Sailboat bumps into bridge near Port Canaveral

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 ) - A sailboat was in distress on Friday morning, with the people on board calling out for help to nearby fishermen. They had no phone or radio on board.

Authorities say the mast got clipped by a bridge and fell onto the vessel.  It happened on the Banana River at the State Road 528 Causeway. There was a jarring sound as the mast was-destroyed, then the couple on board started to panic, according to eyewitnesses. The boat was being carried away by the current.

“They drifted out and started yelling, so I called 911 and they got FWC and Seatow out here,” said Douglas Tucker, who saw and heard the sailboat whack the bridge. “It was kind of crazy!  There was a loud noise, kind of scary, we’re just out here fishing with the boys, and couldn’t believe it happened.”

The people on the boat and their dog weren't hurt; they declined to be taken off the boat by the responders.  Florida Fish and Wildlife officers told them ‘secure the boat, so it doesn't become a hazard for other vessels.’ A few hours later it was gone.

The man operating that boat could face a fine. There was no damage to the bridge.