A daring rescue took place above the Ohio River when an 18-wheeler nearly drove off a bridge and dangled above the water.
According to WHAS11, an accident on the Second Street Bridge in Louisville, Kentucky nearly sent a Sysco truck plummeting into the water below. The truck ended up dangling off the edge, being suspended with the cab facing head first towards the river.
About 30 first responders quickly arrived to the scene and were able to formulate an extraction plan. A rescuer descended down to the cab, secured the driver, and rappelled back up to the bridge.
Watch the daring rescue below:
Louisville Fire Chief Brian O’Neill bragged about the bravery of his fire department. “They train for this stuff all the time. You see these were some serious heroes here,” he told reporters. He continued to say that the trucker was uninjured but two individuals in one of the other affected vehicles were critically injured and taken to the hospital.
A spokesperson for Sysco released a statement to express their thanks to the brave first responders. “Sysco is enormously grateful to rescue services and law enforcement who quickly and safely resolved the accident on the Clark Memorial Bridge today. We are thankful our Sysco colleague is safe and thank the first responders for their courageous efforts rescuing our driver. Safety is a priority at Sysco, and we are cooperating with the law enforcement investigation,” they said.
Both lanes of the bridge remained closed until the big rig was able to be removed from the scene.
This is why our first responders are heroes. Thank you to @loukyfire @LMPD, @LouMetroES and all those who swiftly responded to an incident on the Second Street bridge where a tractor trailer went off the road. Your bravery is unmatched and we’re grateful for your lifesaving work. pic.twitter.com/oyAXrAoZEC
— Mayor Craig Greenberg (@LouisvilleMayor) March 1, 2024
Original story and video by WHAS11.
