making news in america this morning, developing right now, hope fades to find survivors in the washington mud slide. the latest on the search. the missed warning signs and the new rescue of a child just in. one last winter wallop. early spring snow and freezing temperatures settle in for parts of the country. when will it all be moving out? caught on camera. a trapped construction worker races down a burning building. >> oh, my jesus. oh, my god. >> plucked from the ledge, his dramatic rescue comes just in time. a struggle at sea. a fisherman with only a reel and a kayak gets taken for a ride for hours when he catches something really big.

good wednesday morning, everyone. i'm john muller. >> and i'm marci gonzalez in for diana perez. a police chief raised the death toll again overnight in the washington mudslide. >> rescuers say 24 people are likely dead, and hopes of finding any more survivors are fading. >> more than 170 people are missing and no one in the mudslide's path has been found alive since saturday. abc's tahman bradley has the latest on the search. >> reporter: along the disaster zone, the rescuers are battling mud and debris and the weather. a flood warning is in effect, and there are fears of another landslide. >> we had a very challenging day today with the rain, and that just further complicated things. >> reporter: the national guard and even dogs have joined the search, but the mud is so dense, it's acting like quicksand. >> they're literally getting stuck, sometimes all the way up to their waist, which means then they need help getting out of

that area. >> reporter: experts say the slide was like a mud tsunami traveling as much as 30 miles per hour spread out over one square mile leaving mud 15 to 30 feet deep, the moment of terror captured in frantic 911 calls. >> there's a mudslide, and everything is gone. >> reporter: more bodies were recovered late yesterday raising the death toll to 16, but officials think the number is going to increase. more than 100 people are still unaccounted for. >> they're trying to ping for cell phones for the purposes of essentially locating individuals in the debris. >> reporter: also this morning, questions about whether this tragedy could have been prevented. a 1999 report warned that the area had the potential for a large catastrophic failure. in fact, this slide hit the same area eight years ago. >> we've done everything we could. my heart goes out to all these individuals. we're going to get to the bottom of this. >> reporter: the army of rescuers will continue their search, but officials caution it's extremely unlikely anyone will be found alive. tahman bradley, abc news,

washington. >> but new video this morning shows one dramatic rescue in the first hours after the slide. a helicopter team hovered over the mud while a volunteer crew member waded into the deep muck to reach a 4-year-old boy and his father. he passes them a rope then pulls them up the hill into the chopper and out of danger. they were among the lucky ones. all right, this morning's other big story, bracing for a rare spring blizzard. >> a nasty nor'easter is crawling up the east coast right now. by the time it's done with the jersey shore later this morning, there could be as much as 5 inches of snow on the ground. atlantic city schools have had so many snow days that they'll have classes this saturday. even in washington, d.c., there has been so much snow this year that yesterday's accumulation was mostly just an inconvenience, but it may delay the blooming of the cherry blossoms by a day and now we get a complete look at the weather by accuweather's jim dickey.

good morning, jim. >> good morning. absolute monster storm system sitting off the coast of new england here this morning. the good news is it's enough offshore that we don't see the full impacts but all the same blizzard conditions at times expected down east maine into cape cod, that's blowing snow, low visibilities, perhaps as much as a foot in some of these locations. this storm system bringing a fresh set of arctic air across the southeast. many spots challenging record lows all the way into the ohio valley. the deep freeze expected into the southeast. the growing season is under way. that's not good news. rain continues to pour down in the northwest. john and marci, back to you. >> thanks, jim. breaking news in the search for flight 370. the malaysian transportation minister announced that 122 potential objects have been spotted by a satellite in the indian ocean. they range from three feet to over 70 feet in length. the images were taken in a 200 square mile area. and as those search flights got under way today, an airplane spotted three more objects. abc's nikki battiste is in

perth, australia with the very latest. >> reporter: this mission is no longer a rescue. now it's only about recovery. and the recovery effort won't be easy on seas so stormy the search had to be put on hold for 24 hours. today the hm success and chinese polar supplies ship reached the area looking for two objects spotted earlier this week. today's search is split into three areas, all within the same proximity covering 50,000 square miles. >> obviously we're throwing everything we have at this search. we owe it to the families. we owe it to an anxious world to do everything we can to finally locate some wreckage. >> reporter: an ocean nothing fer we spoke with built a computer model tracing the debris back where they might have drifted from. a huge distance. the current moving 30 to 60 miles per day. the power of these ocean kumpbts is one reason authorities are

racing to recover and identify some parts of debris. the sooner they catch it, the simpler it may be to work out where it came from. and that's where they're most likely to find the wreckage of the plane. this city is gearing up for a likely influx of heartbroken families, desperate for answers and to be closer to their lost loved ones. nikki battiste, abc news, perth, australia. >> thanks, nikki. in florida a close call. the passengers and pilot of a small plane. the cessna's nose gear wouldn't deploy, and the plane made a hard landing at tampa international. it was diverted there because of the dangerous problem. the three people aboard weren't hurt, and no commercial flights at the airport were delayed. all right, new this morning some top level secret service agents have been put on leave. the agents were in amsterdam assigned to the president's arrival on monday. they are accused of violating a ten-hour ban on drinking prior till duty. one of them was passed out in a hotel hallway sunday. this comes in the wake of other recent cases of misbehaving law enforcement officials assigned to presidential visits. the president is talking tough about russia.

he is in brussels this morning for more high-level meetings with allies. he was in amsterdam yesterday for a nuclear summit, but when abc's jonathan karl asked him if moscow isn't now america's biggest geopolitical foe, the president was dismissive sending a message to moscow. >> russia is a regional power that is threatening some of its immediate neighbors, not out of strength, but out of weakness. russia's actions are a problem. they don't pose the number one national security threat to the united states. i continue to be much more concerned when it comes to our security with the prospect of a nuclear weapon going off in manhattan. >> the president also admitted that there was little the west can do to force russia out of crimea. he heads to rome tomorrow for a meeting with the pope. the white house extending the deadline for some people

applying for health insurance. anyone who has started an application before the march 31st deadline will be able to finish it. no word on how long the grace period will be. the administration predicts a crush of applicants in the last hours could cause a computer traffic jam. all right, listen to this. margarita drinkers are seeing double. it's not because of the booze. what is driving up the price of the main ingredient? plus, dramatic rescue. a construction worker plucked from a raging inferno seconds before the building collapses. and attention, shoppers, new video this morning of a car crashing into a convenience store there. an update on the conditions of the people inside that building and the driver.

wow. college already. ( chuckles ) yeah. - ( engine starts ) - we gotta go. ♪ for all the truth that you made me see... ♪ i love you. ♪ for all the joy you brought to my life... ♪ i love you too, daddy. ♪ you're the one who saw me through... ♪ and thanks - for everything. - ♪ through it all... - ♪ you were my strength when i was weak... ♪ - ( woman speaks ) a message from the foundation for a better life.

welcome back. a new report says target blew it. the congressional staff report says the discount retailer missed several opportunities to prevent last fall's huge data breach. target's chief financial officer today will tell the senate commerce committee the company's management is now asking, quote, hard questions about decisions that were made. facebook expanding its empire. the social network is buying oculus, a virtual reality company for $2 billion. facebook's ceo mark zuckerberg says his company is focusing on "what platforms will come next," and he believes oculus will be one of those platforms. relief may be on the way for moviegoers shelling out more and more money to see films. as admissions continue to decline, theater owners are considering offering discount tickets one day a week. they are planning to test the idea in a yet to be named state. lime prices are skyrocketing.

a supply dwindles in mexico. the shortage has been linked to crop damage as well as a deliberate effort by specific growers to boost the cost. california produce suppliers, restaurants and bars have been hit the hardest. a case of limes has soared from $14 to as much as 100 bucks. >> that's a big old increase. >> yeah, it is. >> i'll have to switch to mai tais. >> that's a plan. when we come back, on the diamond, what caused a melee between two florida rivals and the heisman winner right in the middle of it. plus, someone's going to need a bigger boat. a man fishing on a kayak gets taken for a ride when he hooks up to something big. you know what phones are supposed to have? buttons. one for each number. so-called smartphones have two, maybe three buttons max. that's neat, but what do you do when you want to dial a four? it's not so smart then, is it? (laughter) nice phone, dude. thanks!

smart phones make life easier. that's why esurance is introducing video appraisal. you can use your smart phone to video chat with a claims expert. they'll assess the damage and help settle your claim faster than ever. welcome to the modern world. esurance. backed by allstate. click or call. [ male announcer ] our story begins here. where we get our milk. and our inspiration, to keep things simple. so now kraft singles have no artificial preservatives. because simple is simply...better. ♪ because simple is simply...better. i've quit for 75 days. 15 days, but not in a row. for the first time, you can use nicorette even if you slip up, so you can reach your goal. now, quit on your own terms with nicorette or nicoderm cq. can i pet your cloud please? sure! [ rumbling ] woah! aah! he doesn't like to be touched there. mmm! [ male announcer ] pet the rainbow! taste the rainbow.

wears off. [ female announcer ] stop searching and start repairing. eucerin professional repair moisturizes while actually repairing very dry skin. the end of trial and error has arrived. try a free sample at eucerinus.com. and irresistible aroma of nescafe clasico stir what's inside of you. ♪ [ engine revving ] [ tires screech ] ♪ [ male announcer ] that was bold. real bold. ♪ looking live at chatham, massachusetts, on cape cod. cape eastern maine and canada's

maritime provinces all getting hit with a blizzard, high winds and as much as a foot of snow. the national weather service is warning of downed trees, power outages and near zero visibility. yes, so it might be a good idea to stay off the roads there today. highways will also be slippery around the great lakes and icy in the rocky mountains. you're likely to find wet roads on either side of the mississippi and in the west on interstate 80. watch out for mudslides on california highways. now, if you're flying, airport delays are possible in boston, new york and san francisco. fierce winds in houston fueling a fire. that turned into a massive blaze. >> dozens of construction workers rushed out of the luxury apartment complex ahead of the flames but one could only reach a balcony as the fire creeped up behind him. office workers nearby watched the man pace looking desperately for a way out. even across the street they could feel the heat. they prayed the worker could hold out until the fire department arrived. >> oh, jesus. >> oh, god, oh, god.

>> suddenly he makes a move slipping to the balcony below, nearly tumbling backward but landing safely. it was excruciating even for the people watching. >> when we saw his foot slip, it was like, oh, god, he's going to fall, so we thought he was going to be gone. >> a ladder truck finally arrives seeming to take forever to maneuver within reach. until finally it's close enough. he stretches, reaches out and he's in the clear. senior captain hawthorne was on the ladder to catch him. >> just trying to get to him and then, you know, you try not -- you don't want him to jump too soon, but he waited good. he waited until we got the ladder truck close enough. >> but they're not out of danger as the ladder is moving away. >> oh, my god. >> the fiery roof collapses and falls to earth, embers flying in every direction. the worker escaping once again. >> he just said, thank you, jesus. yeah, he was just ecstatic. >> amazingly in the end no one was hurt, but the $50 million apartment complex was set to

open in june and now is nothing but rubble. some heartbreaking news this morning. a young navy football player who collapsed last saturday at practice has died. 19-year-old william mckamey was in a coma when he died last night. he had been hospitalized since the weekend. mckamey's family says he did not sustain any extreme contact in saturday's practice. he had suffered a head injury during his senior year of high school. a dramatic crash in connecticut after an all-out -- out-of-control, that is, car flies off an exit ramp. take a look. surveillance cameras capturing the speeding car as it plows into five other cars, slams into a gas station. it missed the pumps by inches. four people were hurt including the driver. she's now facing dui charges. and a charter school in colorado has backed down after coming under fire from barring a third grader who shaved her head. >> 9-year-old cameron renfro decided to go bald to show support for a friend who lost her hair battling cancer. caprock academy initially said the third grader couldn't come

to school because her bald head violated the dress code, but the board voted to make an exception to allow cameron to stay in school. >> thank goodness. yes, a college game turned into base-brawl between rivals florida and florida state and in the middle of the bench-clearing battle was a heisman trophy winner. jameis winston is also a relief pitcher for the top ranked seminoles. >> risking injury and a career in pro football. three other players were ejected. the gators did go on to win. all right, enjoy these nfl touchdown dunks over the goalpost while you can. >> you probably won't see them come the fall because dunking will now draw a 15-yard penalty. the nfl says banning the popular celebration is a way of stopping goalposts from being knocked off kilter like one was last year. critics say it is another example of the nfl being the no fun league. >> i don't mind the dunk so much. >> all right. well, it is a travel day for teams playing in tomorrow's ncaa

march madness game. as for basketball games that were played last night, we get the highlights now from espn. hi there. i'm kenny, he's jay. this is our tryout tape to make it to the real "gma" show. right now we're on it at like 4:45 in the morning. >> i'll start with my first highlight. here we go. it was exciting. thunder/mavericks, there's kevin durant. oh, he had himself a game, fourth quarter, under 45 seconds left. durant for three. 43 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds. thunder up three including that possession. jose calderon answers for the three-pointer of his own. mavs tied at 111. a minute to play in o.t. mavs up five. monta ellis is going to find dirk who is going to hit the three. you can't leave him alone. he had 32, 10 and 6. mavs win it, 128-119. thunder can't clinch a playoff spot just yet. got some women's hoops. here ncaa tournament, second round. kaleena mosqueda-lewis, top seeded uconn against st. joe's.

mosqueda-lewis knocking down a three. uconn up 8. breanna stewart, oh, quick fire. hits this ricky pierce style, get it on fire. mosqueda-lewis wants a three. it's just business. huskies up 34 points. next possession, mosqueda-lewis, a rebound, and that matters, because you know why? >> why? >> triple-double. >> ooh. >> off memory, that's the like the 14th time in ncaa women's tournament history. i think it's only the third uconn triple-double off memory. >> that's very good for our tryout here. do you think we made it? >> not a shot. >> good morning. >> good morning. thanks, guys. up next, "the pulse." hollywood heartbreak. gwyneth paltrow and chris martin, the talk of twitter overnight. and talk about awkward. weird family photos will soon make their way to a museum.

if yand you're talking toevere rheuyour rheumatologistike me, about a biologic... this is humira. this is humira helping to relieve my pain. this is humira helping me lay the groundwork. this is humira helping to protect my joints from further damage. doctors have been prescribing humira for ten years. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra symptoms. humira is proven to help relieve pain and stop further joint damage in many adults. humira can lower your ability to fight infections,

including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal events, such as infections, lymphoma, or other types of cancer, have happened. blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure have occurred. before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. you should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. take the next step. talk to your doctor. this is humira at work. ♪ wonder if i gave an oreo ♪ what if i gave an oreo to you? ♪

♪ you got fans to the left fans to the right and you're the only fan in town ♪ welcome back, folks. it's time for "the pulse." we start with a wild ride for a 22-year-old college guy in florida. >> he was fishing alone in his kayak wearing a gopro camera when he hooked an 11-foot hammerhead shark. that set off a two-hour struggle. >> during that time the powerful shark dragged him miles from where he started. after cutting the shark loose, the guy beached his kayak two cities away from his original starting point and called the whole thing off. he could have wound up in key west if he didn't cut bait when he did. >> perfect with the jimmy buffett music. >> there you go. moving on to an apparent end for gwyneth paltrow and chris martin. the oscar winner and the cold play front man are calling it quits after a decade of marriage. >> they announced their separation in a posting that was on their lifestyle website

calling it a, quote, conscious uncoupling. that sent the twitterverse into overdrive. one person tweeting, "conscious uncoupling sounds like something you explain to your overtheraperized kid at a gluten-free, all-organic dinner table." >> okay, another guy tweeting this, "chris martin files for divorce from gwyneth paltrow saying he wants to see other pizza." >> uncoupling. >> uncoupling. whatever you want to call it. well, imagine finding these in your family photo album, the california heritage museum this week opens an exhibition of, well, what it calls deliciously awkward family photos collected by a website devoted to the cringeworthy. all right, that guy right there with the snake and the mullet, he's on the facebook site. he says the picture was taken 22 years ago and, no, he wasn't high. >> but he's got an awesome mullet. and then there's this one. you better blow out those candles or else. grandpa's got a hammer. >> take a look at that one. oh, my goodness gracious. lots of good ones on the awkward family photo site. >> wow.

family photo site. >> wow. as quick and easy? makeup. nails. now advanced teeth whitening is simple with the new colgate® optic white™ toothbrush plus whitening pen. just brush. use the built in whitening pen, then go. no waiting, no rinsing. its stay on formula penetrates to deeply whiten for whiter teeth in two days. looking great with a dazzling, white smile is now quick and easy every day with the new colgate® optic white™ toothbrush plus whitening pen. brush. whiten. go.™ plus whitening pen. transferred money from his before larry instantly bank of america savings account to his merrill edge retirement account. before he opened his first hot chocolate stand calling winter an "underserved season". and before he quit his friend's leaf-raking business for "not offering a 401k." larry knew the importance of preparing for retirement. that's why when the time came he counted on merrill edge to streamline his investing and help him plan for the road ahead. that's the power of streamlined connections. that's merrill edge and bank of america.

how was prugh.ce? that bad? i dropped 2 balls, mom. eye on the ball! that's all it is. eye on the ball. that's a good tip. i'll try it. by the way, bill... this is delicious! so many grilled tastes and textures. and all the nutrition i need. go on. no really. top notch. (laughing) there it is - there ya go. new american grill from kibbles 'n bits... go together like... food 'n family.

nfc, afc, offensive lineman, defensive tackles, quarterbacks and cornerbacks are all living united. to ensure the academic success of millions of kids in our communities. all the way to graduation day. but that won't happen without you. so take the pledge at unitedway.org. make a difference in the life of a child. suit up like your favorite nfl players, and become a volunteer reader, tutor or mentor with united way.

live from the kgo-tv broadcast center this is abc7 news. good wednesday morning. thanks for joining us at 4:28. >> i am matt keller. don't put away the umbrellas. we have more rain. >> go advise. mike? >> good morning. here we are with live doppler 7 hd. this is where we have the light and moderate raining. not everyone is receiving rain, it is more shores -- showers through the day and through the morning. here is a look to the south, a few showers running across the dumbarton bridge. moving east to west. off the peninsula coast we

seeing more showers. it is a matter of an hour before san francisco and the peninsula get wet. our heaviest rain is this morning. a small chance of thunder and hail. the temperatures are below average upper 50 to mid-60. >> good morning, everyone. it is going to be wet ride to work. watch your speeds. this is a problem in redwood estates northbound 17 through santa cruz mountains a crash blocking the number two lane. we have a slow down to the reservoir. to the north bay we have rain, showers are falling over 101. from santa rosa to petaluma we are at top speeds. the bay bridge toll plazas show

it is moist away from the maze so drive safely. give yourself extra time. keep your rain jackets close by as we begin another round of rain slugging our way through the long of the stretch of wet and cloudy weather. our reporter is in the north bay. it is wet here with showers move through in the north bay. we have a break now and this is the official notice: today is different. it is colder. there is a breeze. it is wet. the rain has arrived. it will be here a while. plan your day accordingly. it will be different. not coming down now. if you need to get out of the house or about to leave for work this is a good window to slip out. we will monitor the conditions through