Man Called Hero After Bridge Closes, Uses Pontoon to Rescue Hundreds Stranded
It was a busy Saturday night along the Florida Panhandle when Brooks Bridge, a four-lane structure that provides access between downtown Fort Walton Beach and the nearby Okaloosa Island, was struck by a barge loaded down with construction equipment.
The Florida Department of Transportation had to close the bridge until it was inspected for safety, WKRG-TV reported, leaving hundreds of people inconvenienced and wondering how they would find an alternate way to travel.
Businessman Ben Merrell owns Power Up Watersports, and he along with employee PJ Roberts volunteered their time to help taxi people around the area using pontoon boats from about 8 p.m. Saturday, April 27, until 1 a.m. Sunday.
Okaloosa Co.- current traffic impacts due to Brooks Bridge closure. Expect significant delays. pic.twitter.com/fzkZfR1ySf
— FDOT District 3 (@MyFDOT_NWFL) April 28, 2019
Merrell and Roberts met some colorful characters that night, including a bride and groom, a group of 9-year-old kids attending a birthday party and people who simply were trying to get home.
“We were down for an adventure,” Merrell told The Destin Log.
Merrell said the adventure started when Roberts called him to tell him that a barge had struck the bridge, leaving crowds of people trying to figure out how to get across the water.
Roberts and Merrell decided to stay late and help out. The men did not charge anybody for the rides, which left anxious hearts feeling cheerful.
“Everyone was just so happy,” Merrell said.
Amber Merrell, Merrell’s wife, helped to spread the word about the free water taxi rides on Facebook, leading to a surge of people who decided to take the men up on their offer.
Laren Shipp, from Fort Walton Beach, was one of the people trying to make her way home when she saw Merrell’s Facebook offer. Shipp had tried to drive over another bridge in Destin but said traffic was at a standstill.
“The traffic was unreal,” Shipp said. “I just wanted to get home. I took the chance that he was still offering rides and sped to that location as fast as I could.”
Instead of waiting for possibly hours on the Mid-Bay Bridge, Shipp was across the water in a matter of minutes.
“It was probably just a two-minute ride, but everyone was in a great mood because we were getting home,” she said.
“He was a lifesaver,” Shipp continued. “I can’t believe he did that out of the kindness of his own heart. He wasn’t charging anything, but I tipped him $20. I went and picked up my car the next day.”
Shipp was just one of the travelers who decided to leave a tip. Merrell said that he and Roberts brought around 250 people across the water and earned a total of $600 in tips.
“At this point, it doesn’t feel like a charitable thing because people were so generous,” Merrell said.
So he and Roberts decided to do something charitable with part of their cash.
“We took some of the money and bought pizza at Fubar for all of the workers.”
The Brooks Bridge reopened early Sunday morning and has been deemed safe.
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