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American Morning

Teams of Investigators Still at Site in Somerset, Pennsylvania

Aired July 29, 2002 - 07:28   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: Let's go ahead and start with those miners and bring you an update on where they are. Six of them spent the night at home. Three more remain hospitalized after their dramatic weekend rescue. Meanwhile, teams of investigators are still at work at the site in Somerset, Pennsylvania.

And that's also where we find our Bill Hemmer this morning -- Bill, good morning.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Daryn, good morning to you.

As you mentioned, three still hospitalized. We should get an update on the condition for those three in about 90 minutes time. The hospital up the road about 30 miles from our location in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The hospital in Johnstown will brief reporters on their condition. It's possible, again, it is possible that of those three, at least two might be released a bit later today.

Take a look behind me, Daryn. This is the location late on Saturday night, early Sunday morning where you see those pictures illuminated in the darkness of Pennsylvania. This is the location where all nine miners were pulled out alive late on Saturday night, early on Sunday morning. And boy, the images are just so crisp in the minds of so many people.

If you talk to those who are familiar with coal mining, Daryn, they will tell you point of fact that the images you're seeing right here are something that a lot of people did not think they would see.

If you go back through history and you get cases where there is water rushing into a mine shaft, the possibility of survival drops incredibly. In fact, the yellow cage that you see right here in the videotape, the last successful use of this cage was 1972, 30 years ago. But, again, in 2002 it's a different story here in Pennsylvania.

More throughout the morning, Daryn.

Now back to you.

KAGAN: Looking forward to finding out more about what went right in Pennsylvania.

Bill Hemmer, thank you so much.

HEMMER: Oh, yes. A lot. Sure.

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