Cape Coral's 250-foot American flag returns after damage forced it down

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)—The massive 250-foot American flag overlooking the Cape Coral Bridge is flying once again after damage forced the city to take it down last week.

Cape Coral City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn shared photos Saturday showing crews reinstalling the flag. He said the flag's manufacturer personally drove the replacement from Texas to Cape Coral so it could be installed as quickly as possible.

The original flag was removed after crews discovered damage to one of its eyelets. The city said it took the flag down out of an abundance of caution after identifying the issue. The towering flagpole, which stands along Cape Coral Parkway, has become a prominent landmark since it was installed.

When the damage was first discovered, nearby resident Jim Boswell said he noticed something wasn't right. "It was hanging from kind of the lower corner of the flag, and definitely looked distressed," Boswell said.

The flagpole has drawn both praise and criticism since before it was built. Its cost sparked debate among Cape Coral residents, with some questioning whether the money should have been spent on other city priorities. Boswell said seeing the flag flying changed his perspective.

"The flagpole just came at a bad time," Boswell said. "However, I will say that after the flag went up, I saw it and saw it out on the water, and I was very impressed with how it looked. So I sort of changed my opinion."

Others have said the flag has become a symbol of patriotism and a tribute to veterans. "It's nice in a way because of the fact it's still for our veterans," Nancy Augustine said. "And I look at it this way: if it wasn't for us soldiers protecting this country, we wouldn't have the freedom."

With the replacement now installed, the landmark is once again visible above the Cape Coral skyline.