INFORMATION YOU CAN REMAIN ANONYMOUS BY CALLING CRIME STOPPERS AT 8, 6, 6, 8, 4, 5,
TIPS.
>>TOM WILLS: NEW INFORMATION ON A DRAMATIC RESCUE IN THE SAINT JOHNS RIVER FIREFIGHTERS PLACED
HIM AN OUT OF
THE WATER AFTER HIS CAR FELL
OFF THE DAMES POINT BRIDGE.
THESE PICTURES FROM FIRE
AND RESCUE SHOW A CAPTAIN
HARNESSING THE MAN IS AN
EMERGENCY TEAM ON THE BRIDGE
PULLED HIM TO SAFETY
SATURDAY NIGHT. THE DRIVER HAD
MANAGED TO GET OUT OF HIS CAR
EVEN THOUGH IT WAS UNDER WATER.
HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL
BUT FORTUNATELY HIS INJURIES
WERE MINOR. ONLY ON NEWS 4 JAX
REPORTER VIC MICOLUCCI MET WITH
A FIREFIGHTER IN THE PHOTO AND
THE CHIEF ABOUT THESE
HEROIC ACTIONS. HE’S JOINING US
LIVE NEAR THE BRIDGE VICK.
>> AND TOM A LOT OF HEROES
THAT NIGHT WORKING TOGETHER TO
SAVE THIS MAN THIS HAPPENED
ON THE ARLINGTON SIDE OF THE
BRIDGE NEAR THE MERRILL ROAD
EXIT CERTAINLY NOT
THAT ALL IS PART OF THE DAMES
POINT BRIDGE BUT STILL
FIREFIGHTERS SAY THIS MAN AND
HIS VEHICLE FELL ABOUT 35 FEET.
POLICE GOT THEIR FIRST IN FIRE
RESCUE THEY FOUND THE MAN
KNEELING ON TOP OF HIS CAR
WHICH WAS UNDER WATER. IT WAS
COLD, IT WAS WET AND THEY KNEW
THEY HAD TO GET THEM OUT
QUICKLY.
>> A DRAMATIC RESCUE FROM THE
SAINT JOHNS RIVER AS
FIREFIGHTERS HOIST A 27
YEAR-OLD MAN BACK ON TO THE
DAMES POINT BRIDGE ON A COLD
AND RAINY SATURDAY NIGHT.
>> WHEN I FIRST GOT DOWN TO
MONEY OBVIOUSLY HE WAS VERY
THANKFUL THAT I WAS THERE YOU
KNOW HE WAS VERY
>> AND IT WAS JUST REALLY
APPRECIATIVE IN HE WAS READY TO
GET OUT OF THE WATER THE
RESCUER YOU SEE IN THIS NOW
VIRAL PHOTO IS CAPTAIN RALEIGH
NEWS OR LIFE SAFETIES HE TELLS
US IT WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE
CALL OF HIS
16 YEAR CAREER.
>> IT WAS DEFINITELY A DRONE
RUSSIAN SOMETHING YOU KNOW
WE’RE VERY HPY TURNED OUT THE
WAY IT DID.
>> HE’S REMAINING HUMBLE SAYING
IT WAS A TEAM OF POLICE AND
FIREFIGHTERS WHO HELPED SAVE
THE
MAN’S LIFE AFTER HIS CAR
PLUMMETED 35 FEET INTO THE
WATER. THE MAN WAS KNEELING ON
THE ROOF. THE TIDE
WAS RISING AND HYPOTHERMIA WAS
THE
BIGGEST DANGER.
>> SO THERE’S A LOT MORE PEOPLE
BEHIND THE SCENES AND THERE IS
WHAT YOU SEE WITH ME ON THE END
OF THAT WORLD, I MEAN I WAS
JUST A GUY IN THE SEA FOR THE
DAY THAT JUST HAPPEN TO BE THE
ONE THAT WAS THERE TO TO ANSWER
THE CALL THE END OF THE LINE
BUT I CAN’T DO WHAT I DO IF
THOSE GUYS MORE THEY’RE DOING
THEIR JOB.
>> IT COULD HAVE BEEN A YOU
KNOW AND THANK THANK THE LORD
THAT IT WASN’T FIRE CHIEF KEITH
POWERS COMMENDING THE
FIRST RESPONDERS SAYING THEY
TRAIN FOR RESCUES JUST LIKE
THIS.
>> AND THEY PUT THEIR LIVES ON
THE LINE. WHEN IT MATTERS
THE MOST.
THE MOST. >> THESE MEN AND WOMEN WHEN THEY COME TO WORK EVERY DAY
THEY KNOW THEY’RE TAKING THAT
CHANCE WITH THEY’RE GOING TO DO
WHATEVER IT TAKES TO RESCUE.
YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE THAT WE
SERVE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
>> AND TONIGHT THAT MAN IS OKAY THE STATE TROOPERS WITH THE FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL ARE NOW
INVESTIGATING AND THEY DO TELL
US THAT SPEED WAS
A FACTOR WITH ANOTHER DRIVER 37
YEAR-OLD DRIVER WHO ACTUALLY
HIT THE VICTIM’S CAR FROM
BEHIND CAUSING THAT CRASH WHICH
EVENTUALLY LED HIS VEHICLE TO
GO OVER THE GUARD RAILS AS FAR
AS CHARGES THE INVESTIGATION IS
STILL OPEN BUT
STATE TROOPERS SAY THEY ARE
VERY POSSIBLE AND THERE’S A
SLEW OF POSSIBILITIES OF
VIOLATIONS EVEN POTENTIALLY
CRIMINAL CHARGES THAT COULD
COME FROM THIS.
WE’RE LIVE IN ARLINGTON, I’M
VIC MICOLUCCI CHANNEL 4.
THE LOCAL STATION.
>>TOM WILLS: THANK YOU WELL
KNOW THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS
SEVERAL RESCUE BOATS TO THE
MARINE UNITS GET INVOLVED
SATURDAY NIGHT.
>> THE MARINE UNITS WERE CALLED
SO YOU’VE GOT UNITS ON
HECKSCHER DRIVE UP ON THE NORTH
SIDE AS WELL AS DOWNTOWN THEY
ARE SPREAD THROUGHOUT
THE CITY. THEY WERE IN ROUTE,
BUT THE FIREFIGHTERS SAID THAT
THERE WAS SO MUCH RAIN FOG IN
THE AREA AND THE TIDE WAS
COMING UP, SO THEY FELT THAT
THEY COULD HANDLE IT BY
ACTUALLY DEPLOYING THEIR LADDER
TRUCK LADDER 30 AND THAT’S WHY
THEY DECIDED
TO RESCUE AND WHEN I ASKED THE
CHIEF HOW LONG IT TOOK HE SAID
ABOUT 24 MINUTES FROM WHEN THEY
STARTED SETTING UP
TO HIM THEY HAD THAT MAN SAFELY
BACK ON THE BRIDGE AND THAT’S
TRULY INCREDIBLE WHEN YOU THINK
ABOUT ALL THAT HAS TO GO INTO
SUCH A DANGEROUS RESCUE LIKE
THIS.
>>TOM WILLS: SO FORTUNATE THE
WAY THAT TURNED OUT
VIC MICOLUCCI REPORTING TO US
LIVE FROM ARLINGTON. THANK
YOU VIC. AND JOIN US TOMORROW