First responders are trained to help in all kinds of emergency situations, but that doesn’t mean they necessarily see all of those situations on the field. So when something scary and larger than life actually happens, they have to rely on their training and experience to potentially save a life.
Thankfully, one firefighter did exactly that when he responded to a wild emergency situation one day above the Ohio River.
A Harrowing Accident
Earlier this month, a semi-truck driver was heading over the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge on the Ohio River when another vehicle crossed into the wrong lane. The car struck the semi, which swerved through the guardrail and over the side. The driver got stuck in the cab, which was dangling from the bridge.
When firefighters responded to the scene, they immediately sprang into action. According to the Louisville Fire Department’s chief, Brian O’Neill, the driver was incredibly lucky not to wind up in the water.
“If you look at the way that that semi-truck threaded the needle of those bridge stanchions, but then ended up getting wedged in there and not plowing through and ending up in the water is tremendously lucky,” he told GMA.
“She was you know, scared,” firefighter Bryce Carden added about the driver.
A Heroic Rescue
To save the unnamed driver, Carden had to rappel down the side of the bridge. He then hooked the woman into his harness and slowly hoisted her back up. The entire operation took about 40 minutes, which must have been terrifying for that driver.
“Finally, when she realized she was safe and she was going to live, she was overcome with emotions as anybody would be,” Carden said.
The woman was understandably shaken and wanted to heal in private, which is why authorities didn’t release her name. Two other people involved in the crash were seriously injured, but it appears as though this driver will be okay.
As for Carden, people are hailing him as a hero.
“I’ve played a very small piece in a large puzzle,” Carden said. “I contribute all of the success of it to the guys topside and the guys on the bottom who helped make it happen.”
Thanking a First Responder
Stories like these remind us that emergency responders face all kinds of circumstances and situations, and they’re willing to risk their own lives to help ours. Sure, this story made headlines because it’s not every day that you see a truck dangling from a bridge or a firefighter rappelling to save someone.
However, there are plenty of everyday situations in which first responders put themselves in harm’s way to help someone else.
This story is just a nice reminder for us to thank them for their service. That can be a simple “Thanks for your service” when you come across an ambulance driver, firefighter, or police officer in your daily life. It can also be a handwritten card or note.
Either way, these men and women work to keep our communities safe, and gratitude always goes a long way.
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