ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, February 21, 1996 TAG: 9602210055
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: PEMBROKE
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE AND BETTY HAYDEN STAFF WRITERS
A 14-year-old Giles County girl, who had reportedly jumped off a 40-foot bridge into the icy waters of the New River Sunday, turned up alive Tuesday.
Sara K. English called a 16-year-old friend's house around 3 p.m. and was later picked up by the friend and the friend's family at a house not far from the river.
Divers from police and rescue squads spent several hours Sunday and Monday searching for a body, dragging the river almost a mile downstream. English's coat was found about 300 yards from the bridge Monday.
Authorities stopped searching the river Tuesday, because of the weather and because new information led them to believe English might still be alive.
"We learned earlier this morning she was safe and sound ... that she was OK," Lt. Gary Price of the Giles County Sheriff's Office said. The sheriff's office had received several calls from people who believed they had seen the girl.
Price was reluctant to provide more details Tuesday because the investigation was continuing and English was being interviewed Tuesday night, he said. He said further information may be released today.
Peggy Bier of Botetourt County, whose 16-year-old granddaughter reported the apparent suicide to police, picked English up in her car.
Bier, a copy editor for The Roanoke Times, said the teen stood in front of the house when they arrived, wearing only a short-sleeved shirt and pants - the same clothes she was wearing Sunday. Her shoulder-length hair had been cut short between the time she disappeared Sunday and called Bier's granddaughter Tuesday afternoon. The girl told Bier she cut her hair with scissors she found.
They put a blanket around her and drove her to the home of Janet Fontaine, where English had been living for the past three months.
"Sara seemed very pale, she mumbled, she seemed like she was in shock," Bier said. English had bruises on her face and arms, but Bier said she did not press English for details about her whereabouts since Sunday because English didn't appear to be "well enough."
Fontaine notified police and took the girl to Giles Memorial Hospital. Investigators questioned English for several hours and decided to keep her overnight at the hospital to "let her think it over," Fontaine said.
Bier said her granddaughter and English maintain that the teen jumped from the bridge.
English told them she hid in leaves along the riverbank while the state police helicopter flew overhead and later threw her jacket into the water because it was soaked, Bier said.
"There's no doubt in my mind that this was an incredible cry for help," Bier said.
Bier said she hopes authorities will stop focusing on blame and make sure English receives counseling.
"She's no criminal. She's a good little girl."
Fontaine echoes Bier's sentiments.
"There's more to this story than meets the eye, but only Sara can say."
Fontaine first met English about a year ago through Fontaine's 13-year-old daughter. Fontaine said that three months ago she and English's parents - Debbie and Junior Merrix - reached a spoken agreement to allow the teen to stay with Fontaine.
The teen's parents came to the hospital Tuesday night but were unable to see their daughter because she was still being interviewed by police.
Staff writer Kathy Loan contributed information to this story.
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