NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The wife of a man who died when his tractor-trailer plunged off a bridge into the Chesapeake Bay says "he was an awesome husband."

Forty-seven-year-old Joseph Chen of Greenville, North Carolina, died Thursday, shortly after he was plucked from the frigid water by a U.S. Navy helicopter crew. After the truck fell into the bay amid strong winds, Chen was briefly seen standing on top of the trailer.

His wife, Billie Jo Chen, tells The Virginian-Pilot (http://tinyurl.com/z47lung ) she would have celebrated her 10-year anniversary with him in April. She says he had two children from a previous marriage.

Chen drove for Evans Transport LLC, based in Washington, North Carolina. A company representative declined to comment when reached Thursday by The Associated Press.

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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com