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Truck driver survives 25-foot drop from broken bridge
-Driver, passenger cheat death and praise God
During this season of Lent, two men are praising God after narrowly escaping 
the claws of death when the truck they were in toppled over the Manari Bridge, Region Nine.
Reports are that on Mash Day (February 23) around 1:00 hrs, truck driver Paul Singh and his co-worker, Marvin Aaron, were travelling in a loaded truck across the Manari Bridge when the accident occurred.
At the time the truck was laden with eight bundles of steel, 400 board measurements of wood and other building materials destined for Lethem where the man who chartered the truck was constructing two hotels ahead of the annual Rodeo.
Singh, the 40-year-old driver from Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, told Kaieteur News that he was crossing the bridge when he heard a loud “cracking” noise as if something broke into pieces.
The truck then stalled when the bridge broke, then it began toppling over into the Manari Creek, 25feet below.
The injured Singh explained that he was pinned for hours under water, mud and sand, slipping in and out of consciousness. He thought that he would not live to see another day.
He was not aware of what happened to Aaron during the event but recalled hearing the young man calling out his name.
“He was calling my name but I couldn’t answer. I couldn’t move but then I suddenly saw a light in the truck. It was above my head and then I heard a voice say reach for the door, that I should get the door.”
But Aaron, who hails from Good Intent, West Bank Demerara, didn’t see any light and he certainly did not hear a voice. He ran eight miles to Lethem, the nearest community for help. He thought that Singh was dead and he surely did not want to be handling a dead man at that hour of day.
At first, Singh found it extremely difficult to maneuver his hand to reach the door handle, but after “seeing the light” and “hearing God” he suddenly got a burst of energy to push the door open.
Meanwhile, 29-year-old Aaron was on his way for help.
The injured Paul Singh, lying on his hospital bed in Lethem
Aaron stated that he was sitting on the right hand side at the front seat of the truck when the incident took place.
“Both of us were in the truck as it began toppling. I got slight injuries to my neck but I was able to get out and get help,” said Aaron.
Aaron could not recall how long his journey took him because he was in pain and desperation was kicking in as he frantically hoped to see any vehicle.
After a long walk back in darkness, he saw a tractor which he managed to flag down and then returned with the driver and others to rescue Singh.
Upon his return to the scene of the accident, he was surprised and relieved to see his partner still alive. Later, they both received medical attention.
(Kristen Macklingam)
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