Possible Lead in Natalee Holloway Case Prompts Search Near Beach in Aruba; Mysterious Death of Boy After Ride on One of Disney's Attractions
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. I'm Bill Hemmer. A possible lead in the Natalee Holloway case prompting a five-hour search near a beach in Aruba. A closer at what clues, if any, were found there.</s>SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And the mysterious death of a four- year-old boy after a ride on one of Disney's scariest attractions. Safety question about Mission Space, on this AMERICAN MORNING. Good morning. Welcome, everybody. It was a pretty scary situation on the West Coast.</s>HEMMER: It certainly was. An earthquake late last night making a lot of people think about a possible tsunami.</s>O'BRIEN: In fact, it was almost the same magnitude as the Loma Prieta quake, and that earthquake is where we begin this morning. The tsunami danger over for the entire West Coast now. The magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck off the northern California coast last night. The epicenter only 90 miles from Crescent City, California. A tsunami warning went out along the coast, from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, to the Mexican border, about 1,400 miles. It was called off only an hour later. It's believed to be the first large-scale tsunami warning in 19 years. Police hurried people off the beaches, and people in low-lying areas headed for higher ground. Scientists issued the warning quickly because of how close the earthquake was to shore. David Applegate is a government earthquake adviser. He joins us from Washington this morning. It's nice to see you. Thanks for talking with us.</s>DAVID APPLEGATE, USGS EARTHQUAKE ADVISER: Certainly.</s>O'BRIEN: It was a relatively large quake, and as we mentioned, it was centered in the water, but near the coast. Why was there no tsunami?</s>APPLEGATE: Well, this kind of earthquake turned out to be similar to the one that you mentioned, the Loma Prieta earthquake that struck San Francisco, and then it was a strike-slip earthquake. The one that hit Sumatra was what we call a thrust quake, where you have one plate moving over another, and that's what causes the jolt in the sea floor, and that causes a jolt in the water column and generates the tsunami. Because this was strike-slip it was moving side to side, and it didn't generate that same jolt.</s>O'BRIEN: How long before you know that an earthquake is going to cause a tsunami? It is just matter of watching and waiting? Can you tell if you have a strike slip or a thrust kind of earthquake?</s>APPLEGATE: Well, the key is the density of the seismic interpretation in terms of how quickly we can get the data in. And of course this data is fed from the USGS, from regional networks, into the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations tsunami warning centers. They're the ones who make the call on tsunami warnings.</s>O'BRIEN: There was recently another earthquake in California. I think was it was the 5.6 magnitude, somewhere around Palm Springs. Is this normal activity, or is it kind of predictive activity, sort of predictive of something bigger and worse to come?</s>APPLEGATE: Well, it does fall within the realm of normal. We certainly see a fair number of magnitude-five quakes, five-plus quakes, similar to the one that was in -- south of palm springs. Magnitude sevens aren't as frequent, and they are certainly a cause for concern when they occur. Of course, fortunately, this one wasn't right at a population center. But no, this is, this falls within the realm of normal.</s>O'BRIEN: The tsunami that killed people back in 1964 was right near Crescent City, as well. That's where the people who died were located. I mean, sort of remarkable that that's where this one also was, and that that's the city that considers itself the most tsunami- prepared, tsunami ready place in the country.</s>APPLEGATE: Well, what's really striking is that the tsunami that was generated back in 1964 was actually generated off the coast of Alaska. That was the last great earthquake magnitude-nine plus earthquake, before the one we had in Sumatra that struck Alaska. The waves from that went down the West Coast, and one of the challenges with the tsunami is that the waves can get focused by the shoreline. Crescent City is in a location that tends to do that. And so, they were -- whereas this was an earthquake just offshore. The tsunami that struck them in '64 was actually one off of Alaska. That's why NOAA is developing it's buoy system, to be able to address those kinds of distant tsunamis to be able to issue appropriate warnings.</s>O'BRIEN: People were given about 40 minutes, we're told, in order toe evacuate, those who decided to evacuate. Do you think that's enough time? Or is that considered a lot of time?</s>APPLEGATE: Well, you always want to have as much time as possible. Certainly for a quake that was this close offshore, it's in that kind of a time frame in which you are going to be able to act. With the more distant sources -- for example, in the case of the Alaska quake -- there would be potential for several hours of warning once the buoys that NOAA placed in the Pacific Ocean picked up evidence of a tsunami in progress.</s>O'BRIEN: Big earthquake, really. Big magnitude, but lots of good news to report really with minimal damage and certainly no lives lost. David Applegate is with the USGS. Thanks for talking with us this morning. Appreciate it -- Bill.</s>APPLEGATE: Certainly.</s>HEMMER: Now to two stories developing at this hour in Iraq. A deadly suicide bombing on an Iraqi military base. And an Australian hostage is set free after six weeks of captivity. To Baghdad we go and Jennifer Eccleston. Jennifer, bring us up to date from there.</s>JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Bill. That's right, the details still coming into us from Iraqi official. But what we know now, that upwards of 23 Iraqi military have been killed by a suicide bomber at a canteen at a military base north of Baghdad in the city of Baquba. And as I say, we are still getting more details about this event, and we will keep you posted. And this follows of course the other news of the day, more positive news, Australia's Prime Minister John Howard announcing a short while ago to his public that their national, Douglas Wood, taken hostage six weeks ago, is freed from his captors in an Iraqi-led military operation, which had U.S. support. He is now in the hands of the U.S. military in Iraq undergoing medical treatment. Of course, he's a longtime California resident. He's 63 years old. He was working as a contractor here in Iraq, and he had an American wife. We last saw him on May 1st, when a video was released of him pleading for his life, and also pleading for Australia to take out its some 1,400 troops here as part of peacekeeping operations. The Australian government did not give in to kidnapper's demands, but they did send an emergency response team here to try and secure his release. We also know that Woods' family launched a very public media campaign taking on odds on Arabic television and also in Arabic newspapers, saying that he was in dire need of medicine. This comes just days after French journalist Florence Aubenas was released after five months of captivity. And just putting this into a little bit of perspective, we know that there are 30 people still being held hostage in this country. One of them is Jeffrey Ache. He's an American contractor, and he was kidnapped in late April -- Bill.</s>HEMMER: And good news for the Australian. Jennifer Eccleston in Baghdad today, thanks. Want to move to Aruba right now. Sources telling CNN that the three suspects being held in Natalee Holloway case are giving conflicting stories. All this as investigators were out in force again on Tuesday, combing an area near a Marriott hotel for new clues there.</s>HEMMER: Reuben Trapenberg is the spokesman for the Aruban government. He's in Palm Beach, Aruba. Thank you for your time this morning, sir.</s>REUBEN TRAPENBERG, ARUBAN GOVT. SPOKESMAN: Good morning, Bill.</s>HEMMER: This latest investigation near the Marriott, about a 10- block stretch away from the Holiday Inn, did that investigation turn up anything in this search?</s>TRAPENBERG: It did not turn up anything. A few articles of clothing were found, from what we hear, condoms, but that's not from an official source. This is from people who were in the area, and that would not be unusual. The area is sort of known as sort of a lover's lane. At some -- about three or four weeks of the year it's used as a camping ground. The undergarment in this case, a women's undergarment that was found, seemed to be from an older person. So from what we hear, it's probably nothing to do with the case, but they are going to be checked anyway.</s>HEMMER: Is that particular search over, then?</s>TRAPENBERG: At this point, it's over. If they would have continued on, it would have been kept off limits. That was finished, terminated last night, so I think at this point, this area is excluded. But searches have been ongoing. Maybe this one was a little more visible, and they had to keep the area free of, I guess, contamination, whatever. The investigative team know how to do their work. We from the government cannot interfere in what they do. We just hear it from them.</s>HEMMER: All right, we clearly understand that. Try and clear up these reports we heard from back here. One of them says that these three men, two from Suriname and one from -- of Dutch dissent, apparently there stories are changing as they give these stories to police. Is that a fact?</s>TRAPENBERG: That's what we hear on the outside, from other people, like from the security guard. And from the official sources, you would not be able to hear that. If we heard what they were saying in one way or another, it would compromise the investigation and the court proceedings later on. So that would be considered a great mistake. We wouldn't hear that.</s>HEMMER: Then try and clarify this then. Go back 10 days. What would explain why these three young men would be taken into custody, and then questioned and then released. What would explain why they would be allowed to go without all these questions answered at that point?</s>TRAPENBERG: Believe me, the whole country of Aruba, all the people of Aruba, have that same question. Anybody would logically tell you that that would not be done, at least if we were investigators. But from the official investigative team, from the prosecutor, we heard that it was tactical reasons. No details given at that point. We could figure out that they may have been followed, tapped, et cetera. That's our interpretation, but she said tactical preens.</s>HEMMER: Yes, and when you say tactical reason, there's another report that says their cell phones were tracked and they were monitored. Can you say at this point whether or not that indeed happened? Is that a fact?</s>TRAPENBERG: No. We cannot say whether that's a fact or not. That's the answer she gave. We give interpretation to that, but we would not find that out at this point, again, until you get to court, when you would hear those details.</s>HEMMER: Reuben Trapenberg's a spokesperson for the government there in Aruba. Thank you, sir. And good luck. I hope this ends well somehow.</s>TRAPENBERG: Thank you, Bill.</s>HEMMER: Thanks -- Soledad.</s>O'BRIEN: Well, it could be weeks before authorities in Florida know why a young boy died after riding one of the attractions at Disney World. The disturbing death involves one of the theme park's most popular and technologically advanced rides.</s>O'BRIEN (voice-over): Disney World's Mission Space is a bonafied thrill ride. Kids are adults are wowed by its simulated astronaut experience. But there are concerns the ride's G-forces may have been too much for 4-year-old Daudi Bamuwamye. He died Monday after passing out during the Mission Space ride. It's not yet known whether the ride caused his death. Early autopsy results show no signs of trauma. The boy was 46 inches tall, two inches taller than the ride's minimum height requirement. There is no age requirement. The ride was shutdown following the incident, but reopened yesterday after internal inspectors found no mechanical problems. Mission Space uses NASA technology to recreate the feeling of a rocket launch. Since its opening in 2003, seven people, aged 40 or older, have been hospitalized as a result of the ride with nausea or chest pain. Still, it's one of Epcot's most popular attractions. There are clear warnings that the experience is not for everyone, that riders should be in good health.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a pretty intensive five-minute experience. But it's one that's very, very close to giving you a sense of the reality of what the training and the simulation environment really is in the astronaut corps.</s>O'BRIEN: We continue our look at this issue coming up in the next hour with an expert on theme park safety. That's just ahead.</s>O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, jurors said there was not enough evidence to convict Michael Jackson. So where did the prosecutors go wrong? D.A. Tom Sneddon is our guest, just ahead.</s>HEMMER: Also this incredible story of survival after a fiery plane crash in a residential neighborhood. We'll talk to the pilot who was able to turn this street into a runway, coming up.</s>O'BRIEN: Plus, a former soldier comes home, 40 years after deserting his country. Didn't take long to wear out his welcome. We'll explain ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.