A large cargo ship lost control of its engines and accelerated almost to full throttle in a South Carolina port, causing the closure of one of the state’s busiest bridges.
Harbor pilots were able to help the nearly 1,000-foot-long (300 m) ship, which was traveling at nearly 20 mph (32 kph), safely pass under the Ravenel Bridge and eventually anchor several miles offshore.
The U.S. Coast Guard is now investigating the incident that occurred Wednesday.
As the drama unfolded, police cleared traffic, cyclists and pedestrians from the eight-lane bridge before the ship arrived.
He remained evacuated for 10 minutes as the Michigan 7 passed below, officials said.
The only damage was caused by the ship’s wake, which ran a small boat aground and caused minor injuries to two people.
The vessel is registered in Liberia to Mediterranean Shipping Company.
It comes just over two months after an out-of-control freighter crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after losing power.
The March 26 incident destroyed the bridge and killed six construction workers.
Engineers said the Ravenel Bridge was designed differently and could withstand a similar hit.
The cable-stayed structure, opened in 2005, sits 186 feet (57 m) above the Cooper River.
Its towers are 575 feet (175 m) above the water, and engineers say they are designed to withstand wind gusts of up to 300 mph (483 kph), stronger than any hurricane in recorded history.
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