It's been 35 years since a freighter crashed into the Sunshine Skyway, sending 35 people plunging to their deaths.
On Saturday, the victims of the Sunshine Skyway disaster will finally be honored. A new memorial will be unveiled at 11 a.m. during a public dedication ceremony next to Blackthorn Memorial Park, which is located at the Pinellas County rest area on the north side of the Sunshine Skyway bridge.
The six-foot granite memorial will commemorate the victims of what is considered the worst disaster involving a ship and a bridge in the history of the United States.
On May 9, 1980, the freighter Summit Venture was traveling through the shipping channel at the mouth of Tampa Bay when a freak storm developed seemingly out of nowhere, bringing gale force winds and driving rain with it.
The captain was attempting to steer the freighter beneath the Skyway when the crew lost visibility and crashed into the southbound span of the bridge.
The collision caused six cars, a truck and a Greyhound bus to fall 150 feet into the water. Thirty-five people died.
Only one man survived - the driver of a pickup truck that landed on the freighter, then fell into the bay.
Several years after the disaster, the Sunshine Skyway was demolished and its approaches converted to fishing piers. A new bridge was built in 1987, this time with a larger ship's channel, a higher clearance, and concrete islands and bumpers meant to protect the bridge's supports from vessels.
However, something that was never built was a memorial for the victims. It wasn't until journalist Bill DeYoung started conducting research for a book on the disaster that he realized the oversight, so he secured permission from the Florida Legislature and the Department of Transportation.
After that, DeYoung started raising money from the public. Within 30 days, the memorial was fully funded.
Family members of the victims are expected to attend the ceremony on Saturday, as are local dignitaries. The public is also invited to take part.
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