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American Morning

Woman, 86, Discusses Spending Almost 48 Hours Trapped in Car in Creek

Aired June 04, 2001 - 09:50   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: An 86-year-old Oklahoma woman spent nearly 48 hours in her submerged car, and she's going to tell us about.

Wanda Irene McKinnis was driving from Dallas, Texas, to Achille, Oklahoma, on Thursday night when her car ran off the car and landed upside down in a creek. She wasn't found until Saturday.

Mrs. McKinnis joins us by telephone now to tell us how she survived.

Mrs. McKinnis, good morning. Thanks for joining us.

WANDA MCKINNIS, ACCIDENT SURVIVOR: Good morning to you.

KAGAN: How are you doing right now, ma'am?

MCKINNIS: I'm here in bed. Thank God.

KAGAN: Can you tell us what happened? Why were you driving by yourself from Dallas to Achille? That's kind of far away to be driving by yourself.

MCKINNIS: I went to pick my husband up at the airport in Dallas.

KAGAN: And he wasn't there. There was some miscommunication about when his plane was to arrive, so you turned around and you were heading back home toward Achille -- that's correct?

MCKINNIS: Yes.

KAGAN: Do you remember the accident taking place?

MCKINNIS: It wasn't an accident, it was me. There weren't two people involved.

KAGAN: Right, but you didn't mean to end up upside down in the creek, I imagine.

MCKINNIS: No.

KAGAN: No. So what went wrong? Do you remember the car going out of control? MCKINNIS: I got lost. Stopped for direction. A gentleman gave me directions, and I took a wrong turn.

KAGAN: You ended up with your car upside down in this creek?

MCKINNIS: Yes.

KAGAN: I imagine there was a lot of water.

MCKINNIS: Very much.

KAGAN: How did you survive?

MCKINNIS: So much water you wouldn't believe a creek could hold that much water. It was more of culvert than a creek.

KAGAN: How did you keep from drowning?

MCKINNIS: A ditch I'd say. I would describe it more as a ditch than a culvert.

KAGAN: Yet tons of water.

How did you survive through that? Did you find an air bubble or something like that?

MCKINNIS: Well, my car was upside down. It's a pretty little red Firebird, which I won't have any more.

KAGAN: OK.

MCKINNIS: But there was an air bubble there, and it kept me alive, I guess.

KAGAN: Wow. How long were you in the car like that?

MCKINNIS: I think -- I'm not too sure about the details, but I was there a couple of days.

KAGAN: A couple of days. Did you ever...

MCKINNIS: And I would hear people once in awhile, and I'd scream for help, but they evidently didn't hear me.

KAGAN: Did you ever give up hope that they were going to find you?

MCKINNIS: Yes, very much so.

KAGAN: How was that moment when you realized help was on the way?

MCKINNIS: I guess that would be beyond description.

KAGAN: As I understand it, you're going to be just fine.

MCKINNIS: I hope so. I don't feel like I am right now, but I seem to be mending very well.

KAGAN: We'll let you get rest. But before we let you go, did you ever find your husband?

MCKINNIS: He found me.

KAGAN: He found you. Very good, because, as I understand it, when he arrived at the airport in Dallas, he was a little concerned because he couldn't find you, and that's when they sent out a search party looking for you.

MCKINNIS: Well, not there. He just thought I stood him up, you know. There was some miscommunication there.

KAGAN: It sounds like it. Miscommunication -- it's a scary story, but it has a happy ending, and we're so pleased that you're going to be just fine. Mrs. McKinnis, thanks for joining us today.

MCKINNIS: Thank you.

KAGAN: Rest up, and feel better really soon.

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