THEIR
THEIR JOB
THEIR JOB A LITTLE POSITIVITY GOES A LONG WAY. >> YOU KNOW, NEXT MONTH MARKS
THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF ONE
OF THE NORTHWEST MOST INFAMOUS
DISASTERS THE COLLAPSE OF THE
BRIDGE KNOWN AS GALLOPING
GERDY.
I CAUGHT UP WITH TWO FILMMAKERS
WHO ARE MARKING THE MOMENT WITH
A NEW DOCUMENTARY CALLED 700
FEET DOWN.
>> ALL THREE OF US TRAVEL
ACROSS THE TACOMA NARROWS
BRIDGES WITHOUT GIVING A SECOND
THOUGHT TO WHAT HAPPENED ON
NOVEMBER 7TH, 1940.
PETER, WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO
REVISIT THAT DAY WITH THE
DOCUMENTARY WALL ST..
I'VE BEEN DIVING THE BRIDGE FOR
30 YEARS AND I'VE ALWAYS
WONDERED WHAT WAS DOWN AT THE
ARENA DOWN AT TWO HUNDRED AND
TWENTY EIGHT FEET SO BIT
OF JUST KIND OF WANTING TO KNOW
WHAT WOULD BE DOWN THERE AND
THAT WAS THE IMPETUS BEHIND THE
INITIAL THOUGHT OF DOING THIS
FILM.
LET'S FIND SOME GUYS TO GO
VIDEOTAPE IT SO I CAN SEE WHAT
I'VE BEEN MISSING ALL THESE
YEARS.
WHERE DID YOU FIND DOWN THERE.
WE FND MOST OF GALLOPING
GERTIE.
WE DID TWO DIVES AND WE'VE GOT
ONE MORE DOVE COMING UP.
AND WE FOUND MOST OF THE
WRECKAGE OF OF GALLOPING GERTIE
WHICH FELL 80 YEARS AGO NEXT
MONTH.
CARI WAS YOUR JOB TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE CAN SEE THAT.
HOW DID THAT.
THAT MUST HAVE BEEN QUITE A
CHALLENGE TO GO THAT DEEP WITH
THOSE KIND OF CURRENTS.
YEAH, I'VE SEEN IT WAS QUITE A
CHALLENGE TO FILM AND PUT
TOGETHER DIFFERENT PIECES
OF THIS VIDEO SENSITIVE
COMANCHEROS IS NOTORIOUS FOR
THE HIGH WINDS AND DIFFICULT
CURRENTS THAT GO THROUGH IT.
>> WE HAD TO PLAN IT AROUND
SLACK TIME IN THE AFTERNOON SO
THAT OUR DIVERS COULD SAFELY
DESCEND DOWN TO THE DEPTHS
OF GALLOPING GERTIE.
SO ON TOP OF THAT WE FILMED IN
THE WINTER WHICH BROUGHT ITS
OWN SET OF CHALLENGES TO THE
DECK AND FILMING ONBOARD THE
BOAT BETWEEN WINDY WEATHER,
RAINY WEATHER AND JUST
GENERALLY FILMING ON A MOVING
BOAT.
>> LET'S GO BACK IN TIME A
LITTLE BIT CARLY BEFORE THERE
WAS A BRIDGE.
HOW DID PEOPLE GET TO THE KIDS
AT PENINSULA FROM TACOMA?
THERE IS A FERRY SYSTEM THAT
RAN BE TWEEN GIG HARBOR AND
TACOMA.
>> THE SCANDI BROTHERS RAN IT
FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS PRIOR.
IT WAS A SMALL FERRY SYSTEM BUT
THEY COULD STILL TAKE BOATS AND
PASSENGERS ACROSS PRETTY
REGULARLY AND THERE MUST HAVE
BEEN SOME EXCITING PUTER WHEN
THIS BRIDGE WAS BEING BUILT.
BUT IT WAS THE CONSTRUCTION
WORKERS HAVE ACTUALLY GAINED
GALLOPING GERDY ITS NICKNAME.
HOW MUCH DID GERTI GALLOP?
>> WELL, IF YOU'RE DRIVING
ACROSS THE BRIDGE THING YOU
COULDN'T SEE THE CAR AHEAD
OF YOU.
A LOT OF TIMES THE CAR WOULD BE
A COUPLE HUNDRED FEET AND YOU
WOULD BE LOWER.
THEY'D BE HIGHER.
YOU'D LOOK UP AND ALL YOU WOULD
SEE WOULD BREAK THE BRIDGE DECK
AT EYE LEVEL.
SO IMAGINE DRIVING OVER TODAY
AND LOOKING IN FRONT OF YOU AND
JUST SEEING THE BRIDGE INSTEAD
OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF YOU.
THAT'S NOT KAALI.
ONE OF THE MOST CARLY.
ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR
QUESTIONS ON THE INTERNET IS
HOW MANY PEOPLE DIED WHEN
GALLOPING GERTIE FINALLY
COLLAPSED.
ZERO PEOPLE AND ONE DOG THEY
WERE ABLE TO CLOSE THE BRIDGE
DOWN PRIOR TO ITS COLLAPSE
ABOUT TWO HOURS KNEW THE WINDS
WERE HIGH.
>> SITUATION WAS DANGEROUS AND
FORTUNATELY THERE WAS ONE CAR
LEFT ON THE BRIDGE.
IT COULD NOT COAX TUBBY OUT
OF THE CAR AND HE WAS THE ONLY
CASUALTY OF THE BRIDGE'S
COLLAPSE.
I'D NEVER HEARD THAT STORY
BEFORE.
HOW DID YOU FIND.
EYEWITNESSES?
I DON'T EVEN THINK I WOULD HAVE
THOUGHT TO LOOK FOR PEOPLE THAT
SAW SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED 80
YEARS AGO.
>> WORD OF MOUTH PETER HAD A
COUPLE OF CONNECTIONS WHICH LED
TO A COUPLE MORE CONNECTIONS.
WE RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM A
GENTLEMAN WHO SAW THE COLLAPSE
REALLY WORD OF MOUTH, PETER.
>> MAYBE THERE'S A LESSON IN
HERE FOR ALL OF US, SAYS
GALLOPING GERDY AND WHAT'S
FOLLOWED TAUGHT US ANYTHING.
WELL, THE LESSON IS NOT TO
SKIMP WHEN YOU'RE BUILDING A
BRIDGE.
THE ORIGINAL GOAL WAS A 13
MILLION DOLLAR BRIDGE AND IT
WAS BUILT FOR EIGHT.
THE INSURANCE MONEY WAS STOLEN
AND THE BRIDGE FELL.
IT'S IT'S QUITE A GREAT HISTORY
AND ALL OF THAT IS PART OF OUR
MOVIE.
SO YOU KNOW, IT'S A LESSON FOR
TODAY.
DON'T MESS WHEN THERE'S LIVES
AT STAKE.
DON'T MESS WITH