One side of the bridge wrenched free from the piling and swung around in the swift current. There it held an instant and then slowly toppled sideways into the boiling flood. As the car slid with it, the driver pushed open the door and leaped into the river. His dark head remained above the surface for a minute, then disappeared.
Horrified at the disaster, Flash nevertheless pivoted his camera to photograph the entire scene—the crumbling of the bridge, the driver’s wild leap, even the arrival of the state police car which raced to the end of the road and stopped with a jolting lurch.
Attracted by a startled outcry from the excited spectators, his gaze was drawn far down river. He caught a fleeting glimpse of the struggling man before the unfortunate fellow was pulled under again by the racing current.
The distance was too great for an effective shot, but Flash was not thinking of pictures. Leaving his camera behind, he plunged into a deep ditch at the roadside. Wading across, muddy water oozing about his armpits, he ran on through a soggy field to a bend in the river.
Once more he glimpsed the struggling man who was fighting gamely for life against overpowering odds.
With no thought for his own safety, Flash kicked off his shoes and dived into the river. Exerting all of his strength, he fought to keep from being carried downstream.
He had judged the current accurately, for the man was brought directly toward him. Reaching out, he barely grasped him by the coat. There was a brief struggle and they both disappeared beneath the surface.
After an exhausting effort they regained the surface, and drifted with the current, using what strength remained to keep their heads above water. Even with lungs bursting, Flash managed to hold tightly to the man. Whenever he could, he gulped in air, but breath and strength were ebbing.
Suddenly he felt himself dashed against a solid object. The current had brought a long, heavy plank downstream. He pulled himself and his companion onto it, and they clung with head and shoulders well above water.
For a minute the river carried them swiftly. Then their ride ended abruptly, as the plank caught against a half-submerged fallen tree which was festooned with a motley collection of debris and foam.