At around 4:30 AM yesterday, a large truck loaded with handicrafts lost control while passing over the Xiamen Bridge ramp and plunged into the sea after breaking through the guardrail. Fortunately, both drivers managed to escape safely without serious injury, but the cargo was damaged by seawater.
**Scene: Truck Plunges Off the Bridge Into the Sea**
After receiving a tip from an alert reader, reporters from the Dao newspaper quickly arrived at the scene to gather information. The reporters observed that the location where the truck broke through the guardrail was at a bend just as it entered the ramp. Approximately ten meters of steel guardrail had been shattered, and during its fall, the truck also damaged the stone piers on both sides of the embankment.
After falling off the ramp, the truck's front end submerged in the seawater, suffering severe damage and deformation, while the body of the vehicle leaned against the embankment. After measuring, the reporters estimated the vertical distance from the ramp to the sea surface to be around ten meters.
After the truck fell into the sea, the canvas covering the cargo compartment was torn apart, scattering the goods packed in cardboard boxes out onto the sea surface. Hundreds of boxes floated on the water.
**Owner's Account: Transporting Handicrafts for Export**
At the scene, the owner of the truck told the Dao reporters that before the incident, the company had been commissioned by a client in Dehua to transport a batch of handicrafts to Xiamen for export. At the time, the company assigned two drivers, including Mr. Luo, to transport the handicrafts from Dehua to Xiamen. Unexpectedly, at around 5:00 AM, he suddenly received a call from Mr. Luo saying that the truck had fallen into the sea on the Xiamen Bridge ramp. He was shocked at first. Thankfully, upon further investigation, he learned that both drivers were unharmed, though the truck was mostly destroyed, and they would have to compensate the cargo owner, which left him feeling very upset.
As for the value of the cargo, the owner said he wasn't clear about it, only knowing that all the items were handicrafts, totaling more than 500 boxes. Now, the only option was to salvage the goods onto shore and wait for the insurance company to handle the claims process.
**Recollection: The Cabin Filled With Seawater**
After the truck fell from the ramp into the sea, the entire front of the vehicle was severely deformed and submerged in seawater. Both drivers managed to escape from the cabin on their own and swam to safety. Luckily, neither sustained serious injuries, only minor ones.
After reaching the shore, both were drenched and shivering from the cold. According to driver Mr. Luo, the two had taken turns driving the truck from Dehua, and it was his turn when the accident happened.
Mr. Luo recounted that after the truck ascended the Xiamen Bridge ramp, he suddenly felt that the steering wheel had lost control, and the vehicle kept veering toward the guardrail. Despite applying the brakes, it was ineffective, and then the whole vehicle rushed off the ramp, paused momentarily at the edge of the sea dike, and rolled into the sea. At the moment, his mind went blank, and he knew nothing else. After the vehicle fell into the sea, seawater quickly flooded the cabin, submerging him completely in seawater.
"Since the cabin was filled with water, there was no way to communicate with my colleague, and I didn't know where I was. I could only grope around blindly until I found a large hole in the window and managed to crawl out," Mr. Luo said.
After both men successively crawled out of the cabin, as both were proficient swimmers, they quickly reached the shore and climbed up.
Upon inspection, both had only suffered cuts on their hands, with no other issues.
After climbing ashore, both lost their phones in the sea, and eventually, a nearby taxi driver helped them report the incident.
**Response: Public Attempted to Salvage Cargo, Reporters Intervened**
After the truck plunged into the sea, a large amount of cargo floated on the sea surface. As daylight brightened, it attracted many spectators from the surrounding area. Some attempted to take advantage of the situation and retrieve the floating goods, but were promptly stopped by the Dao reporters.
First, a middle-aged man tried to use a bamboo pole to fish out some of the cargo from the sea. However, because the sea dike was five to six meters high and extremely steep, lifting the boxes proved difficult. The reporter informed him that these goods belonged to someone and that such actions were inappropriate, so the man reluctantly left.
Not long after, two young men on the steps of the opposite sea dike salvaged two boxes from the seawater, one of whom opened the cardboard box for inspection. Seeing that it contained handicrafts, the two attempted to leave with the boxes. The Dao reporter noticed this in time and shouted "Put them down!" The two glanced toward the coast and dropped the boxes before disappearing into the greenery.
At around 11:00 AM yesterday, the cargo owner hired a group of workers. After agreeing on a price, the workers opened the cargo doors leaning against the sea dike and passed the handicrafts inside the cargo compartment to the shore in relay teams of three or four people, then transferred them to another vehicle for transportation.
From the scattered cardboard boxes, the Dao reporters saw that each box contained two pieces of handicrafts, approximately 50 centimeters tall and 20 centimeters wide, all made of plaster. The handicrafts featured various carvings and were marked with a retail price of $16.99.
Additionally, on the sea surface, some individuals were using small boats to retrieve the floating handicrafts. After all the cargo was transported to another vehicle, the owner arranged for a crane to lift the sunken truck from the sea.
Currently, relevant departments are conducting a detailed investigation into the matter.
Reported by Dao Reporter Pengbo Wu (Text) and Qiaosi Chen (Photography)
(Editor: SN005)