Barge Accident Cuts South Padre Island Off From Mainland Texas

The Timeshare Beat
September 17, 2001
The beautiful beaches, warm gulf waters, fishing, boating, bird watching, shopping and diversity of year-round activities that make South Padre Island, TX a favorite vacation destination lost much of their appeal following an accident on Saturday that cut the island off from mainland Texas.

The Coast Guard was notified around 2:30 a.m. that the tug Brown Water V and the four barges it was pushing had struck the 2.37-mile-long Queen Isabella Causeway, the longest bridge in Texas and the only means of accessing South Padre Island other than boat. Two 80-foot segments of the bridge collapsed, spilling as many as a dozen cars 85 feet into the Laguna Madre channel.

Several Coast Guard boats, a helicopter and divers were quickly on the scene. Texas Parks and Wildlife officials and local police and emergency medical personnel also continue to search the Laguna Madre for survivors. Five vehicles had been located in the 50-foot-deep water by early Saturday afternoon and divers took pictures of their license plates for identification. A third 80-foot segment collapsed later in the afternoon, forcing a temporary suspension of rescue and recovery work.

As of Sunday afternoon, five people are known to have been killed. The search for more cars and possible victims continues under conditions that are dangerous due to the instability of the remaining spans of the bridge.

More than a dozen victims were successfully pulled from the water by rescuers.

Tourists, including guests at the island's popular timeshare resorts, were being evacuated from South Padre Island by ferry, leaving their cars behind. A ferry with a 20-vehicle capacity arrived early Sunday from Port Aransas, TX, but was not expected to be in service until today after a docking station could be built to accommodate vehicles. The ferry began transporting people from the Sea Ranch Marina to a dock in Port Isabel late Saturday and will be used to carry school children in the days ahead.
A reported 70 percent of hotel rooms were booked over the weekend, mostly with Mexican tourists, according to reports from local officials.

Timeshare owners who are booked into the island's timeshare resorts should contact the resorts for further information or to make cancellations if necessary.

The Mayor of South Padre Island, Ed Cyganiewicz advises that:

• Boat shuttles are available 24 hours a day from the Sea Ranch Marina for people to return to the mainland. Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark has opened their parking lot to visitors that need to leave their cars on the Island until available car carrying ferries become available. Please use this parking lot in lieu of the Sea Ranch Marina parking lot.

• Cellular phone usage is available at the South Padre Island City Hall and the South Padre Island Visitors Center for all residents and visitors to contact their friends and family.
• South Padre Island does have all emergency services available on the Island. A helicopter is standing by at the convention center; EMS, fire, and police crews are also available around the clock for Island residents.

The Queen Isabella Causeway was completed in 1974 and at 2.5 miles is the longest bridge in Texas. It cost $12,000,000 and took 3 years to construct. The Queen Isabella Causeway is currently the only link to and from the Island.

The Laguna Madre is part of the Intracoastal Waterway shipping route along the Gulf Coast. Local officials said the Intracoastal Waterway is temporarily closed to maritime traffic.