DETROIT (WXYZ) — Wednesday evening, people were calling the construction worker who fell from the Ambassador Bridge into the Detroit River a "mystery man" saved by heroes.
Now, we know his name is Spencer. He and his fiancee spoke with 7 Action News exclusively for the first time Thursday from their home, where Spencer is recovering.
He's from Ontario, Canada and has a fiancee and new baby to go home to.
“We're just thankful that he's here,” Spencer’s fiancee Cheyenne said.
It was a long sleepless night for Cheyenne in Ontario. Just 24 hours ago, she received a call from a man who works on the Ambassador Bridge with her fiance. It was a call that she says made her heart drop.
“He said, ‘Just so you know, we're going to be a little late coming home.’ And I said 'OK, no problem. What's wrong?' And he said 'Spencer fell off the bridge,” Cheyenne recalled.
Video of Spencer falling was taken by people fishing on Detroit's riverfront who saw him fall and rushed next door to the J.W. Westcott boat team for help. Within a matter of minutes, a group of Detroiters worked together to miraculously save Spencer.
“I can't thank them enough for bringing him back home to me and our daughter. It means more to me than like — I can't even put into words,” Cheyenne said.
A new father to a 4-month-old little girl and a fiancee, Spencer is now home safe recovering, Cheyenne told us.
It's about a 150-foot drop from the bridge into the Detroit River.
As Spencer recovers, Cheyenne says he's on heavy pain medication and isn't up for interviews yet. But he did send a quick message to the community.
“I’m OK and I appreciate the prayers,” Spencer said.
It’s a happy ending for the small family who can't wait for things to get back to normal because they have some other big life moments to focus on.
Spencer said he's reached out to some of the people who came together to rescue him over Facebook and plans to call a few others soon.
