Heroic lorry driver’s Sixteen Foot river rescue caught on camera
A hero lorry helped save the life of a motorist whose car plunged into a freezing water-filled river.
Luke Wagner, 26, was driving his HGV when he saw a silver car skid off an icy road and plunge down a bank into the water.
He brought his lorry to a stop and dash down the embankment and helped pull the shocked driver from the Sixteen Foot near Stonea.
The incident at March, Cambs, was caught on his lorry's dashcam.
Luke said: "I was driving along when I saw a silver car approaching from the opposite side of the road before it suddenly jolted and swerved in front of me, hitting the bank and flying into the river.
"With the roads so icy it was obvious it had hit a patch of black ice and my heart stopped.
"So I brought the truck to a stop as quickly as I could and rushed out to the bank where the car was rapidly sinking.
"But before I could jump in, the driver popped out of the water and I shouted to him to ask if anyone else was inside.
"He was in a daze but eventually said no and I asked if he could swim to which he said yes. I climbed down the bank anyway and reached out to him."
At this point, several others had turned up at the scene and gathered to help, with one providing a rope to throw down to the man.
Luke added: "The water was so cold and we all risked getting hypothermia if we went in.
"Fortunately we all managed to heave him out and by this time his car had sunk completely beneath the water.
"We later found out that his window had smashed when the car impacted the water and I think he was incredibly lucky that happened otherwise he would've had a much harder time getting out."
The group got the man onto the road where he was shaking from shock, dripping wet, and suffering from cuts to the head.
As they waited for an ambulance to arrive, they covered him in dry clothing and put him in a warm van to raise his temperature.
Luke, who works for the Norfolk-based Anglian Plant, had also passed another car just before the incident which was on its roof in a ditch along the road.
He had initially stopped to see if they needed help, and later found out it had been the man's daughter.
While the motorist was being cared for, another approaching car hit a patch of black ice and skidded out of control, crashing into a Mini belonging to one of the helpers.
A nearby Nissan Juke was also hit and spun around.
Once again, the team rushed to pull a woman to safety and the emergency services soon arrived.
Luke said after the incident: "That morning had been a disaster on the Fen roads.
"The police told me they had been inundated with calls and I'm just glad everyone was able to walk away alive.
"I think it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time and being an HGV driver, we have a professional duty of care on the road."
