A Glimmer of Hope Amid the Devastation

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 6, 2007 — -- After a weekend of unfruitful searching and tearful prayer vigils, Minneapolis-St. Paul residents are bracing for the first full week of commuting since the Interstate 35W bridge collapse.

From the misery, however, comes word of a little miracle. A 34-year-old pregnant woman who was severely injured in the disaster, has given birth to a healthy baby boy, ABC News has been told.

Rushed to Hennepin County Medical Center, the woman, whom hospital officials have not identified, underwent an emergency Caesarean section and doctors delivered a healthy baby boy, according to hospital records examined by ABC News. The woman was still in critical condition as of Friday, hospital sources say.

"It was very difficult but they both made it through, which is really amazing," said a hospital staffer. "It was a very intense experience, very touching, for all of us. In this job, I've seen it all but it's hard to even talk about this woman without getting choked up."

On her first day at the hospital, she was listed as a Jane Doe because emergency personnel were unable to locate any identification on her, say hospital sources. Doctors eventually were able to identify her and her family was notified. Because of patient privacy regulations, the hospital was unable to provide her name or her son's name.

The birth was one of the few positive stories to emerge out of this tragedy, which continues to haunt the families of the missing.

Despite an intensive search by divers this weekend, there was not much news to report from Wednesday's tragedy. The number of dead still stood at five and the number of missing at eight people as of Sunday night, according to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office. Thirteen people remain hospitalized; five of them in critical condition.

"Not much has changed," City of Minneapolis spokeswoman Vicki Herson told ABCNEWS.com. A crushed car that was pulled from the murky waters Saturday didn't contain any bodies. Several license plates from submerged vehicles don't belong to an identified missing person or known survivor.

"The currents have been strong. We're still unsure how many vehicles are underneath the waters and how many were swept away by the current," said Herson.

Herson said that dive teams would start work at daybreak today, depending on weather conditions, utilizing a sophisticated camera system that allows them to get visual locations on any other cars under the water.

Those efforts might provide some answers and an end to the agonizing wait endured by families of the missing.

Removal of the tons of bridge debris might begin later this week, state officials say.

Engineers will be using high-tech computer software in an effort to recreate the collapse, by "virtually" removing various support columns to see how the bridge reacts. They will also be looking into the construction work that was under way on the day of the collapse, to see whether it had a role in the tragedy. The National Transportation Safety Board says it could take 18 months to complete its investigation.

Sunday was a night for prayer as several vigils were held to remember the dead and pray for the missing.The biggest gathering was at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, where 1,400 people heard the Rev. Peg Chamberlin say the city is resilient.

"It's important that we stand together and say, 'Minnesota, your heart is full of courage and compassion,'" she said. "The heroes in this moment, like the tears, are many."

Gov. Tim Pawlenty said he hoped the service would mark a turnaround for the community. "We're going to begin the process of restoration," he said to those gathered.

Across town at the Brian Cole Community Center, a smaller gathering was held with members of the Somali community to pray for Sadiya Sahal, a pregnant nursing student and her 2-year-old daughter, Hanah, who are among the missing.

"She is a really friendly young lady — full of energy," said family friend Khin Abdi. "She loved to go jogging at by the lakes."

Abdi said that Sahal's husband, Mohamed, is "still in shock" and that the family expects the worst.

Another of the missing is construction worker Greg "Jolly" Jolstad, who was married and had three stepchildren ages 17, 18 and 19. He was operating a skid loader as part of the 18-man crew repairing the surface of the bridge Wednesday.

His mother, Dorothy Svendsen, said that Jolstad was fearless in his job. "I think he just thought it was part of his job, a hazard, just one of the things you have to deal with," she said.

The other missing people include former missionary Peter Hausmann; Capella University staffer Scott Sathers; Richard Chit who was in a car with his mother, Vera Peck, when the bridge collapsed; and Christine Sacorafas, who was on her way to teach Greek folk dance to kids at St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church.

Traffic officials have worked all weekend to refine traffic plans for this week's commute, dubbed "D" day by one paper for "detour." Traffic signal timing has been adjusted, new turn lanes have been created, access roads have been added and more buses will be running. The city is encouraging carpooling and asked commuters to leave home earlier than usual if possible to stretch out the morning rush hour and ease congestion.

The I-35W bridge carried up to 140,000 vehicles a day.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.