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American Morning

American Risks Life to Help Wounded in Bali

Aired October 17, 2002 - 09:34   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Authorities in Bali are continuing the daunting task of identifying victims of Saturday's nightclub bombings. The blast killed more than 180 people, many of them tourists. One American who heard the bombing risked his life to help the wounded. And he told his amazing story to our own Mike Chinoy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Wayne Alazracci (ph) came all the way from Cocoa Beach, Florida to surf in Bali. He says it's the best. But on Saturday night, it became the worst. Wayne was merely 50 meters away when the bomb went off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I came around the corner and seen all of the destruction, the fire and flames and people.

CHINOY: With no emergency services insight, Wayne plunged into the inferno in a desperate attempt to save lives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first few minutes there was only me and one other guy. It was just no medical supplies. There was no trained people to help us. So, for the first 30 minutes, we were pretty much on our own. It was maybe...

CHINOY: Amid the chaos, Wayne took out his camera, and in his hotel garden, he showed me a story of horror and heroism.

(on camera): Tell me about the woman here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was the third woman I took out. She told me, "help me, help me," as I went by. And I tried to help her up, and I grabbed her arm, and just pulled off all of her skin trying to lift her up.

There was about ten people over up in there, maybe 100 feet on the other side of the road that we couldn't get to. I tried twice to enter the area, you know, trying to keep low from the flames and everything and trying not to get hurt, but there was -- I could get halfway, and just the heat, I would just turn around and go back. And then this guy with a helmet shows up with long sleeves and long pants. He dashed in there and drug one out. Oh, he went back for another one. He drug a girl to the edge where maybe four or five of us grabbed her and pulled her over here.

ZAHN: How do you feel about Bali?

CHINOY: The Balinese people are beautiful people. Their culture is one of a kind, and I really feel bad for them.

ZAHN: Is it going to stop you from coming to Bali?

CHINOY: No. The only thing that I can do against terrorism is be right here now and, you know, spit on terrorism, and you're not going to screw with me, I'm (EXPLETIVE DELETED) saying. And I want the people, tourists to come here, help these people, and do something -- punch terrorism right in the eye, and say, I'm not going to be intimidated, I'm not going to let them run my life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHINOY: Wayne's angry determination is one response to this tragedy. Another is what you see behind me, a religious service, locals and foreigners singing hymns and praying together at the site of the explosion. But both responses have a common thread, a determination not to give up, or give in --Paula.

ZAHN: So, Mike, against this backdrop of services and pretty intense investigation, you now have the Australian foreign minister talking about disturbing new information about potential additional attacks in Indonesia. How seriously are those threats being taken?

CHINOY: Well, I think they're going to have to be taken seriously. Governments don't make such announcements lightly. The Australians saying that new information has just come to light and the Australians are urging all of their nationals to leave Indonesia immediately, and all their nationals in six other Southeast Asian countries to upgrade the security. The threat, though, is not directed only at Australians. The Australian government says it's directed at all Westerners, and that we should all be careful in this part of the world -- Paula.

ZAHN: We are counting on you to be just that.

CHINOY: Mike Chinoy. thank you. That is really an interesting piece.

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 October 17, 2002 - 09:34   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Authorities in Bali are continuing the daunting task of identifying victims of Saturday's nightclub bombings. The blast killed more than 180 people, many of them tourists. One American who heard the bombing risked his life to help the wounded. And he told his amazing story to our own Mike Chinoy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Wayne Alazracci (ph) came all the way from Cocoa Beach, Florida to surf in Bali. He says it's the best. But on Saturday night, it became the worst. Wayne was merely 50 meters away when the bomb went off.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I came around the corner and seen all of the destruction, the fire and flames and people.

CHINOY: With no emergency services insight, Wayne plunged into the inferno in a desperate attempt to save lives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first few minutes there was only me and one other guy. It was just no medical supplies. There was no trained people to help us. So, for the first 30 minutes, we were pretty much on our own. It was maybe...

CHINOY: Amid the chaos, Wayne took out his camera, and in his hotel garden, he showed me a story of horror and heroism.

(on camera): Tell me about the woman here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was the third woman I took out. She told me, "help me, help me," as I went by. And I tried to help her up, and I grabbed her arm, and just pulled off all of her skin trying to lift her up.

There was about ten people over up in there, maybe 100 feet on the other side of the road that we couldn't get to. I tried twice to enter the area, you know, trying to keep low from the flames and everything and trying not to get hurt, but there was -- I could get halfway, and just the heat, I would just turn around and go back. And then this guy with a helmet shows up with long sleeves and long pants. He dashed in there and drug one out. Oh, he went back for another one. He drug a girl to the edge where maybe four or five of us grabbed her and pulled her over here.

ZAHN: How do you feel about Bali?

CHINOY: The Balinese people are beautiful people. Their culture is one of a kind, and I really feel bad for them.

ZAHN: Is it going to stop you from coming to Bali?

CHINOY: No. The only thing that I can do against terrorism is be right here now and, you know, spit on terrorism, and you're not going to screw with me, I'm (EXPLETIVE DELETED) saying. And I want the people, tourists to come here, help these people, and do something -- punch terrorism right in the eye, and say, I'm not going to be intimidated, I'm not going to let them run my life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHINOY: Wayne's angry determination is one response to this tragedy. Another is what you see behind me, a religious service, locals and foreigners singing hymns and praying together at the site of the explosion. But both responses have a common thread, a determination not to give up, or give in --Paula.

ZAHN: So, Mike, against this backdrop of services and pretty intense investigation, you now have the Australian foreign minister talking about disturbing new information about potential additional attacks in Indonesia. How seriously are those threats being taken?

CHINOY: Well, I think they're going to have to be taken seriously. Governments don't make such announcements lightly. The Australians saying that new information has just come to light and the Australians are urging all of their nationals to leave Indonesia immediately, and all their nationals in six other Southeast Asian countries to upgrade the security. The threat, though, is not directed only at Australians. The Australian government says it's directed at all Westerners, and that we should all be careful in this part of the world -- Paula.

ZAHN: We are counting on you to be just that.

CHINOY: Mike Chinoy. thank you. That is really an interesting piece.

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