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CNN Live Saturday
Search for Laci Peterson Continues
Aired January 11, 2003 - 17:11 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Police and members of Laci Peterson's family say an object spotted by sonar in the Berkeley Marina in California was an anchor. Police divers have been searching the area as part of the search for the missing pregnant woman.
CNN's Rusty Dornin is standing by in Peterson's hometown of Modesto, California -- Rusty.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, from what we understand the family members were told first that this was an anchor that was found. Now, divers had just begun the search about noon Pacific. It's only about ten after 2:00 right now, so they had honed in on this.
But they won't confirm whether it is the object that was sighted on the side scanning sonar on Wednesday. Apparently, they just want to go back. They want to continue the search. They want to be very thorough. It's a 2,200 square foot area that they're searching, so they want to just make sure that they've covered every inch.
But, of course, when family members heard this news they were very relieved. So they were very relieved and said although they were frustrated in not knowing if it indeed, if it is not Laci Peterson's body down there they're also very frustrated that they do not know what has happened. But, we will be hearing a news conference from the Berkeley Marina very soon and hear exactly what the divers did find and how long they will continue searching -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Now, Rusty, can you talk a little bit more in detail as to how they conduct the search in the lake, which is often a very painstaking process, very difficult. And, given the fact that weather has been hampering matters a bit lately, give us a sense as to what the divers and what the search teams are up against in that area.
DORNIN: Well, actually they're out on the San Francisco Bay, which is very chilly this time of year. It's also very murky. They're going in two teams of three divers apiece. And what they do is they put a lead line down and one diver acts as the primary searcher and literally takes his hands and moves out from the lead line testing all of the area and trying to test every square inch. Then they trade off. He does that for 20 minutes, then the next guy does it, and then the next guy does it, and then they switch teams.
Now, also from what we understand from one of the sonar experts is that it was very windy the day, on Wednesday when they first discovered this object which can also interfere with the signal, which might be why they are not sure whether it's a body or not.
Also apparently, you know there's some question as to why a boat anchor, you know why wouldn't they know the difference between a boat anchor and a body. Well, a boat anchor it depends on how long it had been down there. It could be covered with mussels and barnacles and other organic material and that might have made a difference in the signature that it sent back to the sonar. But it is a very meticulous, painstaking search and they just want to make sure they have covered every square inch before they stop the search.
WHITFIELD: And, Rusty, while you're in Modesto, the press conference is going to be taking place in the Berkeley area, which is in the proximity of the marina, correct?
DORNIN: Right. Berkeley is about 85 miles outside of Modesto and that is, of course, where Scott Peterson went fishing that day. That's what he told police. He took his boat. He went fishing up there the day that his wife did disappear.
Now, off the Berkeley Marina is a pier and it was off this pier, it's about two miles actually from the shore where the Coast Guard cutter has been sitting and where the divers are, where they spotted this object. It's out in a channel. There are shifting currents there. Apparently, it is low tide now so there's about 20, 26 feet of water. But as we said before, the water is very cold right now and very murky.
WHITFIELD: All right, Rusty Dornin in Modesto, California.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 11, 2003 - 17:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Police and members of Laci Peterson's family say an object spotted by sonar in the Berkeley Marina in California was an anchor. Police divers have been searching the area as part of the search for the missing pregnant woman.
CNN's Rusty Dornin is standing by in Peterson's hometown of Modesto, California -- Rusty.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, from what we understand the family members were told first that this was an anchor that was found. Now, divers had just begun the search about noon Pacific. It's only about ten after 2:00 right now, so they had honed in on this.
But they won't confirm whether it is the object that was sighted on the side scanning sonar on Wednesday. Apparently, they just want to go back. They want to continue the search. They want to be very thorough. It's a 2,200 square foot area that they're searching, so they want to just make sure that they've covered every inch.
But, of course, when family members heard this news they were very relieved. So they were very relieved and said although they were frustrated in not knowing if it indeed, if it is not Laci Peterson's body down there they're also very frustrated that they do not know what has happened. But, we will be hearing a news conference from the Berkeley Marina very soon and hear exactly what the divers did find and how long they will continue searching -- Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Now, Rusty, can you talk a little bit more in detail as to how they conduct the search in the lake, which is often a very painstaking process, very difficult. And, given the fact that weather has been hampering matters a bit lately, give us a sense as to what the divers and what the search teams are up against in that area.
DORNIN: Well, actually they're out on the San Francisco Bay, which is very chilly this time of year. It's also very murky. They're going in two teams of three divers apiece. And what they do is they put a lead line down and one diver acts as the primary searcher and literally takes his hands and moves out from the lead line testing all of the area and trying to test every square inch. Then they trade off. He does that for 20 minutes, then the next guy does it, and then the next guy does it, and then they switch teams.
Now, also from what we understand from one of the sonar experts is that it was very windy the day, on Wednesday when they first discovered this object which can also interfere with the signal, which might be why they are not sure whether it's a body or not.
Also apparently, you know there's some question as to why a boat anchor, you know why wouldn't they know the difference between a boat anchor and a body. Well, a boat anchor it depends on how long it had been down there. It could be covered with mussels and barnacles and other organic material and that might have made a difference in the signature that it sent back to the sonar. But it is a very meticulous, painstaking search and they just want to make sure they have covered every square inch before they stop the search.
WHITFIELD: And, Rusty, while you're in Modesto, the press conference is going to be taking place in the Berkeley area, which is in the proximity of the marina, correct?
DORNIN: Right. Berkeley is about 85 miles outside of Modesto and that is, of course, where Scott Peterson went fishing that day. That's what he told police. He took his boat. He went fishing up there the day that his wife did disappear.
Now, off the Berkeley Marina is a pier and it was off this pier, it's about two miles actually from the shore where the Coast Guard cutter has been sitting and where the divers are, where they spotted this object. It's out in a channel. There are shifting currents there. Apparently, it is low tide now so there's about 20, 26 feet of water. But as we said before, the water is very cold right now and very murky.
WHITFIELD: All right, Rusty Dornin in Modesto, California.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
