Thank Goodness Diana Williams is okay!

April 18, 2014

That question from our producer, in our ear piece, about 10:50 last night while I was on the set with Sade Baderinwa, prepping for the 11 o'clock newscast.

Why? we asked. Look at the wire alert, he said.

And there is was. Just a line. Avalanche at Mt. Everest. People are missing.

Diana hiked Everest, and so our hearts stopped. As we reported the news to you last night – and so many of you were watching, after the season finale of "Scandal" – our fingers crossed, hoping that Diana was not among the victims.

As the night wore on we realized that the avalanche – ice, not snow it turns out – was higher than the base camp where Diana hiked to. Our thoughts are now with the 12 sherpas who are now dead – and the 4 others missing. But we are deeply relieved as well that our great friend, a woman we love and cherish and respect, is ok. You can see her interview, via Skype, on our website, CLICK HERE.

Life's short. Tell the people you love that you love them.

Now, to the our 11 o'clock newscast for tonight. How does a 13-year-old boy say so calm, so poised, so brave? Lots of people asking that question tonight about Gama Droiville, who was shot in the face in Brooklyn while he waited at a bus stop earlier this week.

Gama – bravely telling his story – and speaking out about the 21-year-old man who police say fired wildly, attempting to hit another young man. Young Gama also got hit, in his eye.

Tonight at 11, he speaks to us about the attempted murder charges that will likely soon be filed against the suspect. And a kind of oops for Hillary Clinton. A big ta-do about her new book, a presumed advancer for her latest drive for the Presidency in 2016. Just one rub. The title. "Hard Choices" is a great and catchy phrase for a book, which is why she likely chose it. But so did one of her predecessors – Cy Vance, Secretary of State in the Carter Administration (and father to the current Manhattan District Attorney).

We'll also have any breaking news of the night, plus Lee Goldberg's weekend AccuWeather forecast, and Rob Powers with the night's sports.

I hope you can join Sade Baderinwa and me, tonight at 11, after 20/20, which tonight confronts one of the New York cops who faces charges of fraud for scamming taxpayers and claiming a disability after the 9/11 attacks. The case is an affront to all the courageous first responders at Ground Zero, and 20/20 tonight has the first big break out story focusing on one of the suspects.

BILL RITTER

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