ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — It was a somber anniversary in the Tampa Bay area on Sunday.
44 years ago, the Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn sank after colliding with a tanker near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The US Coast Guard is still reeling from the tragedy.
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On this anniversary, veterans and their families paid their respects by laying wreaths and flowers at the memorial site in St. Petersburg.
“I absolutely remember do a classmate of ours, Frank Sarno, was announcing he’d just graduated, and he was one of the 23 that was lost that day, we were all on ships scattered all over the world. So, all of us remember,” Veteran Edwin Daniels said.
On Jan. 28, 1980, the United States Coast Guard Blackthorn collided with a tanker and sank in the mouth of Tampa Bay. Twenty-three crew members died, including Edwin Daniels longtime friend.
“Oh, Frank was a great guy. He was kind of the life of the party, he was just great athlete,” Daniels said.