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CNN Live Saturday

Interview With Robert Lanier

Aired June 14, 2003 - 18:00   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.


ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Rescuers are racing against the tide and time in Tillamook Bay, off the Oregon Coast this evening. They're searching the rough waters for two people missing after their charter fishing boat capsized. Eight people have been safely pulled from the cold waters. At least nine others are known to have died.
The Coast Guard received a distress call this morning that the boat had capsized in 10- to 15-foot swells. Locals say the area is dangerous for small boats.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You see it a lot and hear about it a lot here on the coast. In the type of the water, the tides, the wind and everything else, it's just something that -- a lot of people don't realize the dangers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People, they don't have much chance against this surf when it becomes this big.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: Petty Officer Robert Lanier with the U.S. Coast Guard joins us by phone with the latest. We know that two people were still missing. Is the search and rescue still continuing?

PETTY OFFICER ROBERT LANIER, U.S. COAST GUARD: Yes, the search is still going on. There are still two people missing -- or two people unaccounted for, from the total of 19 that were on the onboard.

KOPPEL: Officer Lanier, did they have any idea when they left out this morning that the seas were going to be that rough? Or did they just sort of come up upon them and surprise them?

LANIER: Well, again, we'll have to get that from witnesses' accounts. The water can be rough at times, but really depending on the size of your boat and what condition it is and the integrity of your boat. I mean, it really can make some situations dangerous and some not so dangerous. So, again, that is something we'll look into when this is investigated.

KOPPEL: CNN has spoken to one of the witnesses to the capsizing. He runs a charter fishing boat, himself, and he said, that one problems with that area is that there are a lot of dredging the goes on. What can you tell us about this? Do you think that may have contributed to the surf? Or to the boating conditions? LANIER: Well, again, it is something we're going to look into. We are going to look into all factors while we're doing the investigation. And it is going to be two-fold. We are going to try to find out why this happened. And we're going to look at the second part of, how can we prevent this from happening again.

KOPPEL: Have you told any other charter fishing boat companies that they shouldn't go out tomorrow? Obviously the weekend is a very popular time to go out fishing?

LANIER: There are some times when the bar that is actually going into the ocean becomes very rough, where the Coast Guard does have to close the bar because of hazardous situations. This was not one of those times. So, again, it is something we'll look into. If we feel do feel that other charter fishing boats are in danger, it is a decision that will be made by the captain of the ports in that area.

KOPPEL: What can you tell us about the condition of those who were rescued? And it is our understanding that many of them were related. These were members of the same family?

LANIER: That's what I hear, but I can't confirm that. They are in the hospitals. Some of them, most of them are in good condition. A lot suffering from hypothermia, which would be natural when you enter into the 52 degree water.

KOPPEL: Petty Officer Robert Lanier, who is joining us now with the U.S. Coast Guard. Thank you so much, sir.

LANIER: You're welcome.

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 June 14, 2003 - 18:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Rescuers are racing against the tide and time in Tillamook Bay, off the Oregon Coast this evening. They're searching the rough waters for two people missing after their charter fishing boat capsized. Eight people have been safely pulled from the cold waters. At least nine others are known to have died.
The Coast Guard received a distress call this morning that the boat had capsized in 10- to 15-foot swells. Locals say the area is dangerous for small boats.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You see it a lot and hear about it a lot here on the coast. In the type of the water, the tides, the wind and everything else, it's just something that -- a lot of people don't realize the dangers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People, they don't have much chance against this surf when it becomes this big.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOPPEL: Petty Officer Robert Lanier with the U.S. Coast Guard joins us by phone with the latest. We know that two people were still missing. Is the search and rescue still continuing?

PETTY OFFICER ROBERT LANIER, U.S. COAST GUARD: Yes, the search is still going on. There are still two people missing -- or two people unaccounted for, from the total of 19 that were on the onboard.

KOPPEL: Officer Lanier, did they have any idea when they left out this morning that the seas were going to be that rough? Or did they just sort of come up upon them and surprise them?

LANIER: Well, again, we'll have to get that from witnesses' accounts. The water can be rough at times, but really depending on the size of your boat and what condition it is and the integrity of your boat. I mean, it really can make some situations dangerous and some not so dangerous. So, again, that is something we'll look into when this is investigated.

KOPPEL: CNN has spoken to one of the witnesses to the capsizing. He runs a charter fishing boat, himself, and he said, that one problems with that area is that there are a lot of dredging the goes on. What can you tell us about this? Do you think that may have contributed to the surf? Or to the boating conditions? LANIER: Well, again, it is something we're going to look into. We are going to look into all factors while we're doing the investigation. And it is going to be two-fold. We are going to try to find out why this happened. And we're going to look at the second part of, how can we prevent this from happening again.

KOPPEL: Have you told any other charter fishing boat companies that they shouldn't go out tomorrow? Obviously the weekend is a very popular time to go out fishing?

LANIER: There are some times when the bar that is actually going into the ocean becomes very rough, where the Coast Guard does have to close the bar because of hazardous situations. This was not one of those times. So, again, it is something we'll look into. If we feel do feel that other charter fishing boats are in danger, it is a decision that will be made by the captain of the ports in that area.

KOPPEL: What can you tell us about the condition of those who were rescued? And it is our understanding that many of them were related. These were members of the same family?

LANIER: That's what I hear, but I can't confirm that. They are in the hospitals. Some of them, most of them are in good condition. A lot suffering from hypothermia, which would be natural when you enter into the 52 degree water.

KOPPEL: Petty Officer Robert Lanier, who is joining us now with the U.S. Coast Guard. Thank you so much, sir.

LANIER: You're welcome.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com