Heartbreaking Discoveries of Shuttle Explosion in Hemphill (TX)

kfdm ^

[chance33_98]

Heartbreaking Discoveries of Shuttle Explosion in Hemphill

Reported by News Department February 1, 2003 - 7:31PM

HEMPHILL, Texas (AP) _ Among the chunks of metal littered across eastern Texas following the space shuttle's explosion were some heartbreaking discoveries: an astronaut's charred patch, a helmet, some human remains.

The shuttle Columbia broke apart in flames 200,000 feet over Texas on Saturday morning, leaving a 500-mile swath of debris across several counties. All seven astronauts were killed just minutes before they were to glide to a landing in Florida.

Mike Gibbs, an X-ray technician at Sabine County Hospital, was driving on Farm-to-Market Road 2971 Saturday and feared an object in the two-lane dirt road was an astronaut's remains.

Apparently, he was right. Gibbs said he and his friend saw what appeared to be a charred torso, thigh bone and skull with front teeth intact.

"I wouldn't want anybody seeing what I saw," Gibbs said. "It was pretty gruesome."

Fire trucks arrived shortly and blocked the road as authorities collected evidence. A hearse left the area Saturday evening.

Billy Smith, the emergency management coordinator for Jasper, Sabine and Newton counties, confirmed that body parts were found near apparent shuttle debris in Sabine County.

The remains found in Sabine County have been turned over to the FBI, officials said.

"We don't know where the remains are being taken," Sabine County Sheriff Tom Maddox said.

Residents across eastern Texas reported finding chunks of metal and other shuttle parts atop roofs, in yards and on parking lots. A compact car-size piece of debris fell into Toledo Bend lake, said Maddox. A charred astronaut's patch was found in San Augustine County. A flight helmet landed on James Couch's property near state Highway 103 and F.M. 1751 in San Augustine County, The Lufkin Daily News. He kept guard on the helmet. Authorities were searching a 500-mile swath but said the debris could be spread over a region three times larger.

[Dark Wing]

ping

[snopercod]

The remains found in Sabine County have been turned over to the FBI, officials said.

By law, the county coroner where the body was found should take control of the body and perform the autopsy [?] and identification. They went through this same turf battle in Florida after Challenger.

[snopercod]

Do you know if it's thought that it would have made much of a difference in the Challenger explosion ?

Yes I know, and no it wouldn't have. It might have kept the Challenger Astronauts alive until they impacted the ocean, that's all.

[snopercod]

Judy Resnick turned on the emergency suit oxygen for the Smith and Scobee. She was sitting in the seat behind them, and during the recovery, the LEH O2 valves on the backs of their seats were found in the "ON" position.

[bogeybob]

At 207,000 feet and 12,500 mph, once the vehicle started to disintergrate, there was no suffering on board. It was very, very quick as in "they never knew what hit them".

[lonestar]

I think some FM roads in TX remain dirt roads. The roads have numbers in order to locate for emergencies but don't have hard tops.

The area is "piney woods."

I live about 30 miles south of Hemphill.

What appears to be a female leg was found by young children.

[snopercod]

Was the leg not burned?

[lonestar]

It was described "from top to heel" by the mother of the children who found it. A lot of body parts were being found and were being taken to Lufkin for "storage and identification."

I'm not good at links but try this:

http://www.southeasttexaslive.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=6905490&BRD=2287&PAG=461&dept_id=481650&rfi=6

It's the Beaumont Enterprise.

[chance33_98]

[lonestar]

Here's the Nacogdoches paper if you're interested.

http://www.dailysentinel.com/

[cactusSharp]

would love and direction to where the best known pic is of THIS HELMET...this is a Renassiance moment type photo imo


by that I mean in all our past a helmet was used in conquest and exploration , in this helmet ,it survived
as surely as a brass TexMex spanish originated helmet
is held in some Native American local.

and yet regardless a helmets quest or duty ,it's command
and bearer is always Earth based or earth buried.

but that's just me this day :)

[dixiechick2000]

Oh, no! Those poor children. Bless their hearts! What a horrible thing to have to live with, especially for the young.

[Rebelbase]

bump for later

[VRWC For Truth]

Ed Rohner, the A. L. Mangham Jr. Regional Airport manager, left, and J.D. Redfield, right, stand over a large ball of wreckage that had been pulled from the runway after the shuttle explosion Saturday February 1, 2003 in Nacogdoches Texas.