Queen Isabella Causeway collapse remembered 23 years later

PORT ISABEL, Texas ( ValleyCentral ) — A memorial service was held at Port Isabel on Sunday to remember the lives lost in the deadly collapse of the Queen Isabella Memorial Causeway.

Sunday marks 23 years since the tragic event made its mark on the Rio Grande Valley.

On September 15, 2001, the bridge collapsed after a barge struck a supporting pillar causing 11 drivers to drop over 100 feet into the Laguna Madre water.

The collapse happened four days after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center which brought a heightened sense of panic to Valley residents and island-goers.

Robert Espericueta is one of four fishermen who witnessed the bridge collapse while fishing nearby.

As previously reported on ValleyCentral , Espericueta thought the collapse was another attack, like the one on September 11, 2001.

Despite the panic, all four fishermen went into rescue mode in an attempt to pull people out of the water.

During the rescue operation, the fishermen removed three people from the water.

The remaining eight people who plummeted into the water did not survive.

The victims who lost their lives on September 15, 2001

• Bob Harris of Port Isabel
• Hector Martinez Jr. of Port Isabel
• Chelsea Welch of Port Isabel
• Barry Welch of Port Isabel
• Julio Mireles of Los Fresnos
• Robin Leavell of Mercedes
• Stvan Francisco Rivas of Humble
• Gasper Hinojosa of Kingsville

The survivors of the bridge collapse were Brigette Goza, Rene Mata and Gustavo Morales.

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