JUPITER, Fla. – It was a close call for a group of boaters in Jupiter after their pontoon boat was partially crushed.
The terrifying moment unfolded when a drawbridge began to lift last week.
Some of the boaters jumped into the water.
They say they were afraid of being crushed with the boat.
The now viral video shows the “Cato” drawbridge moving and taking the pontoon boat with it.
One of the women onboard the boat is seen jumping into the water.
It’s still not clear what the boaters were doing under the bridge, but signs clearly say “unauthorized personnel prohibited,” and, “danger moving machinery.”
One witness recounted the terrifying close call.
“I think they were trying to move the boat, but the the bridge ended up folding on them so they couldn’t move,” Gillian Pisciotto said. “I started screaming at them to move. I thought everyone was not going to make it.”
Luckily, the boaters walked away unharmed.
There’s no word on whether cameras are under the bridge so the tender can see if it’s safe to raise the bridge.
According to a manual, operators are supposed to check for boats.
Authorities are still investigating the incident.