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Mary Jo Kopechne Chappaquiddick — Part 2

44 pages · May 10, 2026 · Document date: Jul 19, 1969 · Broad topic: Politics & Activism · Topic: Mary Jo Kopechne Chappaquiddick · 43 pages OCR'd
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i ae ++ neem A. That is rignt. ( p Q And wher: did you finally stop the white automobiie that you were sidine in? A Mr, Gargan drow the vehicie across the oridge to some - location here (indicating) and turned it so thar its head- lights shown over the water and over the submerged whicle. (Indicating on blackboard.) Q And what happencd after the thice of you arrived there? A Mr. Gargan gid Mr. Markham took off all their clothes, dove into thé water, and proceeded 10 dive repeatedly to try and save Bary Jo. Q Now, do yo@:ecall what particular time this is now when the three of @ou were at the -- . A LT think it wa at 12:20, Mr. Dinis. [ believe that I looked at the Vatiant’s clack and behtese thatat was 12:20. Q Now, S17. LaRosa remained at the cottage? A Yes, he did. Q Was Mr. LaRosa aware of the accident? A No, he hadn't heard — no,1} don’t believe so. - > Ne one else at the cottage was told of the accident? «a No. Q How many times did you go back to Dike Bridge that night? A Well, that was the only — Q After the accident, that was the only occasion? A The only time, the only occasion. . Q Now, how long did Mr. Markham and Mr. G2rgan remain there with you on that particular occasion? I would think about forty-five minutes. And they were unsuccessful in entering the car? Well, Mr. Gargaa got half-wzy in the car. When he came out he was scraped all the way from his elbow. underneath his arm was all bruised and bloodied # and this 1s the one time that he was able to gain entrance I believe into the car itself. And did he talk to you about his experience in trying to ect into the car? Well, I was unable to. being exhausted, to get into the water, but 1 could see exactly what was happening and, made some suggestions. -- So Ghat you were participating in the rescue efforts? Wei: io that extent. You were fully aware of what wc teanspiring at thet lime? Well, } was fully aware that Joe Gargan and Paut Markham were trying to get in that car and rescue that girl, | certainly would sey that. . Did you know at that time or did you have any ide2 how long Mary Jo had been in the water? Well, knew that some time had passed. Well, you testified earlier that you spent some fifteen or twenty minutes of — Well, Mr. District Attorney, I didn’t add up the time that I was adding to rescue her and time on the beach, the shore, and the time to get back and the time it took back and calculate it. © Was it fair to say that she was in the water about an hour? A Yes, it is. Q W2s there any effort made to call for assistance? A No, other than the assistance of Mr. Gargan and Mr. Markham. QI know, but they failed in their efforts to recover — A That is right. Q — Miss Kopechnet A That is correct. (Discussion off the record.) MR. DINIS. } believe, your Honor, before the witness left the courtroom the question was whether or not any assistance had becn asked for. THE COURT. Cthink the answer had been No. @ [By Mr. Dinis] Aad now may I ask you, Mr. Kennedy. was there any reason why no additional assisiance was asked for? : A Was there any reason? Q Yes, was there any particular reason why you 3 not call either the police or the fire dcpartment? A Well Paintended to report it te the pone. THE COURT. That is not quite responsive to the ques- tion. ; Q Was there a reason why it did not happen at thet tune? THE COURT. Call for assistance. >O> > 0 1, 2OPO (2) THE WITNESS. 1 @. to call for assistance znd to report the accident fo’the police within a few short mo- ments after eoing back into the csr. i sec, and did something transpire to preveat this? es. What was that? . With the Court's indulgence, to prevent this, if the Court “ would permit me | would like to be abic to relate t@ the Court the immediate period foilowme the time that Mr. Gargam, Marxha:n and I got back in the car. THE COURT. I have no objection. MR. DINIS. | have no objection. . THE WITNESS. Responding to the question of the Dis- trict Attorney — MR. DENIS. Yes. : . THE WITNESS, —at some time, I believe ic was aboul 45 minutes after Gargan and Markham dove they likewise became exhausted and no further diving efforts appeared to be of any avail and they So indicated to me and I aareed. So they came out of the water and came back into the Car and said to me, *.r. Markham and Nr. Gargan at diflerent limes as we drove down the rocd towards the ferry that it was necessary to report this accident. A lot of different thoughts came into my mind at that time about how I was going to really to be able to call Mrs. Kopechne af some time in the middle of the night to tell her that her daughter was drowned, to be able to call my own motiter and my own father, relate to them, my wife, and Leven — even though ] knew that Mary Je Kopechne was dead anc believed firinly that ske_was in he back of that car} willed that she remained alive. — ne ~ As we drove down that road [ was almost looking out the front window 2nd windows trvmg to see her walking © down that road. | relzted this to Gargan and Markhom and they said they understood this teeling, but & was meces- sary toreport if. And about this time we came to the ferry crossing end 1 got oui of the car and we talked there just a few minutes. I just wondered hew ah of this could pessibly have happened. | also had sort of a thoeght and the wish and desire and the hepe tha. ...adenty this whele socicent would disappear, ana they reiterated that this has to be reported and Penderstvod at the time that f fet that ferry boat, left the slip where the ferry boat was, that it had to be reported and f hed full intention of reporting it_and I mentioned to Gargass and Sfarkham samething kke. “You take care of the girls. TE will toe cae of the accident.” — that is what J said arecd § dove into the water. Now, I siaried to swim out into that tide and the tice suddenly became, fel an extrac7ciaary shove and aimos? pulling me down again, the water pulling me down and suddenly J realized az that lime even as I faded to realize before |} dove into the water that 1 was m a wezkened condition, zthouch as 1 had Icoked over that dsstance between the ferry slim and the cther side. it seemed to me an inconsequential swim; but the water got colder. the tide began te drew rene out and for the second tie that evening | knew J wms going to drown and the strength continued to leave me. By this time I was probably 50 yards off the shore amd 1 remembered being swept down toward the direction of the Edgariown Light and well out into the darkness, amd 1 continued to auempt te swim. tried to swim al a slower pace to be able io regain what- ever kind of st.eneth what was left m me. And some tine alter, I think it was about the middic of the channel, a ith: further than that, the tide was much calmer sgenticr, and Y began to gei my — make soma prog- ress, and finaly was able to reach the other shore ind ali the nightmares and .:ii the tragedy and ail the loss of Mary Jo’s death was right before me agsin. And whea,l was able to gain this s2rore, this Edgertown side, I pulled myself on the beach and then aliempted to praia some streneth. : After that | walked? up one of the streets in the direc- tien of the Shirelowm Jun. By walking up one ef the streets J walked imo a parkirs IoL tat Was adjaceat 10 The Ina and I can remember almost having no further strenctd 10 continue, and kann against a tree foz » leneth of time, walking thraggh ue gathing foi, trying 20 zsally gather seme kind of ides as £0 rf. / og * &
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