SEMINOLE, Fla. — The tragedy in Baltimore feels all too familiar for people in the Tampa Bay area.
A freighter crashed into the original Sunshine Skyway Bridge in May 1980, killing 35 people. The memories still stick with the first responders who were there that morning.
“It never goes away,” said Robert Raiola, who worked as a senior underwater bridge inspector for FDOT.
Raiola said his heart goes out to the people of Baltimore and those affected by the bridge disaster.
Raiola and his subordinate, Mike Betz, dove into the water to recover as many people as they could from a Greyhound bus that fell in the Skyway collapse.
“I can still remember seeing the look on their faces. I treated them as respectfully as I could and did everything I could to get as many out as fast and respectfully as I could,” Raiola said through tears.
He recalled seeing an infant's bag and a desire to do more to recover the victims of the collapse.
Raiola said they were eventually ordered to leave out of safety. Some bodies from the families killed weren’t recovered until days later.
“We certainly would have stayed and done everything that we could have to recover more victims,” Raiola said.
Raiola, now 77, said Betz was only five days into the job.
Even today, Raiola said he has difficulties passing the bridge.
He placed his first wife's ashes at the location of the collapse. Raiola said he wishes the same for himself when he passes away.
10 Tampa Bay also spoke with Raiola ten years after the bridge collapse. Anchor Dave Wagner also spoke with John Lerro, who was considered the 36th victim of the collapse.
Lerro was the former pilot of the freighter that struck the old bridge. A judge found it was unexpected severe weather to blame but Lerro expressed feelings of guilt.
"I definitely had a lot of feelings of unworthiness for screwing up,” Lerro said then.
Lerro died in 2002 after a battle with multiple sclerosis. His late wife wrote, "He finally quit being haunted by what happened," according to an article from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Raiola said he has empathy for Lerro and his family.
“My heart goes out to John and his family even today,” Raiola said. “He didn't wake up that morning thinking about ramming the bridge.”
Despite how difficult the experience has been, Raiola said he finds comfort in speaking his truth. He’s found hope through his family, friends and faith.
He said he hopes people will only continue to support anyone affected by the tragedy in Baltimore.
The youngest victim of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapse was a baby. The oldest was 92 years old.
One person survived the collapse.
A documentary detailing the bridge collapse was released in recent years. Raiola said he's looking forward to speaking with groups or organizations to discuss his memories.
"It helps at times, even though it still is emotional," Raiola said.
