Survivors tell of escapes and rescues from Minneapolis bridge collapse


at 0:25 on August 2, 2007, EST.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Some dropped with the collapsing bridge into the waters of the Mississippi River and swam to safety, while others leaped from their cars over yawning gaps of asphalt to solid ground.

Survivors and witnesses cried and hugged each other as rescue crews tried to save who they could and gauge the scope of the catastrophic collapse of the eight-lane bridge. At least six people died.

Dennis Winegar of Houston, Texas, said he felt the Interstate 35W bridge start to shake.

"I slammed on my brakes and saw something in front of me disappear and then my car pointed straight down and we fell."

He estimated they dropped about 15 metres.

"I just reacted, put my foot on the brakes and started praying we didn't flip over," he said.

"When I got out...there was a car lodged underneath me and one right next to me."

His wife, Jamie Winegar, said everyone around them left their cars and tried to help each other off the bridge.

"There were a bunch of people right around there helping everyone. Angels is what I call them."

Peter Siddons was on his commute home north when he heard "crunching" and saw the bridge start to roll and then crumple, he told the Star Tribune newspaper.

"It kept collapsing, down, down, down until it got to me."

His car dropped with the bridge but stopped when his car rolled into the car in front of him. He left his car, jumped over the crevice between the highway lanes and crawled up the steeply tilted section of broken bridge and jumped to the ground.

"I thought I was dead," said the senior vice-president at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.

"Honestly, I honestly did. I thought it was over."

Caught on the span was a school bus filled with children on their way back from a day of swimming, said Ryan Watkins, one of the children. He said the bus bounced twice and stopped, its front door wedged against a concrete traffic barrier. They fled through the rear door.

A truck driver from Georgia, Charles Flowers, saw the collapse from banks of the river. Instantly, the water was filled with floating cars and people - injured, dazed - asking for help, he said.

He and several others ran down the riverbank and he pulled a woman from the water. He said he thought she did not survive.

"I never thought I'd see anything like this," he told the newspaper.

Catherine Yankelevich survived the 1994 earthquake in Northridge, Calif., and was on the I-35W bridge when it began to shake.

"Cars started flying and I was falling and saw the water," she said.

Her car wound up in the river, so she climbed out the driver's side window and swam to shore uninjured.

"It seemed like a movie, it was pretty scary," said Yankelevich.

"I never expected anything like this to happen here."


©The Canadian Press, 2007

glad they r ok

fan09 said:

a caller just talked about the train... my hearts and prayers go out to all touched by this.

Gretchen? Brian?

Please online and let us know you and your family are okay.

I'm praying for everyone over there.

EskomoKisses said:

Ah...there you are.
Did you hear anything from Brian? and Déja?
xoxoxoxox

violett said:

(((((Violett-sweetie)))))
Glad to see you...

prayers to everyone involved in mpls and elsewhere.

This is so terrible. Praying for all the families that lost loved ones, and glad people here are safe.

I heard on Fox news that right before the collapse, someone heard a jackhammer. I mean, HOW could this happen???? I know they were repairing the bridges, but how could this happen????
[Edited 8/2/07 0:51am]

greenpixies said:

glad u're safe.

heard this on the news this morning, my thoughts are with everyone involved

only just heard it on the nightly news here- how awful
my thoughts r with 4 all those involved

XxAxX please post so we'll know that You are okay.
Love and Prayer for All there

My sympathies to those that lost loved ones

mzflash said:

Yes Do!

...She's hopefully ok... just lots of disruption now.

RipHer2Shreds said:

s to both of you

billyjackbitch said:

luv u Ilona I'm 2 hours north of where this happened though I crossed that bridge last week leaving Mpls from a concert.

Bri lives south of there too so I'm hoping he's alright

I'm from Mpls. (but am in living in Holland right now) and my sister called me up at 5 a.m. CET time here from the west coast to see if I had heard the news. She was trying to get ahold of our parents in Mpls. to see if they were ok.

We finally got them on the phone and they're ok. I hope everyone here and all my Mpls. friends are ok though.

My dad said he had just driven on that bridge that very morning.

HiinEnkelte said:

omg!! yes, that was me tryin to check it out. im sorry i didnt see you! i would have stopped!

glad you are ok!

it's good to see that the MPLS Kitties are all safe and sound. This is just surreal. I think I'm gonna need to see the remains with my own eyes when I gegt back to MPLS next week. Cos I just can't wrap my head around it.

I felt REALLY far away from home last night. Good thing I was with the perfect kitty to calm my nerves.

Steadwood said:

I was just scanning the thread looking for her. She needs to post, stat.

Thoughts with Minni folks. This is surreal.

Do they know the cause yet?

endorphin74 said:

I'm sure she will

Has anyone heard from Billysparxxx? I've tried both calling and texting him and I'm not getting through.

PREDOMINANT said:

No. At least I don't think they've said anything more about it. It will probably be a while until they find out I would think.

Heartfelt thoughts to the people there or with family there...

Billy here, I'm good. I normally stay late at work on Wednesday and go to football practice from work. I'm on that bridge heading to bloomington from roseville during that time. I stayed last yesterday again, but I went to our company BBQ in Roseville.

All is well. I'm giving blood today during lunch, just trying to do something to help.

endorphin74 said:

Glad to hear that you guys are ok! This is just insane. The news here suggests road construction works might have been the cause.

billysparxxx said:

Glad to hear that you´re OK, I was just about to send you an orgnote. Prayers and my best wishes go out to the people in the Twin Cities affected by this tragedy. Just saw it on the news here...looks terrible. I used that bridge everyday during my times there.

I'm here in the uk waking up after just high from the purple one giving the best encore performances and then i see the news!!!

And I 'm feeling the tragedy! I hope that those who are missing are found safe and well. and I am sorry to her about the those who didn't make it

My thoughts are with you guys and gals in Minneapolis and i'm sure Prince will get the crowd at the gig to spare a thought tonight too.

hugs and positives for the hard days ahead to those in the who live hear the incident.

xxxsxx live4love lex

HobbesLeCute said: