Update 9:24.p.m.
As we told you first here on www.connecttristates.com and twitter this morning, a bridge crew is breathing a sigh of relief tonight after a close call on the Mississippi.
Three bridge inspectors were performing their regular site visit on the Quincy Memorial Bridge when the crane they were standing in malfunctioned and turned over. They fell 20 to 30 feet towards the cold water of the Mississippi River, before being caught by their safety harnesses. But that left them trapped, dangling from the bridge.
Crew members owe their rescue to some tug boat employees who were at the right place at the right time.
Monday began like any other day for Josh Johnson, a deckhand for Canton Marine and Towing. But that changed around 10a.m. Monday morning.
A boat operator with Canton Marine and Towing was pushing a barge when he saw the three bridge inspectors hanging from the bridge and sent the Sir Ene to help.
Within minutes the tugboat was on the scene. But the boat's pilot had many obstacles to navigate around, including high winds and the broken crane arm that was hanging off the bridge, not to mention the three victims dangling off the water.
Johnson said, "He couldn't see so he tried scooting as close as he could and we used our radios to keep in contact."
The three victims had been hanging long enough they had lost feeling in their legs due to the harness. They had been hanging for about 10 minutes and they were getting tired.
What did the first man say when you freed him?
Johnson said, "He said thank you and he walked away and dropped. He was exhausted."
Then Johnson was able to pull the other man and woman in to safety.
Johnson said, "She told me not to let go of her."
Emergency workers say this story could have turned into a tragedy very quickly.
Quincy Assistant Fire Chief Keith Frank said, "This was the miracle on the Mississippi, after the Miracle on the Hudson. We were very fortunate in the respect that the safety ropes held and the tug equipment was nearby."
And like the Miracle on the Hudson, the heroes in this story are all too humble, saying it's all in the line of duty.
Johnson said, "I'm glad we could assist and help them."
The inspectors, two men and one woman were taken to Blessing Hospital to be checked for injuries.
They were treated and released.
Traffic inbound to Illinois on Memorial Bridge was backed up for about an hour during the rescue efforts.
Update, 2:55 p.m.:
It's being called the "miracle on the Mississippi".
Three people inspecting Quincy's Memorial Bridge ended up dangling over the water from safety ropes this morning.
See how that happened, and who came to their rescue tonight starting on KHQA's News at 5.
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Update, 11:20 a.m.:
The Quincy Memorial Bridge is now open to one lane of traffic headed east from West Quincy, Mo. into Quincy, Ill.
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Update, 11 a.m.:
Three people have been rescued after a crane malfunctioned on the Quincy Memorial Bridge.
KHQA's Jim Whitfield is on the scene.
He reports that two men and one woman are being tended to by ambulance crews; the men are on stretchers and the woman is wearing a neck brace.
They are still on the Sir Ene, a helper boat from Canton Marine and Towing, which is docked at Clat Adams Park along the Quincy riverfront.
That boat rescued them after the crane they were in apparently malfunctioned and left them hanging over the Mississippi River.
The bridge is shut down to all traffic headed east from West Quincy into Quincy.
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QUINCY, Ill. - KHQA is headed to the scene of an accident involving inspection crews on the Quincy Memorial Bridge.
We know Illinois Department of Transportation had scheduled bridge inspection to begin on the morning of Monday, April 20.
We'll post more information as it becomes available at www.connecttristates.com.
Update, 11 a.m.:
Three people have been rescued after a crane malfunctioned on the Quincy Memorial Bridge.
KHQA's Jim Whitfield is on the scene.
He reports that two men and one woman are being tended to by ambulance crews; the men are on stretchers and the woman is wearing a neck brace.
They are still on the Sir Ene, a helper boat from Canton Marine and Towing, which is docked at Clat Adams Park along the Quincy riverfront.
That boat rescued them after the crane they were in apparently malfunctioned and left them hanging over the Mississippi River.
The bridge is shut down to all traffic headed east from West Quincy into Quincy.