Man Jumps Into Lake Pontchartrain To Rescue Motorist After Truck Goes Over Causeway Bridge [VIDEO]

A group of New Orleans motorists heroically banded to rescue a man after his pickup went over the Causeway bridge railing and plunged into Lake Pontchartrain.

The driver of the truck, a 26-year-old man from Destrehan, LA, lost control after reaching for his cell phone. According to police, he then crashed into the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway bridge guardrail, where he slid at least 80 feet before falling into the waters below.

Several motorists stopped and immediately jumped into action—literally.

The good Samaritan actually saw the vehicle go into the water, he stopped, looked over the rail and the gentleman that was driving was floating so he went into the water

According to police, several other motorists assisted with rope and any other items they could find to help bring the man to safety. They managed to pull both the driver and the good Samaritan who jumped in after him back up onto the bridge within minutes as police and emergency vehicles showed up on the scene.

NOLA.com/Times-Picayune photog David Grunfeld happened to be on the scene to record the heroic rescue—armed only with an iPhone, but still managing to capture the intensity of the dramatic situation as it unfolded.

The driver of the truck was taken to the hospital with back pain, but his condition is unknown.

No one else was hurt in the accident or during the rescue.

[via WWLTV/Nola.com]