May 9 marks the 38th anniversary of the tragic Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapse that killed dozens of people.
- 38th anniversary of Sunshine Skyway Bridge tragedy
- Ship struck bridge in 1980, causing brige to collapse
- Thirty five people died
On May 9, 1980, the freighter Summit Venture struck the bridge after a storm caused the crew to lose visibility.
The collision caused six cars, a truck and a Greyhound bus to fall 150 feet into the water.
Thirty five people were killed, including 26 people on the bus.
Only one man survived. He was able to swim to the surface after his truck plunged into the water and was rescued.
Several years after the disaster, the Sunshine Skyway was demolished and its approaches converted to fishing piers. A new bridge was built in 1987, with a larger ship's channel, a higher clearance, and concrete islands and bumpers meant to protect the bridge's supports from vessels.