Homosassa man's boat become lodged under Matlacha, FL bridge during T. S. Eta

Lee County, Florida - The boat of a Homosassa man, Christian Monzon, created traffic problems for several hours on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020, when winds up to 35 mph from Tripical Storm Eta pushed his sailboat under the Matlacha Bridge, where it became lodged on the pilings.

Travel over the bridge to and from Pine Island, FL was halted for a couple of hours, mid-morning, due to the possibility that the mast would snap, but one lane of traffic was opened at 11:44 am, according to the Matlacha/Pine Island Fire Control District in Bookeelia, FL.

According to the Fort Myers News-Press, Mr. Monzon who lives on the boast when he's visits Matlacha, FL, noticed that the wind was pushing both his boat and his friend's boat toward the bridge, and while he was attempting to help his friend, his boat became lodged within the pilings. The article said that Monzon escaped on his dinghy, which he tied behind the Bridgewater Inn, and he returned to retrieve the sailboat, but didn't reach it in time. His friend then tied his boat behind the inn, as well, and it received minor damage from waves pushing it against the dock. Monzon briefly boarded his boat to retrieve his keys and a guitar, according to the article.