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Houston Firefighters Rescue Trapped Construction Worker
Aired March 14, 2003 - 15:46 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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm only stepping in here because we're getting some information about the man in the hole we've been following from Houston. And we have with us on the phone right now Jay Evans from the Houston Fire Department. Jay, are you with us?
JAY EVANS, HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT: Yes, ma'am.
KAGAN: We're watching some live pictures from what's taking place there. Can you tell us what the situation is?
EVANS: Yes. Over the last hour, we've decided, since we were able to reach the grade level, to go ahead and use the shovels and dig the gentleman out. We got one leg free and we have the top of the left thigh free. So it will be just a few more minutes, hopefully, and we'll have the other leg free and we'll be able to pull him out.
KAGAN: Can we take a couple steps back, please, and you can explain to us how he ended up in the situation in the first place.
EVANS: He was (UNINTELLIGIBLE) shooting grades for an up and coming construction process and he slipped. And the dirt gave way and he fell down in the side of the tank here. And of course it's been raining tremendously here in Houston over the last several days; had a very hard rain out here last night. And the hole had quite a bit of water in it, and the mud formed a suction around the lower left leg.
And when he tried to get out, he was unable to maneuver and his right leg slipped. And then he went into the mud about waist deep. His partner, who was standing on top of the grade, managed to throw him a chain, and he was able to secure himself with this chain and wrap around this pvc pipe that's close by, this white pvc pipe that you see.
And he's been talking to us all along. He's very comfortable. He's just waiting for us to be able to dig below the grade now and free his right leg.
KAGAN: So, other than being stuck, it would appear that he's in good shape?
EVANS: Oh, yes, ma'am. Yes, he's kind of been chuckling from time to time about the predicament he's in.
KAGAN: But other than -- I guess the concern is you want to get him out without those walls collapsing in on him? EVANS: That is correct. That's why we have all the ladders, why we have all the safety ropes. When everybody is in what we call the hot zone area has area has always got safety gear on.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: I have one more question.
KAGAN: Yes, go ahead.
O'BRIEN: If that pvc pipe had not been there, would he be in much deeper trouble, literally?
EVANS: Well, no, I don't think so, because the mud just closed in around him and he was not able to move.
O'BRIEN: OK.
EVANS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) this ground out here in the southeast part of Houston, you don't continue to sink too much.
KAGAN: OK. Well we wish you well with those efforts. We've been tracking it, watching the pictures. We'll continue to do that.
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 March 14, 2003 - 15:46 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm only stepping in here because we're getting some information about the man in the hole we've been following from Houston. And we have with us on the phone right now Jay Evans from the Houston Fire Department. Jay, are you with us?
JAY EVANS, HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT: Yes, ma'am.
KAGAN: We're watching some live pictures from what's taking place there. Can you tell us what the situation is?
EVANS: Yes. Over the last hour, we've decided, since we were able to reach the grade level, to go ahead and use the shovels and dig the gentleman out. We got one leg free and we have the top of the left thigh free. So it will be just a few more minutes, hopefully, and we'll have the other leg free and we'll be able to pull him out.
KAGAN: Can we take a couple steps back, please, and you can explain to us how he ended up in the situation in the first place.
EVANS: He was (UNINTELLIGIBLE) shooting grades for an up and coming construction process and he slipped. And the dirt gave way and he fell down in the side of the tank here. And of course it's been raining tremendously here in Houston over the last several days; had a very hard rain out here last night. And the hole had quite a bit of water in it, and the mud formed a suction around the lower left leg.
And when he tried to get out, he was unable to maneuver and his right leg slipped. And then he went into the mud about waist deep. His partner, who was standing on top of the grade, managed to throw him a chain, and he was able to secure himself with this chain and wrap around this pvc pipe that's close by, this white pvc pipe that you see.
And he's been talking to us all along. He's very comfortable. He's just waiting for us to be able to dig below the grade now and free his right leg.
KAGAN: So, other than being stuck, it would appear that he's in good shape?
EVANS: Oh, yes, ma'am. Yes, he's kind of been chuckling from time to time about the predicament he's in.
KAGAN: But other than -- I guess the concern is you want to get him out without those walls collapsing in on him? EVANS: That is correct. That's why we have all the ladders, why we have all the safety ropes. When everybody is in what we call the hot zone area has area has always got safety gear on.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: I have one more question.
KAGAN: Yes, go ahead.
O'BRIEN: If that pvc pipe had not been there, would he be in much deeper trouble, literally?
EVANS: Well, no, I don't think so, because the mud just closed in around him and he was not able to move.
O'BRIEN: OK.
EVANS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) this ground out here in the southeast part of Houston, you don't continue to sink too much.
KAGAN: OK. Well we wish you well with those efforts. We've been tracking it, watching the pictures. We'll continue to do that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
