In this amazing set of photographs, a towboat hits a bridge, rolls underneath it and emerges on the other side – intact and functional! The event occured on April 19, 1979 at Rooster Bridge on the Tombigbee River in western Alabama and was captured by amateur photographer Charles Barger.
The river is swollen by recent rains and is at a record high. The towboat in the photo (below) is piloted by Captain Jimmie Wilkerson and he’s getting ready to push barges loaded with coal under the bridge.
The intention is to allow the barges to drift under the east span of Rooster bridge where the current is calmer and then for the towboat to pass through the lift span of the bridge and pickup the barges on the other side.
Unfortunately, the captain underestimated the current and was unable to detach all the tow cables in time. The barges dragged the towboat into the bridge and when the tow cable snapped, the corner of the towboat was wedged under the bridge.
The current turns the boat parallel to the bridge and water starts spilling over the port deck.
“Er Houston … we have a problem”
“Captain, I hope we have insurance … “
The river towboats are ballasted with three to four feet of concrete and with watertight doors to minimise flooding, will generally right themselves given the opportunity (such as when they aren’t stuck under a bridge)
Notice the torrents of water pouring out of the wheelhouse doors! Apparently the captain was hanging onto the controls for dear life.
The engines are still working!
The captain managed to steer the towboat to shore. The barges were rounded up by another towboat which had passed through the bridge earlier.
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