Jeremy Hernandez, the Waite House youth worker who got sixty kids off the school bus, handing them down to other rescuers who got them off the bridge.Thank you so much to the friends and family who've been in touch. I've felt the need to reach out as well. Considering the magnitude of the event, it is astounding to me how many people were rescued and helped in the very first minutes. Watching and listening to the coverage, reading blogs and comments, seeing pictures from eyewitnesses who live and work in the area, like blogger Noah Kunin all have made clear how many people, both professionals and those who just happened to be there, acted immediately to rescue and comfort people who were injured, confused, or trapped. Sharon over at Birdchick wrote an eloquent post that shows a before and after picture, and links to a flikr set of photos taken from a boat on the river close by.
I used to live a few blocks from the bridge when I first arrived in Minnesota, and didn't have a car. Walking or biking on the river road around and underneath this bridge towards downtown was something I did quite often, and in recent weeks I've been walking several times very near that area. I crossed that bridge on my way to work almost every day at least once for the last twelve years, mostly without paying attention, but quite often (because I moved here from California) I'd think to myself, "I'm crossing the MISSISSIPPI RIVER!!" a fact that never failed to delight me. I love the river, and although this was not a walking bridge, or a beautiful bridge, the bridges we cross every day in this town are an intimate part of our lives. I don't feel a reaction of fear, but a senes of sadness and loss.
This is a message I received from the Deans of my College at the University. It really expresses well one of the ways this event has affected me and many others I work with.
Words cannot express the sadness we feel with yesterday's collapse of the I-35W bridge. Many of us have been deeply shaken by the suddenness of this event. Bridges hold a special importance for us in CLA since we are located on both banks of the Mississippi, and the ease with which we are able to cross the river reinforces our sense of a unified collegiate community. The I-35W bridge was virtually in the University's back yard and traveling across it was a normal part of the day for many of us and for our family and friends. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those whose lives have been affected by this tragedy.
This disaster is a stark reminder of own mortality and the fragility of life. But such events also remind us of the human ties that bind each of us to our community and to each other. We witnessed spontaneous acts of bravery by the first responders in rescuing many of their fellow citizens, and we remain grateful for the extraordinary dedication of our emergency service workers in trying to save as many persons as possible.
We hope that this email finds you and your family, friends, and colleagues safe and well. If there is anything that the college can do to support you during this time, please let us know.
ETA: Noticiero en castellano:
some video clips
still photos:
Posts
3 comments:
I'd think to myself, "I'm crossing the MISSISSIPPI RIVER!!" a fact that never failed to delight me.
Me too! I grew up crossing the Mississippi. Several different crossings too. In Tennessee to Arkansas, in Mississippi to LA, several spots. Even though I though it was grand I have to admit I was always scared. Amazing that I am reading that the water is only 7 to 8 feet. Perhaps because of the drought you mentioned. I always thought it was deeper.
All of this is really sad. I am so glad you and your daughter are safe. When I read your blog headline yesterday my heart almost stopped with relief.
I hope you didn't also have people you know killed!(Alhough that is somewhat odd to say since it's bad they're dead even if you don't know them.) Still, I hope you don't also have to go through *that*.
I'm still astonished that so few people have actually died, considering how many of them ended up in the river. The immediate rescue of many people, mostly by folks who just happened to be there, prevented many deaths. Nobody in my immediate or distant circle is among the dead or injured, but the last few days we have all been calling and emailing each other just to say hi, connect, and tell each other how close we were to the scene (because we were at work, and the way home for most of us would be across that bridge, but because of the reparis, the freeway entrance was blocked, so we were prevented from going on). One dear friend drove under the bridge on the river road twenty minutes earlier.
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