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In other news ...
September 13, 1996Web posted at: 11:40 p.m. EDT
Bridge hero 'did what I had to do'
VALHALLA, New York (CNN) -- Daniel Santos leaped 130 feet from a bridge over the Hudson River on Monday to rescue a suicidal woman. He said he didn't think twice: "I just jumped and did what I had to do."
Santos, 21, is a three-year veteran of the Spring Valley volunteer fire department. He was released Friday from Westchester County Medical Center, where he was treated for a partially collapsed lung, a broken rib and severe bruises suffered in the leap from the Tappan Zee Bridge.
Santos did rescue the despondent woman, 24-year-old Maria Cappozza of Connecticut, who remains in the hospital with more serious injuries. Both were pulled from the water by a rescue boat after Santos swam to her.
Doctors say it's amazing that Santos even survived the plunge. "For him to jump, it's incredible," said his surgeon, Dr. Ravi Kumar. "So in my eyes, he's a real true hero."
Correspondent Brian Jenkins and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
DOT rejects flight attendants' ValuJet probe request
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Inspector General for the Department of Transportation on Friday rejected a request by a flight attendants union to investigate the process leading to the approval of ValuJet to begin flying passengers again.
Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the DOT gave ValuJet tentative clearance to resume flights last week. The move triggered a seven-day period during which objections could be filed. The Association of Flight Attendants filed an objection to ValuJet's return to the air, which must be resolved by the DOT before ValuJet can resume operations.
The AFA also asked the DOT Inspector General's office to investigate the process by which ValuJet was given back its charter. In a letter to the AFA, Acting Inspector General Joyce Fleischman declined, saying she did not believe it would be appropriate "to undertake any action with regard to these proceedings."
Related stories:
- ValuJet sprucing up, scrubbing down for return to air - August 30, 1996
- ValuJet wins back its wings - August 29, 1996
- CNN: The Crash of Valujet Flight 592
Related sites:
Surgeons start to separate twins joined at head
SALT LAKE CITY (CNN) -- Doctors began separating two twins Friday who were born connected at the tops of their heads. The surgery was performed 10 days early, after tests showed the girls' blood pressure was unstable.
Doris and Bessy Gonzales, born on September 23, 1995, have gone through five previous operations to separate thousands of blood vessels and a portion of brain tissue they shared. In this operation, their skulls will be separated and surgeons will graft outer membranes over their brains.
Another two to three years of operations will be needed to restore their skulls. The twins are the fifth pair of conjoined twins to undergo separation surgery in the United States this year. Both are currently expected to survive the operation, although doctors say they may have learning disabilities because their brains have not developed properly.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Prosecutors aim for March start to Unabomber trial
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Government prosecutors Friday asked a federal judge to set March 31, 1997, as the date for the start of the trial of Unabomber suspect Theodore Kaczynski. The prosecution's proposed schedule was included in a 13-page status conference report provided to U.S. District Court Judge Garland Burrell.
The report says that all physical evidence pertaining to the 16 bombing incidents and all evidence found in Kaczynski's Montana cabin, including a fully functional bomb, is located at the FBI Laboratory in Washington and is available for inspection by defense lawyers.
Related stories:
- Unabom suspect pleads innocent - June 25, 1996
- Unabomber suspect moved to California - June 23, 1996
Related site:
Judge orders FBI to let Jewell see parts of affidavits
ATLANTA (CNN) -- A federal magistrate decided Friday to let Richard Jewell read parts of affidavits federal agents used to gain search warrants in their effort to tie him to the Olympic bombing July 27 at Centennial Park.
In a partial victory for Jewell, an Olympic security guard identified by the FBI as a prime suspect in the bombing, Magistrate Gerrilyn Brill ordered that the government prepare an edited version of the affidavits and submit them to the court within a week for approval.
The documents may allow Jewell and his lawyers to learn how investigators justified four search warrants that allowed them to comb his apartment, former residence and truck for clues.
Related stories:
- Bombing suspect's mom steps forward - August 26, 1996
- CNN: Olympic Park Bombing
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