European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 23, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday february 23, 1990 the stars and stripes pages witness says Hazelwood took blame Anchorage. Alaska a an hour after the Exxon Valdez struck a reef causing the nation s worst ail spill skipper Joseph Hazelwood said the Accident was his fault an Exxon official testified wednesday. Paul Myers now project manager for the 987-foot Tanker s repair said he telephoned the ship in the Early morning hours of March 24 after being told it had run aground. He said he reached Hazelwood. Who told him Oil was in the water and that the ship was Safe. What did he Tell you had happened asked assist ant District attorney Brent Cole. He indicated the third mate Zig cd for ice and it went  said Myers. He said he was t on the Bridge what else did Captain Hazelwood say asked the prosecutor. He indicated. It was his fault. He was to  Myers replied. He had just gone Down to do some paperwork when this happened and he should have been on the  the witness said he thought Hazelwood fell responsible As the ship s Captain. But he was prohibited from answering a question from the defense on whether Hazelwood was accepting criminal responsibility. The 43-year-old former skipper is charged with Sec Ond degree criminal mischief a felony and three misdemeanours reckless endanger mint. Operating a vessel while intoxicated and negligent discharge of Oil. If convicted of All charges maximum penalties could be 7 / years in prison plus $61,000 in fines. Earlier wednesday another Exxon Valdez skipper testified that Hazelwood violated a company operating manual in commanding the Tanker but acknowledged that action broke no Laws. Michael Stalzer who preceded  in com manding the ship and has since returned As Captain told jurors How Hazelwood acted against procedures set Forth in Exxon s Bridge manual. But during Cross examination by Hazelwood lawyer Dick Madsen Stalzer conceded that the manual was merely a guide on How to run a Tanker. During his Cross examination Stal or also told jurors for the first time that Exxon is concerned about the outcome of Hazelwood s trial. He said the company which has employed him since 1973. Is paying for his lawyer As Well As for Allor nays representing other Crew members who have Testi fied. I believe Exxon docs have an interest in the out come of this Case he said in response to a question from Madson. During questioning by assistant District attorney Cole. Stalzer said he Felt the company was interested because Hazelwood was its employee at the time of the March 24 grounding. I believe that perhaps the outcome of this Case will have an effect on some of the other pending Liti  he added. Stalzer. Who said he personally followed the Exxon Bridge manual to the letter described the Exxon Val Doz As the newest and probably most technically advanced of All the tankers in Exxon s Fleet of 30-Odd ships. Rec pen of 2nd liver transplant has operation to Stop bleeding Pittsburgh a doctors for 12-year-old Stormie Jones the world s first recipient of a heart liter transplant spent More than nine hours wednes Day trying to Stop internal bleeding that began after her second liver transplant. Team of surgeons reconstructed a connection who made Between inc donor liver s hepatic artery one of the Mam arteries of the liver and Stormick s hepatic artery. Part of inc connection had Given Way a doctor said. She had bleeding from one of her suture lines the arterial suture  said or. Andreas Tzakis. The surgeon who headed the operation. We fixed it by reconstructing the Andrial blood Supply to the  Takis said he remained optimistic about storm in s recovery the liver looks Good and we expect her to recover  he said. Doctors suspected internal bleeding when the girl s blood pressure started dropping about 8 . Tucs a. Seven hours after her transplant ended. Sio Mif had regained consciousness and was listed in critical condition in the Hospital s intensive care unit. Slomic s Stepfather. Alan Purcell. 27, said the girl s attitude has helped other members of the family How can we get Down when she stays up he said during a news conference held after we docs Day s surgery. Doctors decided feb. 13 that Stormie a resident of the fort Worth Texas suburb of White settlement needed a new liver. Her first transplanted liver had been permanently damaged by hepatitis caused by an unknown virus. Symptoms of liver inflammation began to appear As Early As four months ago but Stormie became especially ill two weeks ago suffering from weakness jaundice and itchiness her parents said. Her heart remained healthy and was not affected by the hepatitis. Stormie s first transplanted liver had shown some evidence of rejection in november Tzakis said. The problem however seemed to Clear up after doctors began administering fk-506, a new. Experimental japanese anti rejection drug. Stormie received a new heart and liver at Chil Dren s Hospital on feb. 14, 1984. To control a Condi Tion in which her cholesterol level was 10 times higher than Normal. In White settlement. Stormie s classmates at Brewer Middle school were praying wednesday that she would recover said the principal. Homer dear. The students Are thinking she s Tough she can handle it and she s going to come Back to us " dear said adding that the youngsters were trying to raise Money to help pay for Stormie s latest surgery. Lois and Alan Purcell smile after their child storm in received a second liver transplant on tuesday. Divers recover 5 More victims from Calif Lake where 7 drowned by the los Angeles times convict Lake. Calif. As Rescue divers lifted five More bodies from the frigid Depths of this Sierra Nevada Lake wednesday officials at the Camp at tended by the Lake s teen age victims said inc souths were warned shortly before their deaths monday that the ice they were on was Loo thin. On wednesday morning members of the los Angeles county sheriffs diving team pulled up two bodies that had been on the Bottom 117 feet below the Lake s surface. Authorities identified them As two i 5-year-Olds. David c. Sellers of Tulare. Calif., and Shawn Rayne Diaz of Mduba. Calif. Another two were brought to the sur face wednesday afternoon. They were Volunteer firefighter Vidar Anderson. 58, of nearby Sunnyslope. Calif., and Camp Counselor Randy Porter. 36. Monday was Porter s first Day on the Job. A fifth body was pulled out shortly before dark. Mono county sheriffs department would not officially identify him except to say he was a juvenile. The third teen Ager who fell into the water monday was Ryan Mccandliss 13, of Redlands. Calif. Deputies said the sixth body had been sighted but Waters clouded Over before it could be recovered. The final body is presumed to be Counselor Dave Meyers 53, of Bishop Calif. The first victim recovered tuesday was . Forest service Ranger Clay Cut Ler 31. Witnesses said Camp Counselor Porter yelled. Come Back it s too dangerous at three teen agers who were venturing toward the Center of the Lake. This is dangerous. We should go Back. We could kill ourselves a statement quoted one youth As saying. He also stated that the ice was crack ing under their feet As he made these comments the statement said. They the victims kept  moments after the warnings the three youths dropped through the ice. The Camp s statement was approved for release by the sheriffs department. Sheriffs deputies confirmed that adult Counselor were with the youngsters on the ice shortly before noon monday. According to what investigators have pieced together so far 16 teen agers and two adults left the Camp on an Outing monday morning and ended up playing on the ice at convict Lake. They broke into three groups two of them with a Counselor. The group with out the Counselor went further out onto the Lake and was playing there when the ice shattered. Four of the five fell through including three who drowned and a fourth who made it Back. Counselor rushed to help and fell through in a shallower though no less lethal area. They and two Rescue workers who arrived later perished. Meyers the statement said was Able to lift one of the boys from the water. " Meyers went Back into the water to help the others the report said. It i unclear if the child he got out fell Back in or jumped in to help  Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today feb. 23, 1950 president Truman said the United states and other free nations must be ready to use Force if Nec Essary against the deadly attack of communism. 30 years ago today. Feb. 23, 1960 French army Rescue teams dug in the ruins of two algerian Mountain villages in search of More Vic Tims of an earthquake that left at least 47 people dead and 100 injured and 700 families homeless. 20 years ago today. Feb. 23, 1970 most of Europe s major airlines cancelled freight and mail deliveries to Israel in a Security drive sparked by the explosion and crash of a Swissair jetliner bound for Tel Aviv. 10 years ago today. Feb. 23, 1980 the government of Afghanistan proclaimed martial Law and ordered a curfew in Kabul the capital to curb a wave of plundering and arson by rebels the official soviet news Agency Tass reported