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CNN NEWSROOM

New Video Shows Avalanche Hitting Everest; 34 Arrests in Freddie Gray Demonstrations; Death Toll In Nepal Earthquake Rises; Restoring Peace In Baltimore. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired April 26, 2015 - 16:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Happening now in the NEWSROOM, aftershocks rocking Nepal.

[16:00:00] UNIDENTIFED MALE: There has been no electricity for more than 24 hours now.

WHITFIELD: American climbers on Mount Everest among those dead or missing.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: There are hundreds of people starving on the mountain.

WHITFIELD: Base camp obliterated.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: We started running (INAUDIBLE).

WHITFIELD: Desperate rescues now under way.

Plus, protests in Baltimore explode into violence. Stores vandalized.

UNIDENTIFED FEMALE: Please, please stop the violence. Freddie Gray would not want this.

WHITFIELD: Camden yards on lockdown. Fans unable to leave.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: I am, to a degrees, disappointed. Just a small number of people that felt that they had to turn this into an ugly event.

WHITFIELD: NEWSROOM starts now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITIFIELD: Hello again, everyone, welcome. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Just into CNN, some of the most incredible images yet from Mount Everest, right after that deadly earthquake in Nepal yesterday. Take a look at this video from the base camp, as it happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFED MALE: The ground is shaking. UNIDENTIFED MALE: Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

UNIDENTIFED MALE: Come under my jacket. Hurry. Come under my jacket. Are you OK?

UNIDENTIFED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: All right?

UNIDENTIFED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: No, no, no, wait. Wait. Wait. Maybe there's coming more. Yes.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: Should we go back to the tent? Oh. Oh. The kitchen. No kitchen left.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: Stay together. Stay together. And we try to - (INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Now, incredible images here of hikers. That was in the midst of an avalanche. The earthquake hit there in Nepal and we were seeing it raw, uncut, what happened. You saw that giant plume. That was snow and that avalanche and then it simply engulfed all of these trekkers who were at base camp. You saw them by the dozens. This is where they converge before they make their big trek up Mount Everest and you could hear them as they took cover in their tents. You could hear the heavy breathing. They were simply frightened, not knowing what was going to happen next.

We know that to be a German hiker, the voice that you heard mostly on that tape, and that video was posted on YouTube. CNN, of course is reaching out to the hikers to learn more about their ordeal, how they all are doing. We have since learned that 17 hikers, at least 17 hikers, have been killed from the devastation after that earthquake on Mount Everest, including three Americans, one of which was a Google executive.

So, let me bring in someone now who has faced avalanches before, Conrad Anker is a professional mountain climber who has climbed peaks in Nepal. So, when you see and hear that kind of video that we came across there on YouTube, what comes to mind for you?

[16:05:00] CONRAD ANKER, PROFESSIONAL MOUNTAIN CLIMBER: Immediately, it was my own experience in '99 when a large block of ice many miles above us released and then came down. So in the instance of this avalanche, there was a hanging glacier, so there's a glacier with a big cliff below it between Pimori and Lanetrain and when that earthquake triggered that, many tons of ice came down, accelerated over a vertical cliff and then hit the slopes below it. So, it picked up along the way, the wind blast that we saw in that video.

WHITFIELD: Wow. You know, when we look at this video again, you know, on base camp, and you can describe better than anyone what it is like. This is the area where dozens of trekkers in their camps, they - they are there getting their bodies acclimated before they make their big ascensions up, in this case, Mount Everest.

So, there is a real vulnerability that comes to that, too, as you can see in that video. You just have the tent. You just have, you know, your equipment to protect you against the elements. Give me an idea of if there's any way which a climber can prepare themselves when something like this, whether it be an avalanche or in the case that you experienced, you know, a piece of a glacier to come falling what do you have? What are your instincts that you rely on in a case like that?

ANKER: When something this large, this fast happens, you go from sort of rational, oh what should I do to autonomic thinking. You're immediately in survival mode. So, its these most animal instinct, very most reptillian part of our brain that says flee, take cover, take shelter. What's interesting with rest base camp is situation on a live glacier, which is moving. The rocks on it can be quite large themselves can tumble in the process of it.

There's probably 360 visiting climbers and then probably another staff of 400 to 500 Nepalese there. There's probably 1,000 people at Everest base camp each spring. And the upper portion of the base camp is what was affected by this avalanche.

WHITFIELD: Oh, it's incredible. This base camp, it also is a place where people may be for a period of time just to get their bodies accustomed to the altitude. So, already in some cases, you know, in some climbers are already feeling - not feeling as strong as they would like to until their bodies get used to the area. Describe that feeling, as a trekker, what you have to do to get your body accustomed.

ANKER: Everest base camp is situated at 17,000 feet, approximately 5,200 meters. And the body needs oxygen to survive. With this lack of oxygen, it takes time to acclimatize, that's why Everest takes awhile for climbers to get there they have to move up to camp. They have to get used to it. They exercise a little more. And then after about five or six weeks, you're at this peak fitness and then you make your attempt to the summit. Stay any longer than that and you're diminishing rewards and you sort of lose all your strength.

WHITFIELD: So in all, you invest about how much time? When you take a trip like this, let alone it's - it's very difficult to get to, it may take you days if not a couple weeks just to get, you know, to Kathmandu from wherever you are in the world. And then you get yourself to base camp, you may stay at base camp how long before you may begin your trek?

ANKER: Basically, Everest mission, one would look anywhere from 10 weeks to eight weeks, door-to-door. So it takes 10 days to get to the base. And then once you're there you start to acclimatize. So it's 40 to 60 days on the mountain is sort of par for the course. They can - climbers can accelerate that by sleeping in hyperbaric tents before they depart, but also it doesn't play favors. You have a lack of oxygen and how blast you acclimatize, how fit you are and also genetics.

WHITFIELD: Right, the air is very thin there, very difficult to breathe. You get - you may succumb to headaches, a feeling of lightness for a lot of people. So when we look at this video and the images of this avalanche, it is remarkable that those who were taking the pictures survived that, as far as we can see and able to post that video.

They got into their tents, as far as we can see. And that that heavy snow would come down on their tents. What do you envision, you know, they endured? What would you do in a situation like that, given that you're an experienced climber yourself?

ANKER: You probably want to seek shelter and then you want to protect your head. That's the most important part. So actually go up like that and you cover it as best you can. It was probably unlikely that the climbers were wearing helmets at 11 in the morning, they were probably going about business, might have been communicating with their - via computers and satellite imagery, working on their equipment, so, reading a book, doing something to acclimatize. So once that strikes, you want to run for cover.

[16:10:00] From a personal standpoint, imagine if you were inside of a sleeping bag and then getting pummeled with blocks of ice. So you're in (INAUDIBLE) in your sleeping bag, you're being tossed around and sort of injured. So, many fatalities that happened were not from being buried, which the cause of death is suffocation, blunt trauma, the result of rock and ice debris that comes down just covers you and eventually, take your life.

WHITFIELD: Make perfect sense especially when you hear among those who were killed on Mount Everest, at least one suffered severe head injuries, also that would explain exactly what you're talking about in terms of the cause of death for that one person.

So when you see images like this you know about the potential dangers on any trek, on any climb, does this in any way discourage you or perhaps even make you rethink your next journey?

ANKER: I love the mountains. It's what I do. It's been my life since I was a young man. And yes, there is tremendous risk, especially in the Himalayas. They are the most active mountain range on our planet. They are incredibly young. They are about 80 million years, geologically speaking and being as tall as they are, they get a tremendous amount of snow, especially in the monsoon that forms glaciers and they are triggered.

When you have an earthquake, you will have a release of ice all around. And so, this is understood in glaciology and geology circles that when an earthquake happens, you cannot predict that. But again, it comes down to individual question, is it worth the risk of going out there and challenging that and my own personal thing, I love being in the mountains and I will - I don't need to go climb Everest again, but I do enjoy being out there in that - the sense of challenge and team work you have with your friends. WHITFIELD: That's incredible. Incredible community. And commitment

that is involved in every trek of that scale, for sure. Conrad Anker, thank you so much for your expertise, your insight and your own sharing of your own experiences. Appreciate it.

ANKER: Thank you, Fredericka.

WHITFIELD: All right. And we will have much more straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:16:10] WHITFIELD: Welcome back. As search and rescue efforts continue in Nepal, just 24 hours after that very sizable earthquake, we are also now getting in some extraordinary images.

We know that earthquake in Nepal impacted the very populous area of Kathmandu, as well as on Mount Everest. And what you're about to see is some incredible video that was on YouTube and it shows base camp. You're going to see, this is the area where dozens, if not hundreds of trekkers have their tents set up. They may be there for days, if not even weeks to get their bodies acclimatized before they make their ultimate treks up to the summit.

So again, you are seeing many of the climbers in the midst of an avalanche that strikes after that earthquake, many of whom do not have helmets on and perhaps even they just have light gear. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFED MALE: The ground is shaking.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!

UNIDENTIFED MALE: Come under my jacket. Hurry. Come under my jacket. Are you OK?

UNIDENTIFED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: All right?

UNIDENTIFED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: No, no, no, wait. Wait. Wait. Maybe there's coming more. Yes.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: Should we go back to the tent? Oh. Oh. The kitchen. No kitchen left.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: Stay together. Stay together. And we try to - (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFED MALE: The kitchen tent is gone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Wow, incredible. They are among the lucky ones surviving an avalanche there in Mount Everest after that earthquake yesterday hitting Nepal.

We understand this that the voice that you heard was a German hiker and this video was posted on YouTube. CNN is, of course, reaching out to the hikers to learn more about their ordeal.

We have also since learned that at least 17 hikers in Mount Everest died after the earthquake hitting Nepal, among them, an executive with Google. We will have much more on the survival stories as well as the stories of those who have perished.

16:20:05

WHITFIELD: Meantime, CNN's Mallika Kapuris live for us in Calcutta, India, with a look on the latest for the search for the survivors, the rising death toll, we're talking about, what, at least 2500 people who have died in Nepal as a result of this earthquake, right?

MALLIKA KAPUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. That number unfortunately could get much higher in the next few days, Fredricka. You know, at the moment there are - from what we're hearing from the ground there - there are hills, many hills of rubble on streets and in squares all over Nepal.

People are sifting through that. You know, removing - using their bare hands in removing the rubble, going through, removing it brick by brick in a desperate attempt to find survivors but as each hour wears on, the chances of finding survivors are getting more and more slim.

Every now and then, when they do manage to find survivors, they pull somebody out of the rubble, a loud cheer erupts in that area. But it is getting, more and more rare to see that happen. Remember, the first 72 hours after an earthquake are absolutely critical. And chances of finding survivors begins to fade as the hours wear on.

But it is likely that the death toll could rise significantly. Also remember that many people have not been - many rescue teams have not been able to access the rather remote area of Nepal. Communication is very patchy. The roads have been broken. It's very difficult to reach some villages, where we are told that it is possible that some villages could have been entirely flattened and the - once people reach those areas, the death toll could be significantly higher in the days to come.

WHITFIELD: Oh, my goodness. Then, of course, the roads are still impassable in some instances. We know the airport opened up earlier this morning, but flights in are limited, which means supplies in are very limited. What are some of the means in which I'd say India's specialists are trying to get in?

KAPUR: Well, they have managed to get certain aircraft in today, they were hoping to get 13 aircraft in today carrying relief supplies, till about three hours ago, they had managed to get in five aircrafts. The good news is that they were continuing to work throughout the night. It is almost 2:00 a.m. over here, but that's not going to stop them.

The priority is to get in relief supplies and they do need supplies desperately in Nepal. They are running low on the most basic of basic supplies. They are running out of food. They are running out of drinking water. They don't have enough medicines. They don't have blankets. And these are the things India has sent in today on a number of its military aircraft that have gone in.

They have also sent in a team of doctors because the hospitals, we are told in Nepal are overflowing and doctors can't cope with the number of patients being who are being brought in. So, India being very proactive in trying to help a neighbor. They are calling it Operation Metre and metre that means friend, friendship. So India doing whatever it can to help out a neighbor at its time of grave need.

WHITFIELD: All right. Mallika Kapur, thank you so much. Keep us posted there.

And we will have much more in the "Newsroom" after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:26:43] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEIL CURRY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a backstage pass to the world of a rock superstar. In a photographic career spanning four decades, Anton Courbain's camera has been given access all areas to document many of his musical heroes.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: Music is a very strong art form that can transcend (INAUDIBLE) to someone else, I think. So that is incredibly powerful. It's a medium that asks to be visually represented. So, sound and vision go very well together.

CURRY: The music scene proved very attractive to a man who grew up in a quiet part of the Netherlands where little happened. He used this remote area as a backdrop for a series of selfies dressed up as his favorite musicians.

UNIDENTIFED MALE: That sparked my interest in music and I chased that dream ever since, I guess. Because it held out the promise of a much more exciting world.

CURRY: In such impressive company, is there anyone left on the Core bain wish list?

UNIDENTIFED MALE: Always a shame, I thought it was too late for Elvis. The person I don't feel I have taken the best picture of yet is Bob Dylan.

CURRY: Neil Curry, CNN, the Hague.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back.

Today, Baltimore store owners are busy cleaning up broken windows, looted buildings and smashed cars after protests turned violent Saturday. Thousands of marchers had been protesting the death of Freddie Gray

nearly two weeks ago. The violence disrupted what had been a mostly peaceful protest in the biggest demonstration to date.

Police quickly responded to the destruction, arresting 34 people in all. The family of Freddie Gray called for an end to the violence and asked that people protest peacefully. Even major league baseball was not immune to the disturbance, fans watching a Baltimore Orioles game at Camden Yards were asked to remain in the stadium for a time as police dealt with protesters outside.

So as the sun sets on the fallout from last night's violence, Baltimore officials must set their gaze now on what's next for the city.

Joining me right now, Judge Glenda Hatchett and criminal defense attorney Joey Jackson, back with me now.

All right. So, Glenda, I want to go to you first because we're hearing the report from that initial autopsy could be 30 to 60 days before there is a result, however, the investigation continues. It's going in several directions. But in your view what is critical to making sure they get all of the elements and that they can eventually piece all of this together?

GLENDA HATCHETT, THE JUDGE HATCHETT SHOW HOST: Right. And we have multiple investigations to your point, we have, you know, local and state and we have the Justice Department in here and even though the autopsy reports, the definitive autopsy reports will take several weeks, they must still continue with this investigation, because we want witnesses as quickly as we can to get those. So we are clear about those statements are because time erodes some people's memories.

So we're going to see a flurry of activities, I would expect. We are not going to wait on the autopsy results to come in before the investigation proceeds.

WHITFIELD: Because, Joey, you know, in large part, we are talking about, particularly when you're talking about investigations involving a community that already has very little trust of the police department, we have heard that time and time again, whether it's doing this protest or whether we hear about the reaction immediately following Freddie Gray's death, will police have a difficult time trying to get the cooperation of what could be vital key eyewitnesses because of that continued lack of trust?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: You know, we certainly hope not, Fredricka and you hit the nail on the head, because in order for anything to be effective, even now, short term, moving forward into the future, you need a cooperative relationship. The community needs the police. The police certainly needs the community. So the more people that come forward that know anything that can contribute to the investigation, the better. But remember that investigation has multiple pieces, whatever the investigation and whoever's investigating, as the judge mentioned, there are multiple investigations going on. But all, of course will rely upon eyewitness statements, upon any video testimony or video evidence that's there, any audio evidence, the police, what if anything that they said, the autopsy report. We understand also, Fredricka that spinal experts are going to be consulted and the issue with that is often time you have a battle of the experts, different spinal experts would say different things and so that's significant because we want to learn. Could this have been accidental or could that spinal injury only have been caused if there was significant pressure applied so as to be intentional. So, let's hope that all these pieces come together and come forward quickly enough so that the community can have that trust, have those answers and have the transparency that they need.

WHITFIELD: All of that coming with an admission, you know, from the police commissioner, saying there were things that were done wrong. He should have gotten medical care. He should have been, you know, strapped into the paddy wagon. And the police commissioner perhaps most pronounced of all, was the fact the commissioner said I want to limit the kind of evidence or information that we, you know, parlay to the public because I don't want to jeopardize the investigation, I don't want to jeopardize any potential prosecution. So I wonder just that word, prosecution, potential prosecution, if that means, that offers more pressure on the police department, that almost definitively, there has to be a charge that follows. You can't say that.

HATCHETT: Well, well --

WHITFIELD: Without knowing that there's some inference to a charge going to follow?

HATCHETT: Well, I don't know that he can really have said that with the expectation we are going to see a charge, because there has to be an investigation and to say that a charge will come now without the investigation going forward completely or it being presented to a grand jury may have been premature, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Joey, are you hearing promise in that by saying a potential prosecution?

JACKSON: I'm really not. But what I am hearing is some admission that, you know, there's a grave concern here that something went wrong. Remember just quickly, Tamir Rice, and you remember when the civil complaint, what happened was is that the lawyers of the city were blaming the family, blaming Tamir Rice saying, you know what, you're responsible for your own death, it led to outrage. So I think what the chief and the mayor for doing is recognizing the big concern here that something is amiss, being open with the community that something's amiss and saying whatever that something is, we are going get to it, if it leads to prosecution, then so be it.

WHITFIELD: All right. Joe Jackson, Judge Glenda Hatchett, going to leave it there. Thank you so much to both of you. Appreciate it.

JACKSON: Thanks so much, Fredricka. Take care, Judge Hatchett.

HATCHETT: Thank you, Joey.

WHITFIELD: And we will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:36:53]

WHITFIELD: Some dramatic new images from that massive earthquake in Nepal showing an avalanche blasting the Mount Everest base camp.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The ground is shaking.

[Bleep]. [Bleep]. [Bleep]. [Bleep].

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa! Whoa! [Bleep]. Whoa! [Bleep]. [Bleep]. [Bleep]. [Bleep]. [Bleep]. Come under my jacket. Hurry. Come under my jacket. Are you okay?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You all right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah. Yeah. [Bleep].

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: That's on Mount Everest. Thus far, we are told 17 climbers died in Mount Everest and overall when this earthquake hit, 2500 people have died in Nepal and in nearby Tibet and India. And among the dead, we understand right now, three Americans. Meantime, there are survivors that have been pulled from the rubble, just like this moment right here, following that 7.8-magnitude earthquake. Several aftershocks have hit in the last 24 hours, many parts of Katmandu are leveled, as you see right there in these images, businesses, home, even sacred temples, nothing but rubble now. Officials are begging for international aid, temperatures are expected to drop overnight and many don't have electricity or running fresh water there right now. Nick Valencia with me now, because there are lots of rescue efforts under way. There was international aid coming from all over. What's the latest on some of the stories that you're hearing?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So many stories of survival through this tragedy. Saw that video there, just unexplainable to be in that situation. We want to tell you about some of those climbers who were also on Mount Everest during the avalanche that was triggered by that earthquake. Was of those was Dan Freidenburg, he's a Google executive, and avid adventurer and mountain climber, you're looking at a photo of him there now from Mount Everest, that's from his Facebook page, he was one of those that perished. At least 17 people died in that avalanche. He was one of them. His sister posted on instagram yesterday saying this is Dan's little sister, Megan. I regret to inform all who loved him that during the avalanche on Everest this morning, our Dan suffered from a major head injury and didn't make it. We appreciate all of the love that has been sent our way thus far and know his soul and his spirit will live on in so many of us. Another one of those climbers on that trip was Eve Gerowang, she's from New Jersey, she actually is a doctor, a base camp doctor, there she is right there. She was also swept up by that avalanche triggered by the earthquake. Medicine was her passion and she was in the process of getting a second masters in mountain medicine. Her employer posted on Facebook saying our hearts are broken. Eve perished in the aftermath of the avalanche that struck the base camp area following the devastating Nepal earthquake earlier today. At least three Americans have died in this, 2,500 more than 2,500 people have perished. If you want to help, you could always go to CNN.COM, impact or tweet Fredricka or I and we will try to get to you the right spot for help. People -- I spoke to a survivor earlier, we had her on our air at 3 p.m., she was saying that, you know, she has been through earthquakes before, but she is still terrified. She has been huddled in a tent. They need food, they need water, and they need everything they can get.

WHITFIELD: Because there are lots of aftershocks still.

VALENCIA: Still. We had a very strong one earlier today. And she says she is terrified, even when the ground stops shaking, they have that feeling that it's still shaking because it's been happening so often.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Nick Valencia, appreciate that. We'll have much more on the newsroom right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [16:44:52]

WHITFIELD: All right, back to our coverage of the earthquake in Nepal. We now know at least three Americans are among those killed from a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Nepal, more than 2500 deaths so far. I'm joined now by my colleague, CNN International Anchor George Powell. George, you were covering the earthquake overnight and then you had a viewer, Dan Patrick, send you a message through twitter and this is what it says. It reads that George Howell, CNN, thank you for the amazing coverage that you kept us all calm all day until now. We have found our son. So he was really worried. And but that particular tweet stood out. We get a lot of tweets all the time but this one really connected with you.

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, You know, I'm incredibly flattered. Talking about Dan Patrick, just flattered but the job is simply to get that information out and that's what we did. We went into that mode to, you know, basically breaking news mode for the next many, many hours. And this is a situation where we are hearing about a person who is able to find his son. We are talking about more than 2,000 people I have read who were killed. So, this is good news. It is nice to hear from someone who succeeds in getting across.

WHITFIELD: And Dan Patrick is actually with us now. So Dan Patrick, you're with us. I know you were very worried, coming to us from Orlando Florida, very worried about your son, Joseph, and you were watching the coverage with George. I will let you guys talk it through on how some of your, you know, fears or your concerns were allayed because of the coverage. DAN PATRICK, SON SURVIVED EARTHQUAKE: Yeah, absolutely. It was very

terrifying to wake up in the morning and see the news that there had been such a horrible event happen and our son there. You know, obviously immediately worried, turn on the news and, you know, seek information. And pretty quickly ended up with CNN international and George was -- he was kind of our rock for, you know, the whole day, because, you know, you guys stayed with the coverage there. My wife and my mom, we were just sort of riveted by what was going on and then, you know, trying to make contact, you know, and get on the internet and see what we could do and it was just really great coverage and it really kind of helped keep us calm and that's why I reached out to George and it really -- it meant something to us.

HOWELL: You're very kind. And you know it really takes an entire team of people, you know, when one of these big stories, one of the big stories happened. We have so many people that are verifying facts. And the goal is just to get as much information out there as possible. But also to take in information now, so we have the I report, where people can go on and share their stories and Dan, now, we are sharing that with Google people finder and that's helping to connect people who may be lost in that region. So you're seeing social media work, you're seeing the news media do its function. But it is good to hear a situation like yours, where you were able to find your son and just good news to share. And maybe give some optimism to people who are out there who may not know where their loved ones are.

WHITFIELD: So Dan, you supplied the picture of your son, Joseph, we have looked at those images of him and then, apparently, he sent you an e-mail, right? So let's share the e-mail that he sent saying, hey, I'm okay, but the problem was very serious, a lot of people died, but we are all okay here at Guru's place. The villages around us have a lot of destruction, we have low connection at the moment because of the quake, so please don't expect me to be in contact and share this with grandma with love, Joe. What is your expectation Dan of when your son will be coming back stateside? Or what's the plan from here?

PATRICK: Well, he is quite a special person. And so I -- normally, would you think someone in a situation like this in Nepal that they would probably try to get home as fast as he can. And I suspect that that won't be the case with our son. He -- we got some news in another message that we received on Facebook that he would actually -- he had actually gone out the night of the -- you know, the first earthquake was and seeking to help people in other -- you know, in the villages around them because they are in a pretty isolated area. And so you know, I suspect that we will be, you know, as he said there, probably somewhat disconnected from him. But just knowing that, a, he is okay, is amazing, obviously, and then, you know, knowing that he is, you know, playing a part to try to help people, you know, he is a special person and I think -- only thing that's little scary is that that the earthquake that happened today, so the one that we just had, the 6.7, it seems to actually have cut off more communications to that area than we were -- yesterday we were getting a lot of messages and today, we aren't getting as many. So, I think it's gonna take some period of time and the tools on social media are amazing to try to reach out and they certainly worked in our case. WHITFIELD: Indeed. It's still a very volatile situation but we are

glad you were able to hear from your son, and hoping for the best for him as he continues there in Nepal. George Howell thanks to you as well. Daniel Patrick, appreciate it all right, thanks to all of you.

PATRICK: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:50:00]

WHITFIELD: All right, restoring peace in Baltimore after a day of protests get out of hand Saturday. The city has seen nearly two weeks of demonstrations after the death of Freddie Gray, who died a week after being taken into custody with police. Representative Elijah Cummings, whose district includes about half of Baltimore, applauded the department of justice's decision to review this case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIJAH CUMMINGS, MARYLAND CONGRESSMAN: This whole police community relations situation is the civil rights cause for this generation, no doubt about it just saying here, this cell phone with the camera, this has caused a whole new situation where a lot of the police interaction with citizens is being recorded. That used to not be the case with -- when you and I were coming up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The family of Freddie Gray is holding a wake this afternoon and Gray's funeral is tomorrow. CNN's Athena Jones is in Baltimore, and joins us with more. Athena, Congressman Cummings was at the protests yesterday and he said, in large part, it was peaceful until just a few people got out of hand. We know that more than 30 arrests took place. But has that in any way upstaged the focus of the investigation and the expectations of what's next?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It doesn't seem like it has and certainly today, we have not seen any organized or publicized protests, nothing like we have seen over the last several days. The focus really has been today on honoring Freddie Gray himself, his life, people, friends and family paying their respects at the wake that is still going on, will be going on for another hour or so. We know that this morning, Gray's family attended the church of reverend Jamal Bryant, he's one of the leaders here of some these protests who have called on everyone demonstrating to remain calm but he also talked about how the black community feels about this Freddie Gray case. He said how many more of our sons and daughters must die before our black lives are treated as equal. I know I'm not the only one who has had it up to here with this country systematically killing our people. So, just from Reverend Bryant's words, you hear the sense of outrage and anger that people have that this happened to Freddie Gray and a lot of questions that still have to be answered. Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right, Athena Jones, thank you so much in Baltimore.

A look at our top stories now, the relatives of the Boston bomber are under federal protection in Boston. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's family is under guard as they wait to help the defense prove Tsarnaev should be spared the death penalty. Defense attorneys present their case this week. They plan to show his older brother, Tamerlan, was the master mind behind the bombing and that Dzhokhar was just a troubled and vulnerable young man, influenced by his big brother.

The Supreme Court will hear argument over same-sex marriage on Tuesday but already, lines have formed outside the court as people want a seat to witness the historic case. Justices are expected to use this case to decide once and for all whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.

In Alabama, the coast guard says at least two people are dead and five others missing after a severe storm capsized sailboats during a regatta. Alabama law enforcement officials say the rescue has now become a recovery operation. More than 100 sailboats took part in the event; as many as 40 people were pulled from the water.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Thanks so much for being with us with me this afternoon, much more straight ahead in the Newsroom, with Poppy Harlow.