Oklahoma City bombing survivor was ‘getting ready to die’ after being trapped in 10 feet of rubble
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April 19, 1995, started off as a beautiful spring day for Amy Downs, a teller at a credit union inside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.

“I remember the red buds were blooming,” Downs recalled to Fox News Digital. “I was so excited. I was getting ready to close my very first house. I don’t think I did any work in that first hour of the day. I was running around talking to all my friends about the house. 

“And then I was looking at my watch, thinking, ‘Oh gosh, it’s almost nine o’clock. I’m going to get in trouble. I had better get back to my desk.’”

Downs flew past her boss. A co-worker who was six months pregnant sat beside her. Downs asked if she needed anything.

Mike Shannon being interviewed behind the scenes.

Mike Shannon is featured in the National Geographic docuseries “Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America.” (National Geographic/Brandon Widener)

Today, Downs is a full-time speaker. She also created a new bucket list. She and her sister are planning to walk about 160 miles of Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage known as “The Way of St. James.” She’s also eager to ride her bicycle across the United States.

“I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up,” the 58-year-old chuckled.

Memorial for the Oklahoma City bombing.

The Oklahoma National Memorial on the day of Timothy McVeigh’s execution  June 11, 2001, in Oklahoma City, Okla. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Downs hopes viewers watching the documentary will learn how a community became united during tragedy.

A memorial for the Oklahoma City bombing

Floral tributes commemorate the 19 children killed in the Oklahoma City bombing at the base of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in April 1995. (National Geographic/Courtesy The Stephen Jones Oklahoma City Bombing Archive, Dolph Briscoe Center, at the University of Texas)

“It showcases the strength of the human spirit and the courage of these men who rushed in to help,” she said. “And the way we came together. The thing is, we are all going to face times in our lives when we’re buried under the rubble, where devastation comes to us. … We will face difficult times.

“I think the lesson from this is that, as people, we can come together. And when you come together during times of difficulty, you are stronger than you realize. And together, you will get through it.”

National Geographic’s “Oklahoma City Bombing: One Day in America” is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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