Skyway disaster documentary available for streaming

Update (May 7): The film is now available to pay-stream via Amazon Prime.

Saturday, May 9 will mark 40 years to the day that the Sunshine Skyway Bridge was struck by a massive freighter, and 1,300 feet of elevated roadway fell into Tampa Bay, sending 35 people to their deaths. Twenty-six of them were passengers on a southbound Greyhound bus; the others were driving their own cars.

It is still the deadliest ship/bridge collision in history.

The Skyway Bridge Disaster, a 60-minute documentary film produced in 2019, makes its streaming debut on Vimeo VOD today. The locally-created film focuses on Tampa attorney C. Steven Yerrid and his uphill battle to defend harbor pilot John Lerro, who was at the helm of MV Summit Venture when it struck the bridge during a sudden, violent storm.

Yerrid served as one of the documentary’s producers.

Except for two screenings at the Tampa Theatre last September, the film has not been available for public view.

“Initially, we were releasing this to the public for the 40th anniversary a month from now,” co-producer Frankie VanDeBoe said in a statement. “However, with the current situation we decided to release today.”