A Collision of Guilt: The Sunshine Skyway Bridge Collapse

▶WANT MORE BRICK IMMORTAR MARITIME? The Cutter Blackthorn Tragedy: https://youtu.be/II7jld-SS84 Car Carrier Golden Ray: https://youtu.be/kGIZmyLlb7I The Loss of FV Scandies Rose: https://youtu.be/KFevuP5ua_8 The Loss of USS Thresher: https://youtu.be/g-uJ1do3yV8 The Loss of SS EL Faro: https://youtu.be/-BNDub3h2_I The Ocean Ranger Oil Rig Disaster: https://youtu.be/cyNFhthQ97Q

When the Morandi road bridge collapsed in Genoa, Italy in 2018 the same thing happened- some vehicles saw the gap and stopped in time and tried to wave down oncoming traffic, while other drivers, in a big hurry, ignored the signal and plummeted to their grave. I taught my daughter- when the car ahead of you stops or swerves for no apparent reason you do the same. They see something you don't. Could save your own life.

The mayday calls in these videos are so gut wrenching. It makes the story of what happened so much more real, and makes the central figures much more relatable.

It is extremely distressing that as soon as I heard about the news of the bridge collapse in Baltimore, I thought of this video, and started immediately looking to see if there were dolphins or island piers around the Francis Scott Key Bridge pillars. None. The FSK Bridge was opened three years before the Sunshine Skyway went down, and in the forty years since, none of the protections learned from the Sunshine Skyway seem to have been placed around it. So the story repeats itself, with a new bill of blood, sweat, and tears to pay.

I feel so bad for the poor guy who backed up and tried to stop the other traffic. He must have had nightmares for the rest of his life.

The guy who escaped out of his truck at the bottom and survived is incredible. I don't think one person in ten thousand would be able to do that.

The radio traffic calls-- they give me chills. It's the truest form of humanity to me. The truest essence of these people, rising to the surface in a moment of calamity. I truly thank god that people like this exist.

I’m glad that the NTSB moved away from fault-based investigations. Concluding “he shouldn’t have made the mistake he made” is so insufficient. Especially for preventing a disaster like this in the future

I’m afraid you have some new material today. 💔

It feels seriously reckless to put up that kind of bridge structure across a shipping lane and NOT put any lights/ radar reflectors on the bridge itself on the pylons that make the edges of the lane. Not even a more tight line of buoys on the stretch after the bend.

I will say it’s somewhat refreshing that John had a heart in this. Not saying he should feel guilty for the rest of his life, not at all, but him doing all he could to ensure this never happens again, deserves a huge amount of respect.

The skyway bridge fell 3 years after the Francis Scott key bridge was built in Baltimore. In the ~55 years since I’m surprised bridges across the USA (or at least bridges over major shipping hubs) haven’t had their piers reinforced to protect motorists from the threat of ever larger ships striking the supports.

I wonder how many come watch this after the Baltimore Key Bridge disaster yesterday.

Listening to the radio traffic is incredible to me, specifically the tug Dixie Progress. You can hear the urgency in the captain's voice, and imagine the crew's rush to anchor the barge and the big EMD diesel engines howling to push her to the collapse scene. I know that you envision what happened when you get the call, but when you actually get there your stomach still drops. It must have been terrible for them to get on scene and realize that nobody could be saved.

As a Tampa Native I always see how busy those fishing piers on each end of the old bridge can get. It's good that there is a large public reminder of the past that is still intact there, and that some of the old structure still has a use.

I remember my mom driving over the 1st span of the original bridge to get to Dr. Webbs City in St. Pete in the late 50's. This guy is right about the 5% grade. It was awful steep and scary to drive over, and all I had to do was sit in the car while my mom drove. That was a terrible accident, one thing the narrator did not tell you was the one car stopped on the steel grate in a downward grade position. The man driving made it out of the car, then realized he left his golf clubs in the trunk. He went back and got them without a single thought of the danger.

We went over that bridge pre1980. Dad would always stew around and at the top of the bridge announce to us kids “ok boys this is your stop” we were terrified but through the years had great fun with his antics. Never imagined it would fall. I have been terrified of bridges since then. BTW I love my Dad!

Tampa local here, thanks for actually covering this very forgotten disaster that barely anyone outside of Tampa really knows. It’s odd going fishing on the old sections of the skyway that remain and remembering that people once drove on those sections of road with some never coming back. The only really cool things we got here in Tampa that come to my mind at least is the bridge, the old USS American Victory, The CSX port Tampa line, the aquarium, and some other stuff I’m forgetting. We got a very good Irish-pub that’s downtown called Hattricks with an extremely good duck poutine dish.

Man I don't know why but, hearing people dropping everything to come help gets me every time, hearing the tug coming in the beginning got me sniffling while watching.

In my city of Baltimore the Key bridge just collapsed today due to a boat striking it. I immediately thought of this video and what I learned and how similar all of this was. I few weeks ago I was near the Port of Baltimore and saw a boat docked and mentioned to the driver that it was a roll on/roll off boat used for cargo. So very random. I knew it was a ro/ro ship just by looking at it from what I leaned here. This YouTube Channel has been a wealth of knowledge.