Bridging the Tragedy; Silver Linings in the Mysterious Ohio River Valley

Trauma manifests in myriad ways..

On December 15, 1967, trauma erupted in West Virginia - as the small river town of Point Pleasant had just experienced the deadliest bridge collapse in U.S. history. Early that evening, lives in the Ohio River Valley were forever altered, as the Silver Bridge connecting Point Pleasant to Kanauga, Ohio collapsed into the icy river below. 150 American Red Cross volunteers worked feverishly overnight to rescue people and debris from the frigid waters, while friends provided comfort to the weary and hopeful with missing friends and family members. Concerned others supplied food and fire to nourish and warm the workers. “Efforts to dredge the waters of the Ohio River were hampered by the murkiness of the winter’s waters, as well as the deep, persistent cold of the December air” (Bolte, 2010).

Before the bridge collapse, scores of area residents experienced a year-long barrage of paranormal phenomena. Reports of UFOs, lights in the sky, and Mothman plagued the area for thirteen months to the date, halting abruptly when the thirty-nine-year-old structure collapsed. During this period, witnesses discussed their experiences with police, Athens, Ohio Messenger correspondent Mary Hyre, and paranormal researchers John Keel and Gray Barker; each of whom has since published extensively about the topic. The anomalous activity and catastrophic bridge collapse each caused great emotional, physical, and psychological strain to the people of this otherwise idyllic Appalachian region.