close
GLAD YOU'RE HERE!
Welcome to BoatInsurance.org! You finally got the boat of your dreams and now you need to insure it. Browse through our insurance guides to find out what works best for your needs. Since we are more than a resource site don't forget to read up on all our columns about the boating lifestyle.
 

Bridge Catches Boat in the O.C.

Posted November 12th, 2009
by BoatInsurance.org Staff (no comments)

Boat+BridgeUsually, it’s people inside the boat that do the fishing. This month in Orange County, it was a bridge that caught a big one. A L.A. County sheriff’s boat recently became stuck under a freeway overpass beneath the Garden Grove Freeway.

The boat, which got stuck on the southbound City Drive at around 11:20 AM, was stuck for about an hour and a half. The bridge wasn’t damaged, but the boat was a little bit worse for the wear. According to the the Orange County Register, the boat may only have wound up with a few scratches on the roof.

The accident blocked a lane of traffic, but it only caused mild slowdowns due to onlookers trying to get a good view. You can find pictures of the accident at the Register’s website.

This wasn’t the first time this year that a boat got stuck under a bridge in California. Back in April, a 65-foot boat became wedged under the San Mateo Bridge. This boat, however, was in the water, rather than on dry land.

This boat, named Big Timber, lost control after heavy winds pushed it into the bridge. The boat had set out from Oyster Point with three people on board. Around a half mile from shore, the boat’s propulsion malfunctioned leaving the boat at the mercy of the winds and the waves.

No one was injured into the accident, but there was concern about diesel fuel being spilled into the bay. In addition, that accident did cause severe traffic issues. The boat caused a lane of traffic to be closed for nearly a full day, including during the morning commute. The boat wasn’t removed from under the bridge until three days later.

It took the better part of a day for officials to figure out the best way to remove the vessel. The accident caused the boat’s fuel tanks to be ruptured, so teams from the Coast Guard scoured the nearby shoreline and the waters to check for a fuel spill. Fortunately, there was no evidence of any environmental impact or damage. The Coast Guard was able to empty fuel out of the tanks, and also circled the boat as a precaution in case there would be a leak.

The salvage operation was delayed in part due to the high winds that were responsible for whipping the craft into the bridge in the first place. They also had to wait for high tide, where the water levels would rise to around 10 feet.

The bridge did not sustain any structural damage, although the boat did crape against the span and knock out some chunks of concrete as well as some light poles.

RELEVANT ARTICLES:

Connect with your Facebook Account

Your turn to say something:

Name (required)
Mail (will not be published) (required)
Website

© Copyright 2009 Consumer Media Network All Rights Reserved