Vintage florida old florida engineering disasters sunshine skyway bridge orlando strong florida girl anna maria island sunshine state tampa bay. Naples florida weekly an intimately detailed account of this disaster, its victims and the survivors, the legal aftermath, as well as a. We remember a deadly accident on floridas sunshine skyway bridge 35. Sunshine skyway bridge with birds in the foreground. He was able to pry open his door underwater, swim to the surface and find a piece of the bridge to. Thats why wellcrafted nonfiction, such as bill deyoungs skyway, can induce frights greater than most horror novels. For the first time, fdot scuba divers bob raiola and mike betz are talking about what they saw underwater in the wreckage. The bob graham sunshine skyway bridge, often referred to as the sunshine skyway bridge or. Skyway is the story of the sunshine skyway bridge across the mouth of tampa bay and the infamous incident in 1980 where a large freighter, summit venture, collided with the bridge and caused part of it. Petersburg and bradenton in florida collapsed after it.
The pier was destroyed and the roadway above crashed into the waters of tampa bay. The skyway bridge is down, the pilot was heard shouting. The sunshine skyway bridge disaster from the 1980s is something floridians will never ever forget. New book recounts 1980 skyway bridge accident news the. Today is the 39th anniversary of the sunshine skyway bridge disaster. Remembering the skyway bridge disaster, 39 years later. Skyway a compelling analysis of a tampa bay disaster. The bridge also served as plot devices to various novels such as dennis lehanes 1997 novel sacred and ben bovas 2005 novel powersat. This is not explainable we remember a deadly accident on floridas sunshine skyway bridge 35 years ago. The documentary speaks to survivors as they talk about the deadly crash in 1980 that killed over 30 people. The sunshine skyway bridge was originally opened in 1954 to connect pinellas with manatee county.
Skyway disaster, 25 years later by paul roat written in 2005. Everyone who lived in the bay area in 1980 remembers where they were when they heard about the skyway disaster. Petersburg, and the skyway bridge was a big part of life, he says, using his hands to mimic the steep ascent and sudden drop he remembers as a kid. The sunshine skyway bridge has been recognized for its scenic views crossing tampa bay, as well as its eyecatching design. It is about the sunshine skyway bridge in florida and the terrible ship accident that brought it down, the. Macintires blue ford truck fell from the skyway and bounced off the bow of the freighter. Skyway and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. The sunshine skyway bridge collapse of the 1980s in florida. I whiteknuckled it through the first two chapters of skyway, a recounting of the skyway bridge disaster of 1980, and was impressed with deyoungs narrative talents from stem to stern. The bob graham sunshine skyway bridge spans tampa bay, florida,with a cablestayed main span and a length of 5. To read about more tampa bay ghosts, check out these books.
Unfortunately, for tampa residents, may 9, 1980, is a day that most will never forget as. The sunshine skyway bridge plunged into tampa bay 39 years ago. Sarasotas connections to the skyway bridge disaster. Sunshine skyway bridge collapsed into tampa bay in may. The story of the bridge, especially that fatal day in may and its aftermath, is the subject of journalist bill deyoungs book skyway. This documentary tells the tragic story told through the eyes of steve yerrid, the attorney who represented captain lerro. There are often days within a states history that go down in infamy. A new documentary called the skyway bridge disaster premiers september 14 at the tampa theater.
While the idea might seem preposterous by the light of day, a latenight drive across the bridge might just change your mind. Bill deyoungs story of the construction of the original and second span of the sunshine skyway bridge, of the accident in 1980 that destroyed it, and of john lerro, the harbor pilot steering the summit venture that struck the bridge, is spellbinding and reads like a mystery. A freighter ship hit the bridge during a heavy rainstorm on may 9, 1980. Florida historical quarterly a skillful combination of local history and biography. Looking back on the tragedy 39 years later a freighter ship hit the bridge during a heavy rainstorm on may 9, 1980. Documentary on skyway bridge disaster opening at tampa. Twentyfive years ago last monday, the grim news of the skyway disaster unfolded just across tampa bay from anna maria island. Ap a 609foot freighter rammed the sunshine skyway bridge at rush hour friday tearing away a large section of the 15mile span and sending a greyhound bus plunging 140 feet into tampa bay. We wanted to thank everybody once again for sharing their amazing stories and the overwhelming support though our journey and premier. Documentary on sunshine skyway disaster premieres this. Skyway is a fresh and vivid retelling of the disaster.
After the summit venture disaster, the southbound span was used as a temporary. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Predictions, sunshine skyway bridge collapse, mothman. The true story of tampa bays signature bridge and the. Reading this book is like you are talking with the author. Today is the 38th anniversary of the sunshine skyway bridge disaster. The bridges support pier was no match for the 20,000ton ship. The tallest bridge in the area, it already gained a reputation for attracting suicdes. The bob graham sunshine skyway bridge, often referred to as the sunshine skyway bridge or simply the skyway, is a cablestayed bridge spanning the lower tampa bay connecting st. Three months of hearings in the wake of this horrific accident. Thirtyfive people died when the bridge over tampa bay that joined st. The sunshine skyway bridge disaster will go down in history as one of. A car is halted at the edge of the sunshine skyway bridge across tampa bay, fla.
John lerro tensed at the helm of the freighter summit venture, a ship as long as two football fields. The current sunshine skyway opened in 1987 and is the second bridge of that name on the site. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Tampa theatre will host the premiere of the new documentary, the skyway bridge disaster, about the deaths of 35 people in the freighter crash that collapsed the sunshine skyway bridge in may 1980. Wednesday marks 38 years since the deadly sunshine skyway bridge collapse. It was a rainy friday morning when the cargo ship mv summit venture collided with a support beam on the sunshine skyway bridge on may 9, 1980.
A new documentary, the skyway bridge disaster, is premiering this weekend at the tampa theatre. For floridians, the most memorable bridge collapse in memory was the 1980 tragedy at the sunshine skyway bridge near st. Sunshine skyway ghost stories and folklore of florida. It has been named one of the most beautiful bridges in the world, and its even used as a backdrop in car commercials. Six cars, a truck and a bus plunged into tampa bay, killing 35 people. The true story of tampa bays signature bridge and the man who brought it down. Documentary giving indepth look into the skyway bridge tragedy to debut at tampa theatre duration. The film reveals details about the tragedy and the events that followed nearly 40 years ago. The roadway above crashed into the waters of tampa bay. This is not explainable we remember a deadly accident on floridas sunshine skyway bridge 35 years ago saturday. The dark history of floridas sunshine skyway bridge. If the silver bridge collapse of december 1, 1967, and the skyway bridge collapse of may 9, 1980, are any indication, our aging infrastructure today should have mothman hovering overhead, ufos zooming from one potential bridge disaster to another, and paranormal activity beeping, popping, and swirling. A new documentary about the 1980 sunshine skyway bridge disaster takes a fresh look at a dark day when 35 people were killed after a ship struck the bridge during a bad storm.
Thursday, may 9, 2019 was the 39th anniversary of the sunshine skyway bridge disaster. Fox it was 39 years ago when the unthinkable happened in tampa bay. A freighter had struck the sunshine skyway bridge, collapsing a quartermile section of the span. A few years after it was opened, a woman jumped into the murky. Shirley is also a published author avon books, nyny.
Sunshine skyway bridge disaster on may 1980 in tampa bay. Skyway bridge accident and collapse may 9, 1980, tampa. Harbor pilot haunted by role in deadly bridge accident. Ghost stories and folklore of florida sunshine skyway. Both the main spans of both the intact northbound bridge and the damaged southbound bridge were demolished in 1993 and the approaches for both old spans. Winning skyway redesign calls for tearing down part of bridge.
Thirtyfive people died when the bridge over tampa bay collapsed after it was hit by a cargo ship at 7. Have you had an odd experience on the skyway bridge. The true story of tampa bays signature bridge and the man who brought it down deyoung, bill on. The skyway bridge disaster documentary takes a closer look at what happened on may 9, 1980, when a bulk freighter collided with a support column on the original sunshine skyway bridge over. About the skyway bridge disaster documentary on may 9, 1980, america witnessed one of the most stunning tragedies in maritime history when the mv summit venture, a massive 608 bulk freighter, collided with one of the sunshine skyway bridge s support columns. The summit venture, bridge debris hanging from its bow, is pictured shortly after it rammed the sunshine skyway bridge.
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