Total Devastation' Recalled 'On the Record
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}This is a rush transcript from "On the Record ," June 12, 2008. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, HOST: All right, take a close look at this video. A 20-year- old man in charge of all the equipment at the camp captured the deadly Iowa twister on his cell phone as it roared through the Scout camp, destroying everything in its deadly path. Now, four Boy Scouts have been killed, 48 people injured by the tornado. And Monona County sheriff Jeff Pratt arrived at the scene shortly after the twister struck. Sheriff Pratt joins us live from the Little Sioux Scout camp in Iowa. Welcome, Sheriff.
JEFF PRATT, MONONA COUNTY SHERIFF: Hi, there.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}VAN SUSTEREN: Sheriff, describe the scene when you got there last night.
PRATT: First responders on scene seen total devastation, trees down, roads blocked, unable to get to victims, kids running around screaming for help, saying that their friends were hurt. It took several minutes to get chainsaws and heavy equipment in here to get the trees removed so that they could get in and start a triage operation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}VAN SUSTEREN: Were there kids actually trapped under buildings and trees, or was it that you had to cut the debris to get your ambulances and things in there?
PRATT: They had to cut the trees to get into where the kids were at. It's approximately a quarter mile back up into the timber on a single road up through there. And so as the trees were knocked down, it closed those roads, so the only way in was to climb over the logs and then use heavy equipment to move it.
VAN SUSTEREN: How did you even know to respond to the scene? Was a 911 call from a cell phone?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}PRATT: Yes, they had received a 911 call from a cell phone here at the camp from one of the campers. We responded our deputies and we also responded the fire department. And as more reports came in, we knew that we had mass casualties, so we started calling surrounding counties.
VAN SUSTEREN: What was the actual -- do you know what the 911 call was? Was it, you know, A tornado had come through here and people are hurt, or what was it?
PRATT: It was pretty much to the point, that there was mass casualties, possibly some fatalities here. It was a person on scene here that had some medical background, that give a pretty precise, detailed report.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}VAN SUSTEREN: What time did you arrive, and what time did you finally leave?
PRATT: Well, I was a little late in getting here. I didn't get here until 2:00 o'clock in the morning, and as of right now, we haven't left yet.
VAN SUSTEREN: But in terms of -- when did you -- I guess what I meant is that there were 93 boys and 25 staff. When were you -- at what point were you sure that they had all been accounted for?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}PRATT: About 4:00 o'clock this morning, we were very confident that we had accounted for all of the campers and all of the staff members. We were still waiting until daylight to make sure that we didn't have any unregistered campers in the park.
VAN SUSTEREN: Now, there are four that have been confirmed dead. Do you have any information about whether that could go higher?
PRATT: I do not. The last report that I had this morning was that the kids were in serious but stable condition in the local hospitals, and we have not heard any condition reports.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}VAN SUSTEREN: Ever have a tornado go through that area before, since you've been sheriff?
PRATT: Not since I've been sheriff. This is the first major tornado since hit here in the county.
VAN SUSTEREN: And boy, those tornadoes, they are unforgiving. Anyway, Sheriff, thank you, sir.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}PRATT: Thank you. Have a nice night.
VAN SUSTEREN: You, too, sir.
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