By Jordan J. Phelan
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CAVENDISH, Vt. — Members of the Proctorsville and West Weathersfield Fire Department Cold Water Rescue teams braved the chilly Black River early Tuesday morning to save a man after the tractor-trailer he was operating ended up in the water.
The Proctorsville Volunteer Fire Department responded to a call for mutual aid in Cavendish on Vermont Route 131 East at 3:17 a.m. for a reported tractor-trailer crash in the river. The driver, 77-year-old Donald Darrah of Lake Luzerne, New York, was out of the truck and sitting atop the cab when police arrived, according to officials.
Due to a combination of water depth and temperature, crews donned ice water suits to rescue Darrah as well as work to contain leaking fluids from the vehicle.
Ludlow Ambulance responded and transported Darrah to Springfield Hospital. Vermont State Police said in a statement that the driver was hypothermic at the time of rescue but appeared to have no additional injuries.
Darrah said that he was operating the tractor-trailer around a snow covered corner along Vermont Route 131 East when the vehicle lost control, landing with the driver’s side up in the Black River.
According to the Proctorsville Volunteer Fire Department, the tractor-trailer was loaded with 20 rolls of paper each weighing over 2,000 pounds at the time of the accident. SG Reed Truck Service was called in along with Lawson Crane Service and Waters Construction Company to help remove both the truck and its trailer. Meanwhile, the roadway remained closed for several hours as crews continued to work on cleanup by deploying floating booms to contain the leaking fluid.
Personnel with local police and fire departments, Vermont State Police, and area businesses remained on scene into the late hours of Tuesday. The Springfield Fire Department was also called to respond and set up their light tower.
The Department of Natural Resources will be monitoring the river and organizing the clean up, according to the Proctorsville Volunteer Fire Department.
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