Driver Loses Control on Bridge, Ends Up Here

2 people, 2 dogs rescued from truck dangling over Idaho gorge
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Mar 16, 2021 8:17 AM CDT
Truck Dangles Over Gorge— With 2 Inside
This image shows the scene where authorities say a pickup truck plunged off a bridge, leaving its inhabitants dangling above a deep gorge in southern Idaho on Monday.   (Idaho State Police via AP)

Authorities say a set of camper trailer safety chains and quick, careful work by emergency crews saved two people after their pickup truck plunged off a bridge, leaving them dangling above a deep gorge in southern Idaho, per the AP. Idaho State Police responded to the accident at about 2:45pm Monday, said ISP spokeswoman Lynn Hightower. A trooper found a man and a woman inside the pickup truck that was dangling, nose-down, off the side of the bridge spanning the Malad Gorge. The gorge is narrow but about 100 feet deep below the bridge. The only thing keeping the 2004 Ford F-305 pickup from falling was the set of "safety chains" attaching the 30-foot camper trailer, which remained on the bridge, to the pickup. Witnesses said the truck had first swerved to hit the right shoulder barrier before sliding over the left-side guardrail.

A state trooper and local sheriff's deputy first used an additional set of chains from a nearby semi-truck to help support the dangling pickup truck, holding it in place until additional rescuers with cranes, rope rescue gear, and other equipment could arrive. Emergency crews were then able to rappel down to the hanging truck and attach a harness to each occupant, allowing them to be safely carried back to the bridge. Both were taken to hospitals, and neither appeared to have life-threatening injuries, Hightower said. Two small dogs inside the pickup were also safely rescued, and taken to the home of a nearby family member. Workers were still attempting to pull the pickup from the precipice Monday evening. "It was terrifying," Hightower said. "It was definitely a heroic rescue from everybody that was out there, and thankfully, they're all fine."

(More rescue stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X