The Fire Dept in Mason County West Virginia received a call Tuesday at around 6:25 a.m about a crash on US Route 35. A car had skidded during the morning snow storm into a the lane of an 18 wheeler and there had been a major accident. Despite that warning when they arrived they were shocked by what they saw. As WDTV reports, the cab of a tractor trailer was dangling off a bridge, with the driver staring at a 100 foot drop. The cab was still attached to it's cargo which thankfully had stopped a few inches before the edge of the bridge.
The highway was closed and multiple local and county agencies worked together using multiple fire engines, emergency vehicles, and two heavy wrecker trucks to secure the dangling cab. Technicians set up three rope systems to stabilize the truck and prevent it from falling. Volunteer firefighter Westley Quinn was lowered from the bridge into the cab, where he placed a harness on the driver.
Westly was able to grab the driver and get a harness around him to lift him safely back onto the bridge. Mason County Commission President Rick Handley says seven separate departments took part in the rescue effort. Photos released by Hurricane Fire & Rescue show teams working together during the challenging operation.