 View of the collapsed sections, facing north | |
 | |
| Date | November 7, 1972 |
|---|---|
| Time | 9:50 p.m. (EST) |
| Location | Sidney Lanier Bridge, Brunswick, Georgia, United States |
| Coordinates | 31°6′59″N 81°29′10″W / 31.11639°N 81.48611°W |
| Type | Bridge collapse due to a bridge strike |
| Cause | Ship collision |
| Deaths | 10 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 11 |
| Property damage | Repairs to the bridge took six months and cost $1.3 million (equivalent to $9.5 million in 2023) |
On November 7, 1972, at 9:50 p.m. EST, three sections of the Sidney Lanier Bridge across the Brunswick River in Brunswick, Georgia, United States, collapsed after a cargo ship, the SS African Neptune, struck the bridge. The collapse affected roughly 450 feet (140 m) of the bridge and caused 24 people and ten motor vehicles to fall into the river. Ten people died and eleven others sustained injuries.
The Sidney Lanier Bridge was a vertical-lift bridge which was notorious among seamen for being difficult to navigate, due in part to its small opening. On the night of November 7, 1972, as the African Neptune was leaving the Port of Brunswick, it failed to properly align with the opening and impacted the bridge roughly 250 ft (76 m) south of the vertical-lift section. Later investigations by the United States Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the misalignment had been caused by the helmsman, who had incorrectly entered in rudder directions given by the pilot. The helmsman's mistakes were noticed by a mate aboard the ship, but not before the vessel had reached a point on the river where a full stop was impossible. Following the impact, the ship's crew deployed lifebuoys and rescue ships, and emergency responders from around the area began search and rescue efforts that continued into the next day.
In total, the bridge was closed for repairs for six months, at a cost of $1.3 million (equivalent to $9.5 million in 2023). Following the incident, safety measures were put in place to prevent automobiles from being present on the bridge any time the vertical-lift span was open. In 1987, another cargo ship struck the bridge, resulting in several million dollars of damages, but no injuries or fatalities. Following this second incident, the Coast Guard declared the bridge a navigational hazard. In 2003, it was replaced by a cable-stayed bridge that features improved bridge protection systems.