JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The first caller to 911 after Monday's crash on the Buckman Bridge reported a car had flipped over the side. While two people were thrown from an SUV that flipped several times -- one into the water -- the vehicle remained on the bridge.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a southbound car swerving to avoid a pickup truck that made an illegal lane change struck an SUV about 2:15 p.m. That SUV rolled several times, crossing all four lanes and throwing 23-year-old Victoria Webber, 23, onto the highway and Ean Butler, 22, over the side of the bridge.

"Oh God, there's somebody hurt real bad," the caller told a 911 dispatcher. "They got thrown out of the car."

UNCUT: 911 call | IMAGES: Wreck blocks Buckman Bridge

Troopers said the man in the water was rescued when workmen in a plumbing truck lowered a ladder over the side of the bridge and the man was able to climb out.

"He climbed up the ladder like a wet rat," said Jerry Williams, of Emergency Repair Plumbing.

"He was holding on to the pylon under the bridge," Williams said. "As soon as the ladder touched the water, he grabbed on. You could tell his only concern was his wife."

Williams said as soon as the man climbed back onto the bridge, he went right to the side of Webber, who was still on the pavement. Webber, who Channel 4 learned was Butler's girlfriend, was taken to Orange Park Medical Center, where she remains in serious condition. Family members said she is expected to have surgery Tuesday.

Butler (seen at right with his 2-year-old son, Connor) was not seriously injured by his fall into the water, but was taken to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, along with the 46-year-old driver, Veronica Butler, and Ean Butler's son -- neither of whom were ejected from the SUV.

Veronica Butler was in serious condition Tuesday, but Ean Butler and the toddler were treated and released.

"Everyone is OK, but we are just thankful everybody is alive. The baby is completely fine," relative Gena Butler said.

Her mother, brother, nephew and brother's girlfriend were in the SUV involved in the crash. Her brother, Ean Butler, is the man who was thrown from the car into the river.

"He was freaked about the situation, and he didn't tell me he was ejected from the car until later, and I said, 'Are you OK, Ean? And he said, 'Yeah, I was in the St Johns River,'" Gena Butler said. "That was my reaction, like, 'Wow, wait a minute.'"

Gena said her brother was more worried about everyone else on the bridge, particularly his girlfriend, Victoria Webber.

"He was more concerned about everybody else," Gena said. "He was worried about Tory and my mom. He was informing me about our situation."

Steve Butler said his son, Ean, went to see him after he left the hospital.

"He came to my place of work last night because it's hard to get a phone unless you have someone's cellphone number, in his hospital gown and told me about it, and I went," Steve Butler said while backing up in surprise.

The family said they are so grateful for the help those passing by gave, particularly those with the ladder who rescued Ean.

"He just said some guy had a ladder, and he climbed out of the water and it was cold," Gena Butler said. "I know he was thankful for that because he was calling out for help for about 15 minutes."

The driver of the car that swerved into the SUV was not hurt. According to the FHP, charges are pending against pickup driver Christopher Wilkinson, 33, whose lane change caused the accident.

Trooper said none of the adults in the SUV was wearing a seat belt.

Another bridge crash prompts safety concerns

Many people are concerned about the safety of the bridge. This was the third accident since 1999 where someone or a car has gone off the bridge.

In February 1999, two people were killed when their pickup truck plunged into the river. They were hit by another car trying to avoid a ladder.

In February 2010, Luma Kajy was killed when her SUV went over the bridge after being hit by another car.

Ron Page, of the Northeast Florida Safety Council, said the bridge is safe, but speed is the problem.

"I think the bridge design is OK," Page said in a phone interview. "I am not too sure that they should maybe lower the speed limit on it, but that is not going to happen. But the only way they can stop that from happening further is to raise the embuckment so cars could not go over them."