ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — Exactly 44 years ago, 23 crew members aboard the U.S Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn lost their lives after colliding with a tanker in Tampa Bay.
At approximately 8:21 p.m. on Jan. 28, 1980, USCGC Blackthorn collided with the U.S. tankship Capricorn in Tampa Bay waters near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, the Coast Guard explains.
The port anchor of Capricorn was then reportedly lodged into Blackthorn's port side as a result of the collision.
Momentum from the two vessels caused the Capricorn's port anchor chain to be stretched, capsizing Blackthorn. The cutter eventually sank into the water.
Twenty-seven crew members working on Blackthorn were rescued during the incident, while 23 others died that day.
Every year on Jan. 28, different communities and groups come together to remember the lives lost after the collision in Tampa Bay.