Community Corner

Distress Call From Skyway Bridge Disaster Draws Listeners on Anniversary

Turn up the volume and listen in to a caller who contacted the Coast Guard after a freighter struck the Sunshine Skyway Bridge on the morning of May 9, 1980.

Today is the 33rd anniversary of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge disaster, and people are taking a moment to recall – or remember the stories relayed to them – of a freighter's collision with the bridge during a storm.

The Summit Venture plowed into a support column, causing a catastrophe. Six cars, a truck and Greyhound bus plunged off the broken span into the water. The death toll: 35 people.

Listen in on this remarkable YouTube video that captures a distress call made to the U.S. Coast Guard and the response.

Find out what's happening in Pinellas Beachesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Find out what's happening in Pinellas Beachesfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Pinellas Beaches