THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 20, 1995 TAG: 9510200550
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
Something told John Rogers to move his boat. A few minutes later, he heard two loud bangs, looked up and saw a car careen off the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel and plunge into the water where he had been fishing.
Without a second thought, he and his stepson, Daniel Chancey, weighed anchor and began a mission of mercy.
``It was, for sure, an act of God,'' said Chancey, 19. ``We were there on that day for this purpose to save this guy.''
The accident happened at 12:40 p.m. Thursday when a 1989 Isuzu Amigo utility vehicle, traveling west on Interstate 64, crashed through a guard rail and fell about 20 feet between the twin bridges near the tip of Willoughby Spit.
The occupant, a 20-year-old Navy man, suffered head, face, chest and internal injuries. He was flown to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition Thursday afternoon. His name was not released, but police identified him as a third class petty officer on the carrier Enterprise.
His injuries did not appear to be life-threatening, state police spokeswoman Tammy Van Dame said Thursday night.
Police said the driver apparently lost control of the Isuzu, sheared the upper guard rail and flipped into 3 feet of water near the mouth of Willoughby Bay.
Rogers said he and Chancey had been fishing between the eastbound and westbound bridges. Then he became uneasy.
``I told my stepson we are unsafe between the two bridges because a car could go off the bridge here.''
So they moved away about 40 yards. Forty minutes later they were chest high in the water, trying to rescue the car's occupant.
``We both stripped down to our pants and jumped in the water,'' Rogers told police.
``We first checked the door closest to us and it was locked and the window was up. We then went to the other side. We had to pry the door open. Then we felt a body. My stepson then undone the seat belt and pulled him out.''
Rogers said they carried the man to their boat and brought him to shore.
``He was blue and I didn't feel a pulse. He was bleeding from the mouth,'' said Rogers, 37. ``I patted him on the back and prayed for him.''
``He embraced my arm like he knew I was there,'' Rogers said.
Just minutes later, he said, rescuers arrived.
Norfolk police divers were called in to see if another person had been in the car. They called off the search about 3 p.m., state police spokeswoman Tammy Van Dame said.
``They searched the immediate area without finding any information that may lead them to another person,'' she said. ``Unless further information develops, the search has been concluded.''
The search and rescue effort was joined by state police, Norfolk fire and rescue units, Norfolk police, Navy and Coast Guard helicopters, Phoebus fire and rescue and Hampton fire and rescue.
The car was hoisted out of the water by crane at about 1:45 p.m.
Chris Proctor, 26, was among motorists who were stuck in a traffic jam for about an hour and a half. He was heading to Williamsburg when he caught a glimpse of the Isuzu about 10 cars ahead.
``It happened very quickly,'' said Proctor, a student at Old Dominion University. ``It just looked like he lost control and went over the side.''
Proctor said other motorists left their cars to see what had happened.
``People had no idea,'' he said.
Rogers and Chancey, both of Norfolk, later had time to shower, rest and calm down from their experience.
``I was pretty upset. Sometimes I started crying. . . ,'' Rogers said. ``I had to get over that situation. It was an omen we were there and something made us leave there. He would have landed smack dab on us.''
``We just did what we had to do,'' Rogers said. ``I hope to God someone else would do what we did if it happened to me.'' MEMO: Staff writer Dave Addis and The Associated Press contributed to this
story.
ILLUSTRATION: COLOR PHOTOS BY LAWRENCE JACKSON/The Virginian-Pilot
Norfolk rescue workers watch as a vehicle is pulled out of the water
after falling from the south end of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.
The driver was flown to Sentara, but rescuers continued to search
for any other possible occupants.
Dan Chancey, who was fishing with his stepfather by the Hampton
Roads Bridge-Tunnel, explains how they helped save the driver.
Map
KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT TRAFFIC INJURIES RESCUE
HAMPTON ROADS BRIDGE-TUNNEL by CNB