An unexpected incident disrupted Fourth of July celebrations at the Fernandina Beach Harbor Marina when a large gangway collapsed during the fireworks display, city officials reported. According to Action News Jax, only minor injuries occurred during the collapse yesterday.
The structure's failure coincided with a high volume of spectators, Fernandina Beach Police Chief Jeff Tambasco described to First Coast News, saying there were more people than the gangway could support the gathered crowd had arrived to witness the celebratory fireworks for Independence Day; Tambasco also confirmed that the situation was managed and cleared by 10 p.m. as the crowd dispersed.
At the scene of the incident, those afflicted received immediate attention, with fire rescue personnel examining the injured on the spot, ensuring that no one required hospitalization. The city has yet to release a detailed count of injuries sustained during the collapse.
Witness to the ordeal, Michael Belfort, ended up in the waters himself, recounting to News4Jax that the water was about waist-deep and moments before the gangway went down, he had heard creaking sounds coming from the bridge, the cause of the collapse is still under investigation and city officials are in the process of assessing the aftermath of the event.
