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American Morning

Dramatic Rescue on Mississippi River Saves Boaters

Aired July 05, 2001 - 09:09   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: This is going to be a Fourth of July weekend that one couple in Minneapolis doesn't forget. A dramatic rescue saves this couple whose boat was almost swept over a steep waterfall on the Mississippi River. They were stuck for nearly an hour atop a spillway on the surging river.

The story now from reporter Steve Smith with our affiliate KMSP.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know this is my first rescue thing I've ever seen.

STEVE SMITH, KMSP-TV REPORTER (voice-over): Officials had warned against recreational boating on Twin City's area rivers last month due to continued high water levels. Officials acted after the boat began taking on water. Here's what it sounded like on the scanner.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have two lines secured to the victims in the boat to boat two, standing upstream.

SMITH: Eyewitnesses were amazing the boat didn't go over the spillway.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow, you know these guys are goners, man. I thought for sure that they were going to go over the edge.

SMITH: A life ring on a rope was extended to the people in the boat, which had been secured with ropes to keep it from going over the falls. The boaters were removed one at a time, first the woman. As the rescue boat moves in, she's in the water and close, but there's a struggle to get her in the second boat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the victims has been removed from the boat, now in boat two.

SMITH: Rescuing the second boater proves to be more difficult. The members of the rescue team take their time. The man gets pulled against the current and underwater awhile before being hoisted onto the rescue boat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The second victim has been removed from the water and is now boarding boat two.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's lucky that they're OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Both victims have been removed, aboard boat two, moving upstream.

JOHN SZCZECH, BATTALION CHIEF: We don't do very many of these, but it was extremely difficult and extremely dangerous.

SMITH: Fortunately this story has a happy ending: everyone is OK.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Wow.

KAGAN: That story was from reporter Steve Smith from our affiliate KMSP.

We're going to talk with at least the man who was in that boat in our 11:00 a.m. eastern hour.

NELSON: Yes, who needs fireworks when you got something like that on July the 4th.

KAGAN: Yes, plenty of excitement there.

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