A man named Spencer Baker, aged 27, survived a fall into the Detroit River from a bridge that links Michigan and Canada. Two women who had experienced a similar tragedy in the past noticed the situation and alerted a crew aboard a Detroit mail delivery boat, who came to Baker's rescue.
The incident took place while Baker was working on the Ambassador Bridge, where he was involved in replacing the suspension cables. Baker broke all ribs on his left side and fractured his cheekbone - he was quickly rushed to Detroit Receiving Hospital, where he received immediate medical attention for his injuries.
From Daily Mail UK:
Bernita Flowers witnessed the terrifying plunge first hand.
'It brought back a few memories — yes, it did,' she told WXYZ.
29 years ago, her partner and father to daughter, Terri George, drowned in the same Detroit River.
'For that to happen, it resurfaced everything I thought I was over,' George said, speaking of the fall. 'It shocked me so bad. I couldn't believe it was happening in front of my own eyes.' she added.
Detroit Fire Chief James Harris said people who were fishing saw the man in the water and alerted the J.W. Westcott.
The Westcott crews regularly practice man overboard drills and were prepared to respond. They quickly sprung into action and safely pulled the man out of the river.
'He's very fortunate,' Harris said.
'The force of the impact had ripped most of his clothes off of him,' Sam Buchanan, captain of the Westcott, told Fox 2 Detroit.
'His work boots were still on him and his pants were around his ankles and he had his T-shirt on.'
Buchanan said Baker was ferried back to shore where Detroit paramedics took over.
'We were relieved that he could talk to us, but he was pretty out of it,' Buchanan said. 'He kept asking us what happened to him and we told him that he fell off the bridge.
Thank goodness this man is okay.
It's truly remarkable and a little bit saddening that those two women, who had previously lost a loved one in that same river, were present to assist in his rescue.
It's definitely an emotional story that can bring a tear to your eye.
