Driver rescued from lake after crashing over the Causeway

Cool

quote:

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David Grunfeld, a photographer for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune was driving by at the time of the accident and witnessed a man being pulled out of the water.

"It was incredible,'' Grunfeld said of the scene and the calmness of the rescuers.

Grunfeld said he came upon the accident scene probably just minutes after it occurred. He said a man in a white t-shirt jumped from the bridge into the water to help the motorist whose vehicle had gone over the side. Several other people on the bridge, using a rope, then pulled both men back onto the bridge.

Tanner Brignac was one of those people. The 21-year-old Abita Springs resident was on his way to work when he witnessed the truck go flying over the side of the bridge.

"It was like a flash and then it was in the water. It all happened so fast, it was like half of a second," Brignac recalled.

Then, he said, groups of people -- including himself -- began running toward the scene of the crash, many carrying life vests and rope. Brignac said he witnessed a man -- fully dressed in a suit -- peel off some of his clothes and jump into the water.

"He just jumped in, like it was nothing."

Grunfeld said the rescue was one of the most extraordinary things he's ever witnessed.

"A lot of people stopped to help," Grunfeld said.

"It was a collaborative effort,'' he added. "Somebody had a rope and everybody started pulling.''

Grunfeld said the driver of the vehicle pulled from the water did not appear to have life-threatening injuries. Nor did the man who jumped over the railing to help save him.

Causeway General Manager Carlton Dufrechou said the one-vehicle accident happened about 3 p.m. The driver was treated by EMS on the scene, Dufrechou said, and transferred to an area hospital where he is being treated for cuts and bruises, and possibly a back injury.

According to the driver's recollection of the incident, Dufrechou said, he lost control of his truck when he reached over to grab his cell phone. Dufrechou said impairment is not considered to be a factor in the crash at the time. The man was the only occupant in the truck.

Dufrechou did not identify the driver of the truck.

The good Samaritan who jumped in after the man was identified as Alvin Pike, of Covington.

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I've always said I'd jump in to save somebody if that happened and I was there.

I'm a powerful swimmer, and would feel like I had most likely let them die if I just left the scene.

bad arse

According to a google search, this Alvin "Balls of Steel" Pike who rescued him is the Executive Vice President at Gulf Coast Marine Inc.

I've blown two tires ( on the same side, simultaneously ) at speed on that bridge at night and I kept it gathered up.

How do these people do this?

( didn't spill a drop of bourbon, either)

This makes me feel like I should start driving around with life jackets and heavy rope in my truck.

quote:

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Brignac said he witnessed a man -- fully dressed in a suit -- peel off some of his clothes and jump into the water.
"He just jumped in, like it was nothing."

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What a boss

That is unbelievable! What an amazing story!

Unfortunately, I would be surprised if people were that willing to help in the same situation over here.

I found it funny how one of the people on the bridge described the rescue as a team effort. Sounds like a Lebron James in Cleveland kind of team effort.