41-Foot Rescue Boat Saves Bridge from Destruction

Story by PA3 Sandra-Kay Kneen, PADET St. Petersburg, Fla.

TAMPA, Fla. - The high seas and strong winds of Tropical Storm Alberto caused a 60-foot work barge to break free of its moorings and strike the northbound lanes of the Howard Franklin Bridge, Interstate 275, at about 2:30 a.m., June 13, causing the closure of the northbound right lane.

TAMPA , Fla. -  Coast Guard members and local agencies assess damage to Interstate 275, Howard Frankland Bridge, June 13, after a 60-foot work barge broke free of its moorings and struck the northbound lanes, causing the closure of the northbound right lane. Coast Guard Photograph by Station St. Petersburg.

A Coast Guard Station Cortez 41-foot rescue boat, with a crew from Station St. Petersburg aboard, arrived on scene to assess the situation. The barge was wedged between the surface of the water and the underside of the bridge causing the barge to chip away at the bridge's cement.  A local towing company was hired to tow the barge, but wouldn't be able to get there until after noon.  As a result, at about 11 a.m. officials from The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Florida Highway Patrol, Coast Guard and the Tampa Police Department decided to use the Coast Guard boat to tow the barge in order to prevent it from causing further damage to the bridge.

A 41-foot rescue boat is designed to operate under moderate weather and sea

TAMPA, Fla. - A Coast Guard Station Cortez 41-foot rescue boat tows a work barge from the Howard Frankland Bridge June 13.  The barge broke free of its moorings during high seas and strong winds from Tropical Storm Alberto and hit the bridge causing minor damage.  Coast Guard Photograph by Station St. Petersburg.

conditions, no more than 25- to 30-knot winds  and eight-foot seas, and to perform missions such as search and rescue and law enforcement.

"Towing a barge is not something we usually do, especially during a tropical storm, so it was definitely not a typical situation" said Petty Officer 3^rd Class Jeffrey M. Davidson, the coxswain of Station Cortez's 41-foot boat, "If we wouldn't have gotten that barge out of there before high tide, it could have caused more than just cosmetic damage to the bridge."

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