911 Tapes From Minn. Bridge Collapse Heard

Released Transcripts And Tapes Reveal Horror And Disbelief

(AP)  "The whole bridge fell into the river," one shaken woman told a 911 dispatcher seconds after disaster struck on an interstate over the Mississippi.

"Everything you've got!" a male caller said five seconds later. "The whole bridge over the river fell down — there's cars all over the place. 35W over the Mississippi down by the U. It's the — there's hundreds of cars, they're in the river. Bring everything you've got!"

The Minneapolis Emergency Communications Center on Friday released tapes and transcripts of some 40 calls received in the minutes after the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed Aug. 1, sending dozens of motorists plunging into the river. About 100 people called within two minutes of the 6:05 p.m. collapse, quickly erasing dispatchers' initial disbelief.

Minneapolis 911 supervisor Maryam Williams said she and the 14 operators and dispatchers who worked that night struggled at first to grasp what happened. She said she didn't see the first television pictures until about three hours later — and "that's when it hit me," she said.

"Even in my mind, when somebody told me the bridge collapsed, I'm still thinking a car flipped over in the water," Williams said Friday. "The magnitude of what happened — my mind wouldn't even go there."

The 911 tapes were released in response to public records requests from news media including The Associated Press. The collapse killed 13 people and injured about 100.

About six minutes after the collapse, a caller named Brian, whose hand was bleeding, tried to explain the scene to an operator, who asked if he was in his car.

"No — I'm out of the car," the driver said.

Operator: "OK, are you floating in the river, then?"

Driver: "No, I'm on like a little island part in the middle. There's a lot of people here too. And I think there could be people trapped in cars is what I'm really worried about."

At 6:23 p.m., a youth worker called after hearing from somebody on the school bus. The 911 operator told him the Interstate 35W bridge had collapsed.

"Oh my God," the caller said. "Where can we go so we can make sure that we get there? Because there are children on that bus."

The operator asked, "Did the bus collapse in the river?"

"I don't know. I don't know," the caller said.

All the children on the bus were rescued.

The cause of the collapse hasn't been determined. The National Transportation Safety Board and a private firm retained by the state are investigating.

[scarletphd]

Just remember: All public works projects are built by the lowest bidder.
Posted by marjorum

Brilliant assessment. DUH

[mcvet]

Congress alocates funding for everything. One would hope politics can be kept out of this one and the focus be on fixing ALL of the problems with our bridges and highways. A good start would be a new Federal Highways and Bridges bill from Congress with zero earmarks and a stipulation that highway and bridge funding can''''t be transferred to pet projects of the powerfull as has been done in the past.
Posted by jowand at 11:49 AM : Aug 25, 2007

LOL You Fascist NEVER EVER want to take responsibility for your actions do you. LOOK at the Congressional RECORD for the last 30 years! LOOK at how Fascist have won elections over that period. EVERY single YEAR that Fascist have been in control of Congress they have CUT the funds to repair roads and bridges! EVERY SINGLE YEAR!! Yet they have had NO problem building Senator Steven''s Bridge to NOWHERE!! It''s time for America to face the reality!! It''s time to accept the FACT that Trickle Down was nothing more than a Sell out of this great nation. Sieg Heil Bush!!

[skyk-2009]

Just remember: All public works projects are built by the lowest bidder.
Posted by marjorum at 01:21 PM : Aug 25, 2007

Very true! It should also, be noted that these Bridges were built by Human''s, sometimes GREEDY humans who cut corners. That''s why they need to be inspected AND replaced when found to be defective.

[undermyboot]

Just remember: All public works projects are built by the lowest bidder.
Posted by marjorum at 01:21 PM : Aug 25, 2007
--------
The most insightful point of the day. LMAO Congrats to marjorum.

[Marjorum]

Just remember: All public works projects are built by the lowest bidder.

[adak4]

I totally agree with the statement "common sense never prevails in government". Our members of the government are only out for number one. They rarely think about the people who voted them into office; only about their personal adjenda.
If the statement that the infrastructure was initiated by President Eisenhower as part of the national defense program what will happen when government remembers that and puts it into the hands of Homeland Security. We will really be up a creek without a paddle then.

[j-whitman]

To hell with it,,, I lay blame directly on republicans insisting on No Taxes,, *** our country just to get elected & fill thier pockets --- dishonorable & truely UN-American

[j-whitman]

jowand,,, Good morning,, I agree politics should be kept out of it... But, unfortunatly it won''t be..
.. 250 billion every year has to be stufed away for the next 10 years just to fix our nations bridges & that takes, taxes of one sort or another.
... Unfortunatly, it goes against the principle grain of the GOP''s No Taxes, as in fighting wars.
... I can''t lay it on one party or another amigo.. It''s us who belive the rhetoric, assuming any politician is straight foward on any issue, including the War On Terror.

[jowand]

Congress alocates funding for everything. One would hope politics can be kept out of this one and the focus be on fixing ALL of the problems with our bridges and highways. A good start would be a new Federal Highways and Bridges bill from Congress with zero earmarks and a stipulation that highway and bridge funding can''t be transferred to pet projects of the powerfull as has been done in the past.

[thompstone-2009]

Tragedy sells. Lots of people will go to this clip hoping that the 911 tapes are attached. I''m thinking it''s human nature.

[mythoughtsr]

"Why do they think people want to hear individuals screaming for their lives.I don''''t believe that tapes out of tragedy should be released unless the courts allow it.
Posted by swwils at 08:28 AM : Aug 25, 2007"

swwils, I couldn''t agree with you more. It''s sick the morbid sadists in this world who need to hear that. The media''s insatiable need for presenting drama has taken us to this. They think nothing of showing children blown apart by bombs, dead bodies rushing past on stretchers, giant graphics in red with the word ''rape'' across it. Yeah, I know they are all realities of war and life but there are some people who don''t need that to be informed. These tapes should never be made public, just like the ones from 9/11 shouldn''t be out there either.

[radiob-2009]

Throughout the US many communitys are connected together by a single bridge that is within a reasonable distance.Commerce is dependent upon that single "bridge" to connect the communitys or to allow access to the remainder of the US. Where I live three states are connected by one solitary bridge within a 45 mile area. If one wishes to go south, east, west or north they have to use this bridge or travel 45 miles out of the way in order to connect. Why not build a additional bridge to connect the communitys and allow for "repairs" to the other bridge? The loss of life, commerce or the delay of commerce and additional cost of commerce by being dependent upon 1 bridge vs. the cost of a additional bridge.Common sense never prevails in government.

[swwils]

Why do they think people want to hear individuals screaming for their lives.I don''t believe that tapes out of tragedy should be released unless the courts allow it.

[mygramma]

DylanXXV, you are right. Dubya had nothing to do with the bridge collapse. But you have to wonder, why hasn''t Dubya put infrastructure on the list of priorities. And what about Clinton, daddy Bush, Regan and Carter? Where were they? Wasting money on wars and *** projects.

Our system of federal highways and bridges was initiated by President Eisenhower as part of a national defense program, but once built, forgotten. And now we can add the power grids and air traffic control to the list of severe vulnerabilities.

[dylanxxv]

I hate dubya and his cronies just as much as the next fella, but this isn''t the right story to start that cr ap...People died and dubya had nothing to do with it...

[jetranger7]

Don''t Anybody Worry about a thing,it''ll all be taken care of, BUSH and his White House Cronies, are going to be Shipping multi-millions of your Tax Dollars to some Foreign Country, to help them out !! Its all under control, I mean outta control !! Everything will be just Okie-Dokie, just Peachy !!!!!