Man working on US-Canada bridge survives plunge into Detroit River

DETROIT — A man survived after plunging 150 feet (45.7 meters) into the Detroit River from a bridge connecting Michigan and Canada.

The man, identified as a contractor who was working on the Ambassador Bridge, was rescued Wednesday by a crew aboard a Detroit mail delivery boat.

“The force of the impact had ripped most of his clothes off of him,” Sam Buchanan, captain of the J.W. 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 the man was ferried 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.”

Detroit Fire Chief James Harris said people who were fishing saw the man in the water and alerted the J.W. Westcott. The man's name was not released.

“He's very fortunate,” Harris said.