A tugboat towing a crane barge underneath the Brooklyn Bridge tonight sliced open a 50-foot gash in the metal scaffolding that wraps the belly of the span as it undergoes repainting.
The “Thomas Dann” was cruising along the East River with the cargo in tow when the mishap occurred at around 8:15 p.m., said Coast Guard spokesman Thomas McKenzie.
“It was coming under the bridge, then all you heard was some thudding sounds and some screams,” said Sade Powell, 18, who witnessed the mishap from Brooklyn Bridge Park.
“Everyone in the park jumped. The [boat] kept going and the crane was still upright in the same exact spot.”
No one was injured, the bridge suffered no structural damage and traffic was never halted, said Transportation Department spokesman Seth Solomonow.
The tug captain was expected to be interviewed at Port Newark.