May 9, 1980, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapsed and 35 people plunged to their deaths in Tampa Bay.
On Wednesday, May 8, The Islander will host the premiere of a 70-minute documentary, “The Skyway Bridge Disaster: A True Story.”
The doors at Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive, will open at 6:30 p.m. Moderator Robert Raiola, a diver who helped recover bodies from the bay, will open the program at 7 p.m.
The documentary tells the story of how, in a squall, the Summit Venture collided with a bridge support column, sending more than 1,200 feet of the bridge into the bay.
“The Skyway Bridge Disaster,” according to its creators, brings viewers “onto the bridge, inside the ship and into the courtroom through the experiences of the people involved.”
The Islander also is organizing a raffle at the premiere of archival photographs taken at the scene of the bridge collapse by the late Gene Page and late editor/photographer for many years at The Islander, Paul Roat.
Seats are $50 in advance and must be paid by May 7. Any seats not reserved will be open seating the night of the event. Proceeds will benefit U.S. Coast Guard Flotilla 81 nonprofit Safe Seas of Florida.
For tickets or more information about the event, call The Islander at 941-778-7978 or email news@islander.org.
To see a trailer go to @SkywayBridgeDisaster on YouTube.