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CNN Live Saturday

Rescue Crews Get Closer to Trapped Miners

Aired July 27, 2002 - 12:00   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.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: We begin this hour in southwestern Pennsylvania, where a frantic rescue operation may bear fruit today. It's been 62 hours since nine miners were trapped in a cold, dark hell 237 feet below the ground. Now, rescue crews are closer than ever. CNN photographer Martin Dougherty is at the scene, and he joins us now by phone.

Martin, what is the latest?

MARTIN DOUGHERTY, CNN PHOTOGRAPHER: The latest is, both rescue one shaft and rescue two shaft, they're drilling feverishly. It's a very mechanical process, and they can only go as fast as the drills go, but everybody's on stand by here, ready to jump in to the rescue. Everybody is hopeful.

SAN MIGUEL: Have they had any kind of -- have they used one of those seismic tests here, when was the last time do you know when they have done that, when they asked everybody to be quiet and they do those seismic soundings to try to get a read on exactly where the miners are and if they are still responding?

DOUGHERTY: Last we heard, that they can't do the seismic testing because there is too much vibration going on here and they can't get a reading. I did see someone with an equipment tat looked like seismic testing equipment, but I can't tell if he was taking readings or not. It is pretty noisy here, as you can hear in the background.

SAN MIGUEL: We can hear the noise, and I know they have to have things very, very quiet to get those geophones, those very advanced audio instruments to listen to that. We've last heard that there would be a noon Eastern time press conference; now they've pushed that back to 1:00. Do we know any more information as to why that was pushed back?

DOUGHERTY: From what we have been able to ascertain here is that they are hoping for maybe a breakthrough around 2:00, 3:00, but that's speculation. We did see them earlier practicing in the rescue basket. We have video of that. It is like a tube that they hope to lower down once they can penetrate to where they believe the miners are.

SAN MIGUEL: And one other quick question for you, Martin. I know that, you know, everybody was pretty cautiously optimistic this morning, the governor saying that they were getting very, very close there. Is that still the mood there from all the workers and also maybe the family members that are at the scene?

DOUGHERTY: I believe so. We're kind of in a secluded spot, but the governor is here, and everybody seems optimistic. They have medstar helicopters here, I mean, they have mine rescue teams, I mean, they're ready. I think there's a lot of hope here.

SAN MIGUEL: OK. We shall see how the afternoon develops. CNN photographer Martin Dougherty at the scene in southwestern Pennsylvania. Thank you very much for that report.

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