I said we've got a whole team of reporters and correspondents and producers, every resource that CNN has. We are on top of it with this story. I want to bring in now one of those correspondents got to the scene not -- just a short while ago.

Susan, share with us. On my way in -- Susan Roesgen, on my way in I heard talk radio, I saw the traffic. Talk to us about what you saw just in your short time that you've been here.

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, really, Don, a lot of onlookers. And you have to wonder whether they are helping in this effort today or hurting this effort. Certainly, people want to come out here and find out just what is happening, to see it for themselves here in Minneapolis.

As we've mentioned today, they still believe that there are about 50 cars under the dark water of the Mississippi and still believed to be 20 to 30 people still missing. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is obviously a horrific incident that takes your breath away and sinks your heart.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D), MINNESOTA: When I watched what unfolded last night, I was so proud. I was so proud to be a part of this state. The whole world watched as this city and this state came together. You saw the woman diving over and over again into the water to look for victims. People came together.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROESGEN: Once again, we have this dramatic exclusive video of the actual bridge collapse. It took just four seconds for the bridge to buckle in the middle, and then either end fell into the water some 60 feet, the equivalent of six stories into the Mississippi, bringing cars and people down with it.

You heard the senator there mention the great work of one of the divers. They have done a superb job here. They are still out there now, not trying to find survivors, but trying to find the victims.

They're trying to negotiate the very treacherous current of that river. They also have to watch out for chunks of concrete, jagged metal, as they try to bring up the victims of yesterday's bridge collapse -- Kyra, Don.

LEMON: I'll take -- I'll take it back, Susan. Yes, it's just amazing, and you know, being from New Orleans, or working in the New Orleans bureau, you know the mighty Mississippi, as they call it, just how treacherous it, just how murky it is. And we saw what that -- what happened with that during Hurricane Katrina. All of the things that can come out of that river. So we're certainly hoping that the divers and all the rescuers take care here.

We're going to continue to follow this developing story right here in the CNN NEWSROOM, especially all day here on CNN.

A lot more to come from the scene, Kyra. I'm going to toss it back to you.

PHILLIPS: All right. Don and Susan Roesgen, thank you so much.

And here is one of the many photos that just tugged at all of our hearts today. Melissa Hughes clutching her 3-month-old little girl. See the red car in the background, crushed by an upside down truck? Well, that's Melissa's car. Amazingly, she was not hurt.

The baby was not in the car when the bridge collapsed. Her husband actually brought the baby to her when he found out exactly what happened.

We'll have more in the CNN NEWSROOM in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: We continue to follow the fatal bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A quick update now on where things stand on the bridge tragedy.

The death toll officially is at four, but that number is expected to climb. And that's because somewhere between 20 and 30 people are still missing. Divers in the water right now.

At least 79 people were injured.

The investigation into what caused this tragedy is already well underway. And the federal government has dispatched teams from the NTSB, FEMA, and a host of other agencies to help with the investigation.

Even first lady Laura Bush is expected to travel to Minneapolis tomorrow to meet with families of those killed in the disaster.

Chad Myers has been following a lot of the history and background of this bridge, along with others. And it's amazing what you're able to discover through your technology, Chad, on just the rules and regulations and what went wrong.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You know, it's amazing what the Internet will do for you. Literally, just digging and digging and digging. And we have just rows of people in here digging. And yes, I did some, but they did most of it.

Thirty-five W, eight lanes wide, four going each direction. But this bridge was built back, like, in '67, '69. The whole bridge structure, the superstructure itself was actually built before new guidelines went in since the Silver Bridge.

We talked about the Silver Bridge, West Virginia to Ohio. That bridge was a non-redundant structure: when one piece broke, the rest of the bridge fell. And that's what happened here.

Let's go to the video. This is the exclusive video we've been watching over and over and over. But I want you to notice that right there. See, this bridge is falling, but that bridge is still -- part of it is still standing. Still standing.

Then the bridge -- look at the smoke, the steam probably, the splash from the water, well, what is that, 15 seconds later? Fifteen seconds later that piece collapsed, which told us that there was no way for this bridge to keep itself up when one member collapsed. That's when it all came down.

And here's the problem. We have pictures from before and after. The structure of this, what they really tried to do with this, they tried to -- the before and after pictures, they tried to pin this bridge in four spots. That's the one I want. Right there. That's the one I want.

See the picture on the left? They spanned the entire river with one span. They did not want to put a pier in the water. They did not want to impede navigation. Well, then they put all these locks and everything in there since then, but anyway.

These four pins hold a whole middle section up, over 400 feet long on these four pins. And somewhere -- somewhere one of these pins failed, and the entire bridge had no chance, and rest of the bridge had no chance either. When we lost one piece of the structure, the rest of the structure was coming down. No way to keep the rest of it up -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: And Chad, we're going to talk more about the way this bridge was built. It was a continuous concrete bridge. They didn't have all the -- I guess the foundations. Like a lot of times we'll see the bridges, you know, we'll see the huge pillars underneath, the pilings underneath.

MYERS: Right.

PHILLIPS: And so we're going to talk about why that type of bridge was built versus the other type of bridge. Is that bridge more dangerous than a bridge, say, with pilings? We're going to get deeper into that.

MYERS: Well, we also know so much about the inspections in '01, '05, '06, what they all said. And we're going to get into that, as well.

PHILLIPS: You know what else, Chad? We were reading that, as of 2003, 27 percent of the nation's bridges -- that's about 167 -- or 160,000 of them -- were structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. So you tend to wonder which bridges in what states could see a disaster like this.

MYERS: Well, you know, we talked a lot about the climate in Minneapolis and maybe they were spraying salt on it. But in fact, this bridge had some special technology where this -- this chemical came out of the ground, literally came out of concrete and spread itself off to stop the black ice.

So this was an old bridge, and it still had some pretty good technology above it. The technology that caused it to fail was the way it was built in the first place.

Since that Silver Bridge collapse in Ohio, completely new -- new rules went into effect. But that Silver Bridge collapsed two years after this bridge was built, so this bridge had none of the new technology, didn't have any of the new things that the new bridges now all have.

PHILLIPS: All right. Chad Myers, appreciate it.

MYERS: Sure.

PHILLIPS: Let's get back to Minneapolis. Don Lemon. He was talking to someone who was actually right there on the river when that bridge collapsed and saw it all happen -- Don.

LEMON: Kyra, you know, I kind of want to get in on the conversation that you and Chad were having just a short time ago. Because out of that press conference we heard from the National Transportation and Safety Board and all those federal officials. They say there are 70,000 to 80,000 bridges nationally that have a similar rating as this bridge. This bridge had, I think, a 50 rating out of 120.

And just pardon me while I'm going to jump down here and show you. This is a report that came out that was stunning. And it's in the "Star-Tribune" here, that's saying that in 2005, that this bridge was deficient and was in dire need of repairs. So this is the information here that investigators are going to be focusing on. So you guys are absolutely right.

You heard Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid earlier say that we have terrible infrastructure problems in this country and that they need to be addressed.

Now, let's get to our guest, a person who was really one of the eyewitnesses to this horrendous accident. And he's joining us now. His name is Charlie Leekley. And he is the captain of the Minnesota?

CAPT. CHARLES LEEKLEY, MINNEAPOLIS QUEEN PADDLEBOAT: Minneapolis.

LEMON: Minneapolis Queen. He was taking a group of 48 people out on a paddle boat ride or a tour around the river. That plus four crew members, 52 people in all, when you saw this -- this bridge collapse into the water. Tell us what happened and your reaction to it.

LEEKLEY: We'd given an excursion tour of the St. Anthony locks. You have upper and lower lock. And the bridge collapsed just downstream of the lower lock by about 150 feet or so.

And we were southbound coming into the lock to be lowered down to proceed underneath the bridge, and the bridge collapsed in front of us, in front of my helm station. I got a front row ticket to the show.

LEMON: Yes, and obviously, you look to be pretty emotional about it.

LEEKLEY: To be coy.

LEMON: Yes, but you know, I understand that. But you were very emotional, I can see now. You've been up all night. Tough for you to sleep?

LEEKLEY: Well, I've been on the phone all night long, so lots of people calling in and wondering if I was there and what I saw. And so yes, kind of a little bit of loss of sleep tonight.

LEMON: Has it sunk it in to you yet, you think?

LEEKLEY: Well, it's -- fate plays strange roles in our lives. We're all -- we're all very lucky, but my heart goes out to those that suffered on this bridge.

I was -- I watched them as the bridge collapsed with the cars on top of it. I saw several cars that couldn't stop go over the bridge.

And so as it sunk in, I think it sunk in that we should all be grateful for the time we have here on this planet, because anything like that can happen at any time, and it hits like a lightning bolt.

LEMON: Yes, you never know when it's going to happen. And you said cars, but you know, those cars went over, but those cars were filled with people and, you know, and with families.

You had this group of people on board. They were giving a tour. They were actually down in the hull, so they didn't see what happened?

LEEKLEY: No, we were facing -- we were southbound coming into the lower St. Anthony lock chamber, which is the water elevator that drops us down 23 feet into the lower gorge. And it takes about 10 minutes for that lock water to drain, and we would have progressed right underneath that bridge. So we avoided another catastrophe by just timing alone.

LEMON: Yes, just moments, or minutes or seconds.

LEEKLEY: Yes.

LEMON: You could have been under that bridge when all that happened, and that would have been even more horrific.

So the folks started coming up after your mate went down and told them what happened. And what was their reaction?

LEEKLEY: Well, they were aghast. They -- there was an eerie silence after the bridge collapsed, like I've never heard. And they started coming up, and no one said anything.

No one -- it took a while for it to sink in, to the reality of that -- that they had witnessed the loss of life. And you would hear a few whimpers, a few people crying out. My first mate, certainly his voice was fluctuating.

And it was all very surreal. Like it -- you can't believe it was happening. It was -- it reminded me of, you know, the pictures I see of Southern California or San Francisco Bridge collapses. The only other instance was when I turned into my TV early in the morning on September 11, six years ago and saw that.

LEMON: Right, and you saw that. Yes, and your mate took some pictures, and will become an I-Reporter for us. We're going to try to get those pictures on. But we're going to try to get the pictures on from his first mate. Tell me your first mate's name again.

LEEKLEY: His name is Andy.

LEMON: Andy. So Andy's going to become a CNN I-Reporter for us, and we're going to try to get those pictures that he took onto CNN air.

But I just want to -- I understand sort of what you were dealing with, because you wanted to jump in, having diving training and being trained for this. But then wisdom took over and said you shouldn't do that, and you needed to check to see what the rescue efforts were.

Tell us about that struggle within your yourself when you saw this happening. You had your diving equipment and everything with you.

LEEKLEY: Well, we were in a position to be able to provide a first response.

LEMON: And you're struggling with that now.

LEEKLEY: Well, the decision was made by the lock master, and it was a wise decision. And I congratulate him, through the pressure of me asking to be able to -- well, I had told him that I was prepared to assist and to -- and I went in, proceeded into the chamber to be let down so that we could assist.

But the nature of the debris and the proximity of the debris wouldn't have allowed me to maneuver the boat, and it would have become a hindrance to the real rescue effort.

But in any case, I had to sit on my hands for some time when I knew I could possibly do something, but my responsibility was to the 48 people that I had aboard.

LEMON: Yes, absolutely. Charlie Leekley, we thank you so much for joining us. And I can understand that struggle you had within yourself to want to help, but then you have to follow those orders. I can't imagine, you know, seeing what you saw and standing here today.

So thank you for joining us today in the CNN NEWSROOM.

And as -- as Charlie mentioned, you know, those -- going into that water, and just how dangerous it is down there. He knows the Mississippi. He knows the power of it. Kyra, you know it as well, that they don't call it the mighty Mississippi for no reason at all. It is a treacherous and dangerous place that all of these heroes are -- are looking for today to try to recover people from.

So we're going to continue to bring you stories throughout the day from here at the scene. Whatever we can bring you, Kyra, we're going to bring it, so stay tuned.

PHILLIPS: All right. More from Don in Minneapolis in just a moment. Also, our Susan Lisovicz, believe it or not, from the New York Stock Exchange, working her sources. She's just talked to the head of the Minneapolis downtown council.

We're going to talk about this group, how they represent 400 of the largest businesses in this city, talking about the importance of this bridge that you're seeing right now to the city's economy, in addition to what those big companies are doing about sending food and supplies to those in need.

We'll have more in just a moment.

You're watching CNN, the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Live pictures from Minneapolis right now. Two pictures to show you. One coming from trafficland.com of 35W and Washington Avenue. The other one from our affiliate KARE TV there out of Minneapolis.

Right now dozens of families, even more friends and other concerned individuals waiting desperately for any word about loved ones who are still unaccounted for after this bridge collapse. Twenty to 30 people still missing. Divers in the water right now in the thick Mississippi.

Lots of debris. Hardly any clarity. One of the toughest rivers to dive in. Trying to see if they can find any sign of any recoveries that could be made since this fatal accident happened.

We heard from the governor not long ago. Let's take a listen to what the governor had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. TIM PAWLENTY, MINNESOTA: This is obviously a horrific incident that takes your breath away and sinks your heart. And in the horror of this incident, there is a silver lining and that shines through, and that is the goodness of Minnesotans. And you saw it in the tremendous response of the first responders and emergency responders. A tremendous outpouring of support and resources and personnel and equipment. They did a tremendous job and I think saved a lot of lives that were at risk in the moments and hours after the bridge initially collapsed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Listening to the governor, Tim Pawlenty there, just after he was getting more information just a short time ago about the bridge collapse. And you can imagine beyond the human impact, the tragedy in Minneapolis could have been a major economic impact for the upper Midwest.

Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange with that part of the story. She's been working her sources.

Susan, I've been trying to keep up with all your e-mails. It's unbelievable how many people you've have a chance to talk to. A number of areas that we could cover, from the impact of the economy because of this bridge collapse, in addition to just the human side of all these major companies and what they're giving back to the community right now.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kyra, and, first of all, it's not only me, it's all my fine colleagues up here in New York who have been calling a lot of businesses in that area. And this is a time for them to really step up. And we've seen it. We've seen it before with Hurricane Katrina and 9/11. These businesses are very efficient. They have delivery systems. They have products. They have cash. And that's what we're seeing happening.

The bridge that collapsed is part of the I-35 corridor. That's a major interstate which goes from Duluth, Minnesota, north of Minneapolis, all the way down through Texas to the Mexican border. Along the way it passes through other big cities like Dallas, Kansas City and Des Moines. So it's an important trucking route. We spoke with the president of the Minnesota Trucking Association who says this could impact paper products shipped from Canada.

And UPS has a huge distribution center in northeast Minneapolis. Half of their employees use the bridge to get to work. But UPS says it expects package delays only in the local area but hasn't seen any yet.

Northeast Minneapolis is a large manufacturing center. Many of the alternate routes do not allow trucks. The Trucking Association is asking the governor to lift those restrictions. Speaking earlier today -- I'm going to go back to you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right. We'll continue to check in with you, of course, Susan.

As you know, we're getting developing details in addition to live interviews. We want to take you back to Minneapolis now. And I understand that Don is side by side with the sheriff.

Don.

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we are. Sheriff Rich Stanek. He is the sheriff of Hennepin County and actually on his way to a press conference to update folks on the newest information. He just walked up here.

And I was talking to you about update us on the recovery effort as far as the death toll. And I hate using that word, but it's the number of deaths. Changed any?

SHERIFF RICHARD STANEK, HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA: No, it's my understanding that last night officials released a number. This morning, the medical hospital downgraded that number. We know that we have a number of fatalities. I can't tell you exactly how many. There were a number of fatalities from yesterday. There are a number of fatalities still in the water. That's what the water recovery efforts are focused on right now.

LEMON: And we're told maybe 20 to 30 cars still in the water. Is that correct?

STANEK: Upward of that number, yes.

LEMON: Upwards of that number still in. So you don't know. What was the reason for them downgrading? Was it double count? I mean either have you seven bodies or you have four bodies (INAUDIBLE).

STANEK: No. Yes, I think it was strictly processed. You know the Hennepin County medical examiner morgue is responsible for notification of families. And as of early this morning, they had only received four fatalities.

LEMON: So that's it.

You're on your way to lead a press conference now. Tell us -- and it's going to come at 1:00 Central Time. Is that correct?

STANEK: 1:00. In about 25 minutes. Again, the sheriff's office leads the water recovery efforts. We have a joint command system here. So anything on land is handled by the Minneapolis Fire Department. In the water is handled by my sheriff's department.

We have a -- about a dozen divers in the water right now using side scan sonar to map out the area. We identified four vehicles that are far enough away from the structure and are safe enough for our divers to approach and find out what exactly is in those cars, if anything, as well as identify the vehicles so we can relay that information to the families downstairs.

LEMON: And also, I'm not sure -- I think we're looking at video now of folks on the bridge marking cars. Tell us about that process. Why are they doing that? What are they doing?

STANEK: Well, law enforcement treats this as a crime scene. So this entire area of the collapsed bridge is a crime scene until we figure out what exactly happened. We don't have any information that would lead us to believe this is anything other than a natural disaster or a tragedy, but that's how we process it. So water recovery efforts at this point are painstakingly slow and deliberate as we approach it from that aspect.

LEMON: Yes. Well, I was talking about the cars on the bridge. They're mark it. I don't know if it's like when they do with homes during tornados or . . .

STANEK: Same thing. You see on the bridge there's a number of state troopers. They are doing accident reconstruction. We are marking where everything is. Same thing we're doing in the water with our side scan sonar. Through GPS coordinates, we're marking exactly where the vehicles are, debris, any evidence we find in the water, recover from the water. All of that will be taken out of the water and brought to the sheriff's command post.

LEMON: So you're in charge of the water recovery effort. That means the divers who are in the water. And you said they -- four cars that they've approached, safe enough for them to go and check that out, right?

STANEK: Four cars -- well, yesterday afternoon, just after this tragedy occurred about 6:00 p.m., we were able to get to a number of cars and just do cursory glances inside for victims. Certainly not comprehensive by any means. LEMON: Did you find anything?

STANEK: We did. And then we backed back out as nighttime approached and conditions in the water became unsafe for our rescuers. This morning we began recovery operations. We're going back and reproaching those vehicles the best we can. This time marking exactly where everything is and doing a more comprehensive search.

LEMON: All right. Is that all the information that you're going to give at this 1:00 press conference? What can we expect to hear from there, the information you gave us? Is there anything new?

STANEK: I think, generally. And then a number of logistical pieces of information I think we might have in terms of questions.

LEMON: Did you lose anyone or did you know anyone in this tragedy?

STANEK: No, I did not. But I spoke to a number of family members downstairs. They are grieving, as expected. It's very tragic. You know, those people are all over the board.

LEMON: Sheriff Rich Stanek, Hennepin County sheriff. We thank you for joining us today, giving us really sort of a briefing on what's going to happen at 1:00.

So you have that heads up on that press conference. That's the information you're going to hear, as well, as he said, some logistical information to come here. So we'll definitely give you the highlights of that press conference, if not bring it to you live if we're set up to do that.

But we're live here at the scene. All the information coming right here into the CNN NEWSROOM. The latest from the sheriff, also from family members and divers and investigators as well, Kyra.

Back to you.

PHILLIPS: OK, Don, thanks so much.

And straight ahead, you know, as you know last night there were a number of people loaded on to stretchers and today well how are the injured doing and what are they doing? We'll have all those answers. Elizabeth Cohen, our medical correspondent, right here with us. We'll have that in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Concrete crumbling beneath them, cars rolling into the river, dozens of people treated at hospitals following last night's bridge collapse. CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen here with an update now on the injured.

Elizabeth, what do you know?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we had a very, very chilling story by the police chief, who said that it was amazing. It was incredible what happened down there at the scene. He said that -- this is Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan, said that people were pinned and trapped who died at the scene after saying their good-byes to medical workers. He said we have several individuals that were not recovered and they said good-bye to the medical workers. He said it was a pretty amazing scene. So it sounds like a very, very emotional time.

There were about 79 injured in this bridge collapse. That number, a little bit more, a little bit less, is definitely possible. Twenty-four of them went to Hennepin County Medical Center. Many have been discharged since. They now have ten in satisfactory condition, five in critical condition.

PHILLIPS: I can't even imagine being trapped like that, know that this is it and then being a medical responder and not being able to do anything.

COHEN: Right. You just have that last moment with them and that's it.

PHILLIPS: Now you just got off the phone with one of the physicians on the scene, right?

COHEN: Yes. One of the very first physicians who got to the scene. His name is Dr. John Hick (ph), and he's an emergency medical physician at Hennepin County Medical Center. He got the call when he was at home. He immediately got in his vehicle.

He was at the scene about 10 or 15 minutes after the bridge collapsed and he described the frustration of getting to the south side of the bridge, standing on the river bank, looking out in the water and seeing an expanse of decks with people just laying on it dazed and he couldn't get to them because they were in the middle of the river, there was swift water, he had no vehicle, plus there was this very, very high chain-link fence that separates the land from the water and he had no way of getting to them.

He then went to the north side where there was more access to people. He talked about how quickly people worked. They transported 55 people in less than two hours. So they put 55 people in ambulances in less than two hours. He said it was phenomenal.

And, Kyra, one of the things he told me is that ambulances had a hard time maneuvering down to that river bank. Sometimes they just couldn't get down there. And sometimes a pickup truck would come and would get an injured person and they would put a medic in the pickup truck and kind of have this makeshift ambulance.

He also said one of the reasons why they could work so quickly is that civilian doctors, not first responders, just civilian physicians, just who happened to be there or came by, helped them out. They just said, I'm here. I want to help. And they helped. And they helped get 55 people into ambulances in less than two hours.

PHILLIPS: That is the power of the human spirit right there. COHEN: Absolutely. Absolutely.

PHILLIPS: It's amazing when you see everybody respond.

Well could the doctor give you a feel for the mood? I mean, obviously, there were a lot of people showing up wanting to help, wanting to do something. Did he talk a lot about that -- just that spirit?

COHEN: He talked about it being a very calm effort. He said, you would think mayhem and metal everywhere that people might be hysterical and disorganized. But he said, really, from the very beginning -- I mean he was there 10 minutes after it collapse -- people were extremely organized and people worked very quickly. And he said that it wasn't really the numbers that were overwhelming.

In other words, the numbers of people who needed to be treated. He said what was really overwhelming was working with all that wreckage. He described it as working in a movie scene. As if you were working on the -- where they were shooting a movie about some catastrophe. Just having all that wreckage there made things very difficult.

PHILLIPS: So from this point on, if you are a doctor, you want to help, you want to contribute, if you are a first responder, are they still accepting volunteers at the scene or is it basically more of a controlled situation with those that are . . .

COHEN: Oh, it's a much more controlled situation. I think even within those two hours they told some of those civilian physicians, thank you for your help. We don't need you any more. It's under control. It's not a rescue effort any more. It's a recovery effort. That's very different.

PHILLIPS: And you just - as we're taking a look at this vide, you saw, you know, these rescue workers with just the rope tied around them, trying to get in there any way possible. That's what we were being told is that at the beginning -- this is the woman that we had been talking about.

COHEN: Yes. Really amazing.

PHILLIPS: We've actually been trying to track her down, because she just went right in there. She just started going from car to car. She just has a rope around her waist. A lot of people doing whatever they could to try and help right after this happened.

COHEN: Right. But you can tell that - I mean it appears that she is wearing certain kinds of gear. She has a rope around her waste. I mean this isn't a situation where you just want to jump in . . .

PHILLIPS: Right.

COHEN: Literally, because that could be a danger to . . .

PHILLIPS: To you.

COHEN: To you. And what Dr. Hick said to me was, it is amazing we did not have any more secondary injuries. He said you would expect to see -- look at what she's doing.

PHILLIPS: That's incredible.

COHEN: You would expect to see a lot of injured rescue workers and that hasn't happened. He said that is a credit to the planning that we do for this. I think sometimes we -- if you're not a doctor you don't know this, but they plan for these things all the time, especially in a big city like Minneapolis.

PHILLIPS: And train.

COHEN: And train.

PHILLIPS: Elizabeth Cohen, thank you so much. Live pictures from KARE TV. And, once again, they've been helping us, bring us all these type of pictures.

We're going to talk more to you and also the history of collapsed bridges, from San Francisco Bay, to New York state. A quick look at bridges that have failed, straight ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Right now it's 1:52 Eastern Time. Three of the stories that we're working on in the CNN NEWSROOM this hour. More Chinese made toys are being recalled because of excessive amounts of lead in the paint. Fisher Price is recalling nearly a million items. Eighty-three different types of toys, including Big Bird, Elmo, Dora, and Diego merchandise.

Eighteen-year-old Juan Gomez and his family have been released from a Florida detention facility, at least for the time being. The teen's classmates have been campaigning on his behalf. The family was detained for overstaying a six-month visa from Columbia.

Some South Korean lawmakers are heading to Washington. They want U.S. help in winning freedom for 21 hostages in Afghanistan.

Let's get more of the collapsed bridge at the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, straight ahead in the NEWSROOM. Live pictures right now from our affiliate KARE TV. We will have more from Minnesota right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: President Bush is offering his prayers and condolences to those affected by the bridge disaster. In the Rose Garden this morning, Mr. Bush said that he has already spoken with Minnesota state officials.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I told them that the secretary would be there. I told them we would help with rescue efforts. But also told him how much we are in prayer for those who suffered. And I thank my fellow citizens for holding up those who are suffering right now in prayer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Transportation Secretary Mary Peter says that this morning the governor is making $5 million available immediately to help with those recovery efforts. Now the tragedy in Minneapolis is also on the minds of lawmakers on Capitol Hill. There's a lot of talk about improving America's infrastructure and the importance of doing what it takes to keep the nation's roads safe and the bridges.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID, (D) MAJORITY LEADER: I think we should look at this tragedy that occurred as a wake-up call for us. We have all over the country a crumbling infrastructure. Highways, bridges, dams. And we really need to take a hard look at this. Looking at it as a right thing to do, and also not only for the fact that this infrastructure needs repair or rebuilding, but it's good for America in more ways than that. For every billion dollars we spend in our crumbling infrastructure, 47,000 high-paying jobs are created.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, Minnesota Congressman James Oberstar isn't wasting any time. He said he's going to introduce a bill as soon as today that would send at least $250 million to Minnesota to help replace that bridge that collapsed. .

The Minneapolis bridge is the latest, but it's not the only American bridge to crumble. Our Tony Harris has some history for us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): November 7, 1940, mid morning, Tacoma, Washington. The Tacoma Narrow Suspension Bridge over Puget Sound. It was known as Galloping Gerty and that was before it began swaying in the wind. Open for traffic only four months, the bridge failed due to vibrations from the winds over the sound. Fortunately, no lives lost.

December 15, 1967, late afternoon. The Ohio River at Point Pleasant, West Virginia. The Silver Bridge built in 1928. Thirty-one vehicles fall off the suspension bridge into the water. Forty-six people are killed.

June 28, 1983, early morning, Greenwich, Connecticut. A 100 foot section of the north bound Mianus River Bridge collapses. Seventy vehicles fall into the water. Three people are killed.

April 5, 1987, daytime near Fort Hunter, New York. The Schoharie Creek Bridge collapses during heavy flooding. Ten people are killed. April 1, 1989, daylight. The Hatchie River Bridge, Covington, Tennessee. A 100 foot section collapses after several days of flooding. Eight people are killed.

October 17, 1989. A 50 foot section of the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge collapses during the Loma Prieta earthquake. One person is killed. Nearby, a long section of the Cyper (ph) Street Bioduc (Ph) in Oakland, California, also collapses. Forty people lose their lives.

Tony Harris, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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