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American Morning

Eleven-Year-Old Brennan Hawkins Home Safe and Sound After Four- Day Ordeal; Volunteer Group Recruited to Help Search for Holloway

Aired June 22, 2005 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up on the program, we will look at this new approach to finding Natalee Holloway in Aruba. They're actually bringing in a specially trained group of searchers hired from her family by Texas.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, it's actually an all-volunteer group, and the story behind them is pretty interesting. They've got some new techniques, and we're going to talk about what they hope that they can bring to the investigation that, frankly, the FBI and the Aruban authorities haven't already been able to bring. That's ahead.

M. O'BRIEN: Let's check the headlines. Carol Costello is here with that.

Hello, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Good morning, everyone.

Now in the news, U.S. military officials confirming now that the pilot of an American spy plane has been killed. We've been telling you about this crash in southwest Asia. The pilot was apparently returning to a base after a mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the war in Afghanistan. Still not cleat what caused the plane to crash.

Police want to know who abandoned a toddler in a church stairwell near Tacoma, Washington. The boy was found on Monday, clutching a cold cheeseburger. He was apparently dirty, he had a little sunburn, but he was otherwise fine. Police originally say he was about 1 year old, but now they say he's probably closer to two.

President Bush is focusing on his energy policy this morning. The president left just a short time ago for Maryland. He's set to tour a nuclear power plant, and then makes remarks on energy and economic security. The visit comes as the Senate is nearing a vote on president's energy proposal.

The first witnesses are set to take the stand today in the wrongful-death suit filed by the family of rapper Notorious BIG, Biggie Smalls, who's real was Christopher Wallace, was gunned down in Los Angeles in 1997. His family claims L.A. police officials covered up a former officer's involvement in the murder. The LAPD denies any involvement. Court gets under way in less than two hours.

And a potential world record simply melting away. The planned unveiling of a 20-ton popsicle. It got a lot slushy. The kiwi- strawberry flavored monstrosity just couldn't stand up to the Big Apple heat. It actually melted, and all of it went on to the streets. And people walking by were slipping in it. One woman had to be taken to the hospital because she had a strained ankle. Bicyclists were, like you know, tumbling off their bikes. It was terrible. They were trying to set a world record.

S. O'BRIEN: Why would you do that, not only on an 80-degree day, but even on a coolish 60-degree day. It's still going to melt; it's a popsicle. It needs to be frozen.

COSTELLO: Tell the folks at Snapple. Apparently they didn't realize that.

S. O'BRIEN: I mean, duh.

M. O'BRIEN: Maybe they anticipated all of this happening and us talking about it this way. I don't know, you know.

S. O'BRIEN: I'm not sure it's a good news story for Snapple this morning.

M. O'BRIEN: Makes me thirsty for Snapple. I don't know about you.

S. O'BRIEN: Thanks, carol.

M. O'BRIEN: I'm sure it was a good idea at one point or another. Eleven-year-old Brennan Hawkins is home safe and sound this morning after a four-day ordeal in the Utah wilderness. He was found at a higher altitude than rescuers were expecting, about five miles from where he was last seen. The boy was taken to the hospital, treated for dehydration. And he is home this morning, in his bed, in the Hawkins suburban Salt Lake City neighborhood. The celebration began immediately on hearing the news.

Kristie Swain is one of Brennan's neighbors. She's joining us from Salt Lake this morning.

Kristie, congratulations. Big smiles there, obviously.

KRISTIE SWAIN, BRENNAN HAWKINS' NEIGHBOR: Thank you.

M. O'BRIEN: I know you participated in the search. How is everybody feeling this morning?

SWAIN: That is correct. I believe he was discharged from the hospital at 1:30 this morning. I have not heard where they have taken him, but I know that Brennan really wanted to be home. He wanted to know about his Pokemon cards, if they had made it in the mail.

M. O'BRIEN: That's a good sign. That's a good sign if he's asking about Pokemon.

Where were you when you heard the news, because it was really kind of -- it was so dramatic yesterday afternoon as we watched this whole thing unfold.

SWAIN: Boy, I was at home cleaning up from being up there searching for Brennan. My children heard it on the news. They came and told me. I ran outside and told the mailman I was so excited.

M. O'BRIEN: Might as well. Let the world know. Everybody wanted to know after all. Tell me about Brennan. First of all, what kind of kid is he?

SWAIN: Well, he's a very shy kid. I know that many people have heard that. He's a wonderful boy. We couldn't imagine life without Brennan. He had a short, we thought, 11 years was too short of time for him to be on this earth. He was born nine weeks premature, and his parents had a hard time keeping him here for a day, but we have all been blessed having Brennan in our lives.

M. O'BRIEN: Why don't you explain that a little bit. He was born prematurely, is that right? Is that what you're talking about?

SWAIN: That is correct. Nine weeks, is what I understand.

M. O'BRIEN: OK, so when you heard this story about the possibility that he saw somebody on horseback and didn't approach them, that didn't surprise you?

SWAIN: No. We understand Brennan has been taught not to approach strangers, so that, yes, he didn't want to go to those horsemen right away.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes. Boy, that would have been terribly tragic if they hadn't seen him, wouldn't it? Have you thought much about that?

SWAIN: Oh, yes. We've often wondered. The terrain that we hiked in was like a 45-degree angle, lots of branches and lots of dead wood. We couldn't imagine Brennan being in that kind of situation, but from what I understand, they did find him on a road, on a path, and knowing Brennan, he didn't make a beeline to where he was. I think he might have wandered a bit, but probably stayed on a path.

M. O'BRIEN: But any guess this morning to where he might have been headed and how he might have gotten disoriented? You were up in those woods. You saw what it was all about up there.

SWAIN: Yes, there was one main road back to camp, one that kind of veered off. There was a pathway, I think, that some of his friends showed him, and I think he just got disoriented for some reason and took the wrong -- he took the wrong path.

M. O'BRIEN: How are people going to be celebrating?

SWAIN: Well, we've got yellow balloons, ribbons, plants, flowers, everything over at the house. I can only imagine how the family is celebrating. We are so thankful for the many volunteers.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, it was an amazing, amazing effort, and you were part of it, and congratulations to you all for finding Brennan. SWAIN: Thank you. Thank you for the time.

M. O'BRIEN: All right, my pleasure -- Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: All right, let's talk a little bit about what's happening in Aruba today. Natalee Holloway's mother has met with the parents of one of the suspect in her daughter's disappearance. Beth Holloway Twitty said she was handing out prayer cards in a neighborhood where Joran Van Der Sloot's parents lived. She said she had no idea she'd get a chance to talk to them, but they had a 90- minute conversation, and Mrs. Twitty says she did get some answers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, NATALEE HOLLOWAY'S MOTHER: I think I walked away with the confirmation that, you know, we still have some individuals that we need it pursue, and you know, I've been pretty verbal about my feelings and instincts from the moments I was on this island. And during those early-morning hours of May 31st, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. -- I mean 1:00 to 4:00 a.m., I just still keep going back to those feelings and I still have them as strongly as I do today. So I think I needed that. I need confirmation again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

S. O'BRIEN: There's a volunteer group that has been recruited to try to help search for Holloway. It's been delayed, though. Tim Miller is the director of the search-and-rescue team called Texas Equusearch, and he is in Houston, Texas today.

Nice to talk to you, Tim. Thanks for being with us.

Your trip was delayed, as I mentioned. What exactly is going on? Has there lots of red tape?

TIM MILLER, DIRECTOR, EQUUSEARCH: There's been some red tape. I mean, this is a huge task to try to put together in three days and, believe me, we've not laid around the bed and developed any bed soars this week, but I think we're through that red tape. We're -- there are four of us that are actually flying out tonight. We're going to get in Aruba. We're going to meet with the government and officials there. We're going to be mapping areas out. We're going to be really planning this thing. The next day the rest of our search team's coming. So, when they get there, we have everything organized, and we're going to work.

And, you know, like Beth, when I got this call on Sunday and stuff, I don't know what there was, I felt something real positive about it. I just wish I was there now. I can't wait to get there, and every minute that goes by I think our adrenaline goes up more and more and more.

S. O'BRIEN: Yes, I'll bet.

Tell me, so when exactly do you think you'll start the actual searching with all your team members on the ground in Aruba, and where do you search first?

MILLER: Well, this is why we're going to do some planning and stuff over there, and some things we don't want to disclose right now of course, but we will have a huge search going, starting on Friday, and we will continue this thing, and...

S. O'BRIEN: Explain something it me. What can you bring that the Aruban authorities, the Aruban government, that the FBI, that all these people who are already there are not able to do?

MILLER: Well, you know what, we're certainly not going to say anything bad about them, but I know they've had divers over there, and not one of their divers have gotten wet yet, and rightfully so, we're taking side-scan sonar equipment over there that we're mounting on a boat and we're doing a lot of things we're doing out in the water. We're going to have to Our own divers on that boat. I mean, that thing can scan 800 feet deep in the water. It can focus in on any objects that it sees. We will know, you know, if there's something under there, we certainly can find it with this piece of equipment. We're bringing four special dogs that are more than qualified in just this type of search. You know, we don't want a dog that's trained in narcotics, and bombs and everything. These are specially trained, some of the top dogs in our country.

We've got a lot of experience behind us. We've got a really, what I feel, is a good track record we're proud of. And we don't have any guarantees, except we're going to bring the best that we can bring, work with the authorities over there. We're all going to work together with one thing in mind, and that is Natalee, finding Natalee and bringing Natalee home. And...

S. O'BRIEN: Let me ask you a personal question. I read that you started this company back when your own daughter disappeared back in 1984, and that was sort of the genesis of this company. The group is all volunteers also. What do you think you can bring, not only in the technical stuff and equipment that you're bringing, but also I guess an understanding for the Twittys and the Holloways. We've been talking to them on the air, and they're obviously struggling a lot. It's a very, obviously, painful time for them.

MILLER: I've been in their shoes. I know that frustration. I went through 17 months. I mea, our own law enforcement right here said Laura was a runaway. We could not get any help at all. There weren't any volunteer groups. I was so alone in this, and I promised God and myself that if we could ever be there for another family that was going through this, we would never leave them alone. I know what the Holloway's are going through right now. I know what did not happen in my case and many, many other cases, and we want to bring them things to Aruba to try to do everything possible that can be done to locate this child.

This is America's child right now. We need to bring her home. And you know what, we're just so pumped up, and the first thing I get off that plane, I'm just going to hug Beth and say, God bless you, you're not alone, we're here for you, and I know what you're going through. And we're putting every effort into this, no guarantees, except we're going to do our best.

S. O'BRIEN: I'm sure she will really appreciate that.

Tim Miller the director of the search-and-rescue team Texas Equusearch. Thanks for talking with us this morning.

MILLER: Thank you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

S. O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's popularity hitting a new low. Can he reverse the trend before it's too late?

M. O'BRIEN: And Oprah Winfrey knocking at the door, wanting to spend a lot of money. Buzz the door. Buzz the door. No. She claims a chic boutique, Ermes (ph), wouldn't let her in. We'll explain on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: In California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is facing an uphill battle with voters. He took office with a landslide of support, but that was then, and this is now.

Here's CNN's Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): A political honeymoon comes crashing down.

GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), CALIFORNIA: I guarantee you that all of us in this building can share blame. All of us. Including myself.

TODD: Arnold Schwarzenegger responds to devastating poll numbers. Worse than Gray Davis had a year before he was recalled.

SCHWARZENEGGER: It's very clear what the people are basically saying to us is work together, do what you did so well last year. Work together and solve the problems together.

TODD: The Field Poll just released gives Governor Schwarzenegger an approval rating of just 37 percent among California's registered voters. Fifty-three percent disapprove. Still we above Davis's all time low just before the recall, but how did it get to this point for the Hollywood star who swaggered into Sacramento as a nonpartisan outsider.

DAN WALTERS, "SACRAMENTO BEE": The relationship began to erode when they got into a squabble over the state budget and Schwarzenegger came to believe he was being jerked around by the legislature, which they deny, of course. And ever since then, an escalating war.

TODD: Schwarzenegger's attempts to cut costs have also angered some important unions. He's gone against the firefighters over pension plans.

CROWD: Schwarzenegger's got to go.

TODD: Against nurses over staffing and has clashed with the teachers' union over funding and tenure, leading to some brutal political ads.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The governor's always running around talking about reform.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But to me, it sounds a lot more like breaking his word on education.

TODD: Schwarzenegger's aides tell CNN this ad campaign is largely the reason for his slide in the polls, but the governor so adept at managing his message has had some public embarrassments like last week when some in the crowd turned on him during a commencement address at Santa Monica Community College, his alma mater. And when he made one of his boldest political moves.

SCHWARZENEGGER: Today I signed the proclamation calling for a special election.

TODD: That was the same day of the Michael Jackson verdict and Schwarzenegger got scant statewide media coverage. That special election this fall when he seeks support on budgeting, redistricting and teachers' initiatives is seen as crucial for him. Analysts say he may not run for reelection next year if he loses on those ballots. What are the national implications?

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

S. O'BRIEN: Responding on Tuesday to those sagging poll numbers, Governor Schwarzenegger said he wants to work with Democrats on state budget issues before the November election.

Well, "CNN LIVE TODAY" is coming up next. Good morning, Daryn. What are you working on?

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Soledad.

We have a lot coming up, including President Bush. Is he making changes to his Social Security plan? We're expecting to learn more about that at the top of the hour. When he speaks in Maryland, we'll bring that to you live.

Plus, they are cold, they're clear, chances are they are not clean. What is in your ice cubes? Enough to make you sick? Apparently, you're going to find out on "CNN LIVE TODAY." Dirty ice. Stay tuned.

S. O'BRIEN: OK, ew. But yet, I'm riveted. Daryn, thank you very much.

KAGAN: Then we'll be seeing you at the top of the hour.

S. O'BRIEN: We'll see you at the top of hour. Yes, absolutely.

Still to come this morning, Oprah Winfrey. She's one of the most powerful women in the world, so then why did one Paris boutique reportedly refuse to let her in? "90 Second Pop" is up next on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: Yes, it makes you want to answer the phone just to shut the dang thing up, right? Another edition of "90-Second Pop". Starring this week with B.J. Sigesmund from "US Weekly." Karyn Bryant, co-host of "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT." And Andy Borowitz from the borowitzreport.com.

Good to have you all with us. Appreciate it.

Let's talk about Oprah. Oprah apparently goes up to Ermes (ph), where they have handbags there for $5,000, $6,000, right? And that's like the change on her dresser is $5,000, $6,000, right? And they won't buzz her in. And they're saying, well, we had a little problem with North Africans.

B.J. SIGESMUND, STAFF EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Right.

M. O'BRIEN: This is kind of an ugly scene, isn't it?

SIGESMUND: Yes. No, it is a little bit ugly.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes.

SIGESMUND: And this is not the first time that Oprah has fallen prey to this kind of racism. She's talked in the past about how it happened to her on Madison Avenue here in New York as well. But there's a new turn in this screw this morning. The "New York Daily News," a paper here in Manhattan, has a gossip item that says that it wasn't that they didn't recognize her. They did recognize her, and they still didn't let her in.

M. O'BRIEN: I don't buy that for a minute. Do you?

SIGESMUND: So, yes, I am very skeptical about this item. But whoever the source is had some good details in there...

M. O'BRIEN: Yes.

SIGESMUND: ... that Oprah was there to get a watch for Tina Turner, who she was going to have dinner with that might. And that Oprah had just bought a dozen Burkin (ph) bags. So, they did have some good information. And Oprah herself has not yet commented about this.

KARYN BRYANT, CNN CO-HOST "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": And the story, too, is that she canceled the order for the Burkin (ph) bags, which are $6,500. She had ordered a dozen of them.

M. O'BRIEN: Cha-ching (ph).

BRYANT: Wasn't the story also, though, that she wasn't fully made up, and that's why they didn't recognize her?

SIGESMUND: Well, yes.

BRYANT: One of the stories.

M. O'BRIEN: So, you can't have it both ways. You know, either they did or they didn't recognize her.

SIGESMUND: Right.

M. O'BRIEN: If they recognized her and didn't let her in, they are really stupid. If she was just unmade up, they're racist. So either way they're...

(CROSSTALK)

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE: You know, I can understand turning away, like, Winona Ryder, for example. But I just don't -- but Oprah?

M. O'BRIEN: He's going to assign a detail to her.

All right, let's talk about this cell phone ring tone. Let's listen to it one more time if we must. Do we have it? Oh, come on. Ring the phone, will you? All right. Well, it's this stupid, you know...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, you've got to hear the ring.

M. O'BRIEN: ... "Beverly Hills Cop" thing. We'll try to get it to work. Mercifully it won't work. So, Andy...

BOROWITZ: That's entertainment, Miles.

M. O'BRIEN: You know, Ermes (ph) not letting Oprah in, and now this silly ring tone coming out of Europe. We just don't understand the Europeans, obviously. I have no idea what's going on over there.

BOROWITZ: It is the number -- this ring tone from "Beverly Hills Cop" is the number one song in England for four weeks in a row. It's called "Frog." And people are going crazy. I am into ring tones personally. I download them all the time into my phone. The one I have now, which is great, is I have the theme song from "MONEYLINE" with Lou Dobbs, which is...

M. O'BRIEN: That is really good.

BOROWITZ: Yes. It is awesome.

M. O'BRIEN: It's really awesome. BOROWITZ: It's awesome.

SIGESMUND: You know, the thing is it's not just a popular ring tone. It's actually become a single in the U.K. right now.

BRYANT: It's on the charts. It's a song.

SIGESMUND: You can hear it in, you know, in dance clubs. It's sort of become "The Macarena," if you will, of 2005. It's sort of a novelty. You either love it or you hate it. You can't get away from it.

BOROWITZ: So, the next song will be a song based on the car alarm. That will be the next song. That would be good.

M. O'BRIEN: A real winner. And, by the way, it's not "U.S. Weekly." I knew that. It's "US Weekly."

SIGESMUND: It's "US Weekly," Miles!

M. O'BRIEN: I read it every day, week, month? OK, I got through the first "90-Second Pop," kind of. All right, B.J., Karyn, Andy, thank you very much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

M. O'BRIEN: Don't forget, Karyn and "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," weeknights on "HEADLINE PRIME." Their series, "Inside the Paparazzi," continues tonight at 7:00 Eastern with two photographers telling the secrets of how they operate.

S. O'BRIEN: And coming up on "CNN LIVE TODAY," President Bush's speech, live from Maryland.

Tomorrow on AMERICAN MORNING, my conversation with the Reverend Bill Graham. His crusade this weekend in New York City may be his last here in the U.S. Graham reflects on six decades in the ministry tomorrow, starting at 7:00 a.m. Eastern.

We're back in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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