VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Authorities say a Navy helicopter plucked a driver from the roof of a tractor-trailer after it was swept off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel by high winds and began floating in the water. The driver later died.

Thomas Anderson, deputy director of finance and operations for the bridge and tunnel district in Virginia, told The Associated Press Thursday in a phone interview that the driver was alive right after it fell into the bay. He was standing on the floating truck.

According to Anderson, the driver of the semi died as he was being transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital by a Navy helicopter, CBS affiliate WTKR reports.

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U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Corinne Zilnicki says the tractor-trailer was blown off the bridge shortly before 12:30 p.m. and the driver was rescued a little after 1.

If you ignore my Photog's arm you can the damage to the guard rail of CBBT. This is likely where truck went over. https://t.co/XEJtfHqi46 pic.twitter.com/vQyK1ylrit — Allison Mechanic (@AllisonWTKR) February 9, 2017

Winds on the bridge-tunnel were about 40 mph Thursday, although Anderson says they had been much higher earlier in the day.