It has been 38 years since the Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn tragedy, but the Coast Guard and the community have not forgotten.
On Sunday, Coast Guard members, Blackthorn survivors and family members, and local residents gathered at Liberty Baptist Church in St. Petersburg to mourn the 23 who died when the cutter collided with a tanker near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge on Jan. 28, 1980.
It remains the worst peacetime disaster in Coast Guard history.
"Although this is a sad occasion, as we mourn the loss of nearly half the Blackthorn's crew that night, it is also an encouraging moment when we think about how much the Coast Guard has advanced since then, and we can be assured that the service and sacrifice of Blackthorn's officers and crew was not in vain," said Adm. Peter Brown, who spoke at the service.
The names of the victims were read, and a rose was placed to remember each one.
