hold up up ♪ hold up ho hold up ♪ we in here like rogain or leave it like cobain and when i'm long gone ♪ ♪ whole crew sing a swan song ♪ ♪ 'cause we all just ticking time bombs got a lambo like lebron's mom ♪ ♪ and no matter where all of my friends go emily, fam and lorenzo ♪ ♪ all of them people my kinfolk at least i think so ♪ ♪ can't tell 'cause when them checks clear they're not here 'cause they don't care ♪ ♪ it's kinda sad but i'm laughing whatever happens ♪ ♪ assassins are stabbed in the back of my cabin ♪ ♪ labrador yapping i'm glad that it happened i mean it ♪ ♪ between us i think there's something special ♪ ♪ and if i lose my mental just hold my hand even if you don't understand hold up ♪ ♪ no matter what you say or what you do when i'm alone i'd

rather be with you ♪ ♪ these other i'll be right by your side till 3005 ♪ ♪ hold up hold up hold up hold up ♪ ♪ hold up hold up hold up hold up ♪ ♪ hold up hold up hold up hold up ♪ ♪ hold up hold up hold up hold up ♪ ♪ no matter what you say or what you do when i'm alone i'd rather be with you ♪ ♪ these other i'll be right by your side ♪ ♪ till 3005 ♪ hold up hold up hold up hold up ♪ ♪ hold up hold up hold up hold up ♪ ♪ hold up hold up hold up hold up ♪ ♪ hold up hold up hold up hold up ♪ ♪ hold up hold up hold up hold up ♪ ♪ hold up hold up hold up hold up ♪ tonight on "nightline"

stranded for days in the freezing cold, this family with four young children finally brought to safety just a few hours ago. what did they do to stay alive? we have the latest on their miracle survival and dramatic rescue. our man in pretoria, live on the streets of south africa as world leaders gather for a final farewell. and a top american diplomat with deep ties to mandela gives "nightline" a front row seat. >> really hit me for the first time that i get to sit on the front porch of history. >> this l.a. man accused of conning dozens of sports figures. from college teams to the nfl. but that's not all. >> kenneth --

>> tonight's shocking new details. what he says he did and why. >> how some one that you never met by the throat. >> keep it right here, america, "nightline" is back in just 60 seconds. ♪ pose! yeah! ♪ flash! yeah! ♪ pose! yeah! ♪ flash! yeah! ♪ get the family to strike a pose, ♪ ♪ and show off your brand new clothes! ♪ ♪ that's my kind of holiday.

♪ no presents beneath the tree? ♪ ♪ wait a minute, now i see ♪ my gifts are above me ♪ that's my kind of holiday good evening. with ten days to go until the official start of winter, storms are sweeping the country and we're in the grip of a record cold. in the mountains of nevada, temperatures have dipped to 20 below zero. on sunday one young family decided to make the best of the inclement weather and headed off to go play in the snow. until they ended up stranded and fighting for their lives. here's abc's david wright with the dramatic details. >> reporter: for two days in this frozen landscape,

search-and-rescue teams hunted in vain, searching the snowy nevada mountain range for a missing family. 34 years old james glanden, his girlfriend, christina mcintee, their two kids and their niece and nephew, all of them young kids, ages 3 to 10. tonight against all odds that family is safe. >> everybody has shed tears. cried for happiness. a happy communion. we're glad they have been found, you know. everybody's prayers have been answered. >> reporter: it started sunday when witnesses saw them drive into the seven troughs mountains in a silver jeep wrangler. >> the man driving it and a woman in front. >> reporter: they said they were off to play in the snow. that was sunday at noontime. when they failed to return home, family members reported them missing. and the search got underway. >> we don't know exactly where they were headed. we have a general idea. and those areas are being searched. >> the seven troughs is a huge

wilderness area. 140 square miles. authorities were able to trace their last known cell signal, strong enough to register on the tower, but too weak to place a call. >> the last ping that we got, from their phone yesterday afternoon was in the area here. >> reporter: that still left a huge area to cover. >> best choice right now is to hit this as heavy as we can with aircraft. and then our ground teams here are basically waiting here, we launch them out, soon as they see anything. >> 200 volunteers on the ground. plus aircraft up top. armed with infrared sensors, sensitive enough to read human body heat. they found nothing. >> want out there last night. went back out today. it is getting more and more urgent as we, as we go. we're running out of time. and, time is not on our side. >> but the searchers refused to give up hope. >> we just got to find them. we have known them forever. and those tiny kids. they can't beep out there. none can be out there in the

cold like this. they were working against the clock and the elements. tuesday one of the searchers on the ground spotted an overturned car through his binoculars. >> we just followed some tracks going up a road and we found their footprints so we kept going up the draw. we started glassing from the binoculars and we saw the jeep down there. >> reporter: chris says he has known the family for 20 years. >> first thing i did was give jay a big old hug. >> reporter: to survive the 20 below temperatures at night they burned one of the car's tires. experts said the family did everything right to survive the frigid temperatures. >> the most critical thing they did right was staying with the car. that is your biggest survival resource. they use the tires to get a fire going. to keep warm. also a huge morale boost. in the military we call it survival television. it's just having that fire, that warmth. it's a positive step mentally. one of the biggest factors in

surviving. the will to survive. >> these harrowing incidents happen more often than you think. people come out alive thanks to survival instincts. in maine, a 17-year-old nicholas joy went missing two days while skiing with his father. he built a cave in the snow. cloaking himself in twigs and blankets. until a fire fighter found him. >> he was cold. but for being in the woods for two days. he was in great shape. >> i have been praying he could put himself down some place. thank good he is alive. >> reporter: he was no eagle scout. he learned survival skills watching reality tv. man vs. wild. >> we believe this is our christmas miracle this year. >> reporter: this time two years ago, the higgins family was driving their car through arctic conditions in new mexico. >> the back wheel starts spinning in the ice. when i tried to get out off the ice the back end of the car slid off the road and -- we just weren't going anywhere.

>> reporter: they were buried for two days under four feet of snow. just as the the oxygen was running out, rescuers appeared. they broke the car windows. buying extra time. retrieving the family. another amazing story, just this fall, a 13-year-old girl, saved by her father. he shielded her from a rock slide. by jumping on top of her. sacrificing his life to save hers. among the tales of survival there are gems. the alaskan man who subsisted for three days on frozen coors light. the 72-year-old hunter lost for 18 days in the national forest. he got his protein eating squirrels, lizards and frogs. as for to day's lucky survivors, they could hear the search teams whistles. could see the helicopters flying overhead. they knew help was on the way. tonight having been rushed to the hospital, the doctors have given them a clean bill of health. >> the patients are stable, preliminary exams, seem like they're doing well. not even evidence of frostbite. again the father did a very good

job of keeping everybody safe. >> they have a mild case of exposure and incredible story to tell. david wright, "nightline," reno. >> another christmas miracle indeed. next -- we have a front row seat as the u.s. ambassador greets president obama in south africa. terry moran is there tonight. "nightline," reno. >> another christmas miracle indeed. next -- we have a front row seat as the u.s. ambassador greets president obama in south africa. terry moran is there tonight.

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uncle go one,two,one,two,one [uncle]thistwo,one.cotch,okay? [niece]okay! [uncle]okay? [niece]one,two three,four,five,six,seven,eight! [uncle laughing] okay,we go the other way,okay? [niece]one,two,three,four,five, six,seven! [uncle laughs]there's ten spaces,you want to try again? [uncle]yeah? we move now to south africa where it is wednesday morning.

the body of nelson mandela has just been carried in a great procession to the seat of the south african government in pretoria to lie in state. abc's chief foreign correspondent terry moran is there along the route. terry. good morning, cynthia from south africa. what a moment. a few minutes ago, the car carrying the body of nelson mandela processed down the street. to the place where he will lie in state for the next several days. you can see as far as the eye can see, the police. think about that. the south african police once pursued and persecuted nelson mandela. now they stand at attention in his honor as he makes his final journey. it's been like that the last couple extraordinary days. extraordinary for americans as well. four u.s. presidents attended the memorial service. that's never happened before. there was one american right at the center of it.

and we spent the past couple of world wind days with him. when president obama and the first lady touched down in south africa, he was the first man to greet them. the face of the united states in south africa, ambassador patrick gaspard, for the past 48 hours our top diplomat here has given "nightline" rare access to the whirlwind preparations as the world pays tribute to nelson mandela. his role to express american grief in this time of mourning and oh, yeah, the monumental and unprecedented task of welcoming four u.s. presidents and countless dignitaries. hard to imagine 25 years ago he was actively working to bring down a government here in south africa. now, he is the nation's official representative here. you were both anti-apartheid activists? right? >> it's incredible to come full circle. it feels like yesterday to me that i was standing outside of

the embassy in washington d.c. with lots of other civil rights activists demanding that our government impose sanctions on the apartheid regime. >> probably going to ask you about president obama arriving. >> his morning begins on the phone. calling into south african radio stations. >> i remember the first times i learned about nelson mandela. i started to become active in the movement myself. >> reporter: little could he imagine the journey the early protests would take him on. >> in new york the 71-year-old south african leader got a taste of how millions of americans feel about him. >> he helped pull off mandela's first u.s. visit after the south african leader's release from prison in 1990. as a young staffer he navigated the rough and tumble currents of new york city politics and later became a trusted aide to president obama. his new gig as ambassador just a few months old. but luckily the territory is familiar. like soweto's church where he came as a protester. this place was ground zero in the anti-apartheid struggle.

>> i get goose bumps thinking of the moment now. when they were out there doing that, this place had a lot of conflict. right, there were still battles in the streets. no, not a safe time to be here. >> back then, this house of worship, the only safe place to gather. since political meetings were banned in most public places. in 1976, it was a refuge during the student uprisings here. >> the police chase the youngsters into the church. one of the, police officers took his machine gun and went up there. and with the butt of the machine gun, slammed it down on the altar and cracked the marble and broke the altar. >> the church refused to repair it. they want to remember it. >> on this day, they're here to remember the man known by his tribal name, medima. >> so mandela used to live here before he want to prison.

>> the ambassador and his wife lead me to mandela's house, now a museum. if you see the mandela film "long walk to freedom" there are scenes where the apartheid police will drive by at night and just spray the home with bullets just to intimidate and continue to send a message they were watching. >> there were kids. >> babies, babies in there. >> it was here, 23 years ago we saw some of the first images of nelson mandela finally free. >> i remember the send sags of waiting to see what he looked like now. a question. >> reporter: outside mandela's house, a combination of street party, demonstration and protest. a reminder that scars run deep. because there are still dire places in south africa like attridgeville. just a short drive from the capital and in the shadow of where mandela will lay. no apartheid here. and no clean water, trash pick up or proper power. >> you have to satisfy the man.

>> squatters like archibald, wife and five children, still waiting after 15 years for a government home. >> so the money supposed to be for you guys, for your families, they're keeping. >> they are keeping. >> reporter: the fear now, that mandela's loss leaves no one left to fight for them. back at the u.s. embassy, hours to go before the memorial. before he arrives, gaspard is still the official u.s. voice here. time for a quick visit to pretoria's union buildings to check on logistics where mandela will lie in state. the casket will lay on this spot where mandela took the presidential oath 20 years ago. >> it is going to be look nothing that has been seen here since his inauguration. >> so glorious a human achievement. >> i think this is going to rival in emotion -- the

remarkable day. >> funny meeting you here. >> back at his official residence. the ambassador acknowledges the tremendous weight of the hours and days ahead. >> let's see, i think the biggest challenges are president obama, president clinton, president bush, president carter. >> behind the scenes, aides are still working the phones with last minute details. why is it important for young americans, apartheid is of a long time ago. tell meal more abut this. >> apartheid is not that long ago, terry. i love my country. one thing that frustrates me about our education is the kind of amnesia that we sometimes have about incredibly important events. my two teenagers, 16-year-old boy, 13-year-old girl. they look at me like i am some old man. i talk about getting arrested in front of the u.s. embassy. i took them out to robben island. and i took them to mandela

house. and their eyes were wide open when they were in that little house. realized that that family was under siege in that location every single day. >> reporter: yesterday it really hit me for the first time. i got a little emotional. how fortunate i am that i, that i get to sit on the front porch of history. >> and while i will always fall short of mandela's example, he makes me want to be a better man. >> reporter: inspiring presidents, everyday people, and one ambassador. >> i have a lot of emotion about being here right now. i'm just super charged by the opportunity and all that is involved. >> for "nightline," terry moran in pretoria, south africa. >> our thanks to terry for that. >> next, is this man an artist or just a serial prankster? harmless or harmful? and is he responsible for allegedly pranking sports figures from the san diego chargers to the minnesota vikings? stay with us. >> next, is this man an artist

or just a serial prankster? harmless or harmful? and is he responsible for allegedly pranking sports figures from the san diego chargers to the minnesota vikings? stay with us.

for most of us, the urge to play pranks goes away in middle school.

but not for kenny tarr. while he believes his elaborate hoaxes make him a great artist, sports figures from the nba to the nfl now finding out they have alleged been his victims might beg to differ. here's abc's nick walt. >> we think what you do as offense is, pretty amazing. >> reporter: this is kenny tarr, allegedly on the phone with the san diego chargers offensive coordinator ken wisenhunt. >> what kind of position? >> tarr, pretending to be with the university of texas and offering wisenhunt job of head coach. >> of make it very clear you are the one i would look to select. we'll go from there. >> sound good. >> tarr claims he offered tony dungy, the usc head coach job. through a spokesperson, dungy said he has spoken with

investigators but was never contacted by tarr. leslie frasier of the vikings was allegedly also pranked by tarr. for these and perhaps a dozen other alleged prank calls to pro coaches, tarr could now beef looking at a year in the county jail. >> mr. tarr was booked for 632-a of the penal code, felony eavesdropping. >> here in california it is against the law to record some one any voice without their permission. >> just generate false realities and satisfy them. >> that was tarr talking to me in september. a college dropout. frustrated writer, director. >> give a warm welcome for mr. kenny tarr. >> reporter: stand-up comic. >> the other day i was in iceland at a singles bar. >> reporter: a repeat hoaxer. experts say they've often share a similar motivation. >> these are individuals who feel that they are not getting all of the adulation and success

that they deserve. >> reporter: tarr talked his way on to numerous talk shows. please welcome ken to the snow. from bill cunningham show, the self proclaimed gypsy king. with a cheating fiance. my until is running around with her. not the first time he has done that. >> are you mad because no one produced a screen play. >> no, i am not mad by that. i am just a person that need more from what his talent is. >> kenneth tarr. >> on judge alex, a plumber with a beef. >> i was locked in the mortuary for 14 hours. >> you were? >> do you enjoy it. get a rush. >> i feel like robert deniro, feels. you've feel anything this is going to say on the other end of the phone is pathetic and you own them. >> when we are looking at this individual, they want to be the smartest in the room. they can take advantage of you or a situation. in many ways a form of anger. >> andy kauf