Witnesses react to boat getting stuck under Matanzas Pass Bridge

After an inspection by the Florida Department of Transportation and the Coast Guard, the Matanzas Pass Bridge is finally back open.

A shrimp boat captain misjudged the tide, slamming right into the bridge and closing it for hours.

• READ MORE: Matanzas Pass Bridge reopens after boat crashes into it, closing it for hours

Witnesses said they heard a loud noise.

“You heard that sound of that metal breaking and all those pieces crashing and falling down,” said Andrew Wiersma, Nervous Nellie’s front-of-house manager.

After this, a massive shrimping boat crashed into the Matanzas pass bridge, but not before putting up a fight.

“This giant boat got tangled up with some of its nets on the fence, so they backed out. When they backed out of the alleyway, the tide coming in caught him, and it jackknifed them. They were kind of coming close to our docks. He revved up those engines, fired off. When he fired off, the current caught him, and he crashed into the bridge,” Wiersma said.

One of its arms got lodged underneath the bridge.

“What did happen was quite serious. It got hung up, and cars were still going over the bridge,” said Matthew Buckingham, a witness.

While the boat has since gotten out from underneath the bridge, it has raised some questions about safety for onlookers.

“I just want people to just be careful, be safe. When you go out there, and you come in between these things because it’s like every day, but don’t take it for granted,” Buckingham said.

The boat, Captain Jack Two, was on its way from Texas, bringing shrimp to Erickson and Jensen.

The ship made its way under its own power after it was freed up from the bridge.