A truck driver managed to escape his rig before it went crashing into an Alsakan river early Sunday morning.
It happened on Friday, August 11th on the Glenn Highway in Wasilla, Alaska at approximately 3:30 a.m.
According to local reports, truck driver Joel Barber was driving his trailer-less blue 2012 Freightliner truck south near mile marker 70 when he swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle crossing into his lane.
The maneuver caused Barber to lose control and leave the roadway, sending the truck barreling towards the Matanuska River. Fortunately, Barber was able to jump out of the truck before it hit the glacial water.
Barber was not injured in the incident.
Help Line Towing and their manager Cody Gray returned to the site Saturday to recover the “pretty well submerged” vehicle.
“They initially thought it probably wasn’t going to be recovered,” Gray said. “But one of the troopers went back out there and took another look and called me around noon.”
“It was a good 220 feet into the river (from the shore,)” Gray continued.
Help Line Towing used a D8 bulldozer and some heavy cables to retrieve the truck from the river.
“I’ve been doing specialty recovery operations all my life,” Gray added. “When someone says it can’t be done, I like to take those jobs.”
Check out a drone video of the semi truck recovery below. (The truck can be seen starting around minute 2:10)