Additional Coverage:
- Oklahoma City bombing survivor was ‘getting ready to die’ after being trapped in 10 feet of rubble (foxnews.com)
For Amy Downs, April 19, 1995, began as a day of joyful anticipation. The Oklahoma City credit union teller was about to close on her first house and spent the morning excitedly sharing the news with colleagues.
But the day took a horrific turn. At 9:02 a.m., a truck bomb exploded outside the Alfred P.
Murrah Federal Building, forever changing the lives of those inside.
Downs, then 28, found herself trapped upside down in her office chair, buried under 10 feet of rubble. She had fallen three stories.
The air burned her lungs with each gasp, and shards of glass pierced her body. Disoriented and terrified, she heard the roar of the explosion, screams, and then, a chilling silence.
Finally, she heard the voices of firefighters searching for the children of the America’s Kids Daycare. Confused, Downs realized the force of the blast had brought her to the bottom of what was once a nine-story building.
Fire Chief Mike Shannon heard Downs’ cries. Just as he prepared to rescue her, the threat of a second bomb forced an evacuation. Shannon was dragged away, haunted by Downs’ desperate pleas.
Alone in the darkness, Downs believed she was going to die. She prayed, bargained with God, and sang hymns, finding a fragile peace in the face of death.
Then, the firefighters returned. There was no second bomb.
Shannon located Downs, who, in the darkness, promised chocolate chip cookies to anyone who could save her. Six and a half agonizing hours after the blast, she was finally pulled from the rubble.
Downs spent eight days in the hospital, her physical injuries overshadowed by the emotional trauma of losing 18 of her 33 co-workers. The grief, she said, was unbearable.
As she mourned, the Oklahoma City community rallied, demonstrating remarkable resilience. Thousands lined up to donate blood, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the devastation.
The bombing, orchestrated by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, claimed the lives of 168 people, including 19 children. Nearly 700 were injured.
Downs later confronted McVeigh in court, recalling his disturbing pride. McVeigh was executed in 2001.
Nichols is serving a life sentence.
Downs, determined to honor her second chance, embarked on a remarkable journey of physical and emotional healing. She lost 200 pounds and completed an Ironman triathlon.
She returned to the credit union, rising to become president and CEO. This week, after a successful career, she retired.
Now a full-time speaker, Downs shares her story of survival and resilience. She is planning a pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago and a cross-country bike ride. She hopes her story, featured in a new National Geographic docuseries, “Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America,” will inspire others to find strength in the face of adversity and to remember the power of community in times of tragedy.