Woodruff said to be improving

BY VERNE GAY | STAFF WRITER

January 31, 2006

ABC News co-anchor Bob Woodruff, who was seriously injured in a bomb attack in Iraq on Sunday, was reported to be improving yesterday, although the network cautioned that his condition may not be fully known until at least today.

Woodruff and his injured cameraman, Doug Vogt, could be transferred today from Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany to the brain injury center of the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

In a report on "World News Tonight" last night, ABC correspondent Jim Sciutto said Woodruff had "responded to stimuli in his hands and feet and briefly opened his eyes," while Vogt was "awake and alert and joking, and I can tell you that gave us a chance to smile today."

Woodruff, 44, of Westchester County, and Vogt, 46, of Aix-en-Provence, France, both have head injuries caused by shrapnel. Woodruff also has a broken collarbone and ribs, according to former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw.

He told "Today" viewers that he had spoken with Woodruff's wife, Lee.

"The doctors had told them once they arrived [in Germany] that the brain swelling had gone down, in Bob's case. That was a big concern yesterday. They had to operate and remove part of his skullcap to relieve the swelling."

Brokaw also said that "after the explosion, he turned to his producer and said, 'Am I alive?' and 'Don't tell Lee,' and then he began to cry out in excruciating pain. But he was able to walk to the helicopter."

Woodruff and Vogt were traveling with a soundman and a producer at the time of the attack.

Woodruff's head injuries sparked immediate concern at ABC that shrapnel may have somehow bypassed or penetrated the helmet he was wearing when hit. However, a source said yesterday that doctors had determined that no shrapnel had entered his brain.

James Woodruff, another brother, told a CBS affiliate in California, where he lives, that doctors "did an EKG or a brain scan and it came out negative."

On "World News Tonight," David Woodruff said, "Having seen him, we think he's going to recover eventually. It's going to be a long road, but I think he's, he's a strong guy, and he's going to make it. He's going to do well. And I think the care he's gotten has been just world-class so far."

Wire services contributed to this story.