NEW YORK – ABC newsman Bob Woodruff was back in the United States on Tuesday night, recovering in a Maryland hospital from wounds to his chest, head and face that were no longer deemed life-threatening but could endanger his anchor career.
David Woodruff, the anchor’s brother, said doctors told the family that the newsman’s condition had improved greatly overnight but his recovery would still be more of a “marathon” than a “sprint.”
“It’s tough to look at. He definitely has some facial wounds, but they’re pretty much on one side of his face. It looks like kind of a burn that you might get from being hit with some sand,” he said.
“Those things, frankly, for us, are minor compared to just making sure he’s going to return from the injury to his head.”
Woodruff, 44, and cameraman Doug Vogt, 46, were riding outside the hatch of an Iraqi military vehicle filming a report Sunday when they were hit by a bomb left on the road.
Lt. Col. Peter Sorini, a doctor at a U.S. military hospital in Germany where the men were treated, said Woodruff’s condition improved a good deal overnight.
“He started to wake up more, move his arms and legs,” Sorini told ABC News.
The two men were flown with about 30 wounded soldiers on a transport from the Army hospital in Germany Tuesday. At the doctors’ recommendation, the two journalists were sent to the Bethesda Naval Hospital, which has what are generally regarded as the best head-wound experts.
Woodruff was still heavily sedated and breathing with help from a machine, doctors said.
“His signs are great, probably as good as can be expected at this stage,” David Woodruff said. “We’re all so encouraged.”
David Woodruff said he spoke to producer Vinnie Malhotra, who practically caught his wounded brother as he fell into the armored vehicle.
“Vinnie kind of picked him up by his lapels,” David Woodruff said. “And he opened up his eyes and he said, “Am I alive?’ and Vinnie told him he was alive. At that point, he started to feel the pain, I think, and he used some colorful language and said, “This hurts a lot’ and then he became unconscious.”
Bob Woodruff was named co-anchor of “World News Tonight” less than a month ago.
He and Elizabeth Vargas were to fill the late Peter Jennings’ shoes together. Now the show’s future lineup is in doubt.
Improvised bombs like the one that hit the two journalists are the top cause of death and injury for U.S. troops in Iraq and caused about half of all U.S. casualties in the war.
ABC News said the network will pay for their staffers’ medical bills.
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(c) 2006, New York Daily News.
Visit the Daily News online at http://www.nydailynews.com/
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
AP-NY-01-31-06 2130EST
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