Motorist lifted from river area after car crash

A Hawaii County fire rescue crew used a basket and ropes Sunday morning to hoist an injured driver from a river embankment, about 40 feet below a bridge along Highway 19 near Hilo.

After a one-vehicle accident at about 9:50 a.m., the motorist was trapped in his car as it lay on its roof on the embankment, county Fire Department officials said.

A bystander helped the man from his four-door sedan before the rescue crew arrived, officials said.

After he was lifted to the highway, the man was put on a gurney and taken to Hilo Medical Center.

The cause of the crash, which occurred near mile marker 6, remains under investigation.

Former NFLstar Ward completes Ironman course

Former Pittsburgh Steelers star Hines Ward added a new title to his resume Saturday. Not content with the titles of football and dancing star, Ward now is an Ironman.

The two-time Super Bowl winner finished one of the world’s most challenging triathlon courses in

13 hours, 8 minutes and 15 seconds.

Ward was the 1,680th athlete to cross the finish line after a 2.4-mile ocean swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a full 26.2-mile marathon. He swam a 1:20:01, biked a 6:21:12 and finished off with a 5:12:56 run.

The former NFL star and "Dancing with the Stars" winner trained for nearly a year with triathlon legend Paula Newby-Fraser.