Louisville emergency personnel repelled off the Clark Memorial Bridge shortly after noon today, March 1, to rescue the driver of a tractor-trailer dangling over the Ohio River.
Louisville Fire Department personnel performed a high-angle rescue to repel down to the level of the cabin, get the driver, and raise them back up to safety.
The bridge was shut down in both directions as emergency crews were on scene. It was expected to be closed for the rest of the day.
Around 45 minutes after the truck crashed over the barriers, the Louisville Police Department tweeted that "the driver of the semi has been rescued from the cab of the vehicle and is on land."
Firefighter Bryce Carden was lowered over the side of the bridge, fitted the truck's driver in a safety harness, and then both were raised to the safety of the bridge deck.
"She handled it like a champ," Carden said of the woman driver. "As soon as she hit the ground, she let her emotions go. She's a very brave woman. Here she is dangling over the edge. But think about having to hook her up and get her into the harness. If you have someone who panics, it can be dangerous. But she was a champ."
The unidentified woman was driving for Sysco, the wholesale food distributor.
Two other vehicles were involved in the collision on the bridge that connects Kentucky and Indiana. Their drivers were taken to an area hospital to be treated for their injuries.
