Strong winds rip floating billboard barge from dock in Cape Coral

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

Strong winds on Monday night ripped a barge from a seawall and sent it down a canal in Cape Coral.

The barge, equipped with two electronic billboards, was tied up along Del Prado Boulevard South when the owner and team at Sea Tow said the wind ripped off all four cleats. The winds reached up to 50 miles per hour in some parts of Cape Coral, pushing the barge three-quarters of the way down the Palaco Canal, according to Sea Tow.

"Well, we didn't have a whole lot of rain, but there's a lot of thunder and the wind really did kick up, really high," said Diana Chambers, a neighbor living along the canal. "We've had chairs in the canals. My plants blew over. Obviously, the barge came undone."

Chambers said she first noticed the barge when she heard a loud bang, which she initially thought was thunder. She said she then discovered minor damage to the skeg of her boat engine.

"The Fish and Wildlife officer came and did their routine check and said that the owner will be calling you in five minutes. Later, the owner did call me," Chambers said. "I had a great experience."

The barge owner's wife said she immediately reached out to FWC once she learned the boat was loose. A Sea Tow employee living on the canal captured video of the incident and called manager Bobby Scott. The tow company then brought the barge back to safety.

"I was very surprised. I mean, I know it's a big barge, but there was four cleats that it was attached to that all broke off. I mean, all the dock lines are still attached, and it's just, unexpected storm," Scott said. "We weren't expecting that kind of wind."

Neighbor Margie Annmoske said she knew about the weather headed toward Cape Coral on Wednesday after watching Gulf Coast News.

"Honest to goodness, I love your new station and especially the weather is always spot on," Annmoske said. "I can count on it."

The owner issued a statement on Facebook, thanking friends at Sea Tow and everyone living along the canal for their support and understanding.

Read the full statement here:

"Tonight the winds picked up and pulled the cleats off the dock where we were tied up. Everything and everyone is fine. Angels were with us all tonight. We are safely tied back up. Thank you all for your support and understanding. We will see y’all on the water. And I would like to give a Huge shout out to Bobby and his crew at Sea Tow for the quick response and Professional knowledge on how to handle the situation safely and swiftly with the high winds. Thank you, SeaTow."

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