B.C. trades mark 65th anniversary of Second Narrows Bridge collapse

VANCOUVER – June 17 was the 65th anniversary of the Second Narrows Bridge collapse where several spans crumbled and took the lives of 19 workers.

The bridge, which connects Vancouver with the North Shore of Burrard Inlet, saw several spans collapse on June 17, 1958 sending 79 workers 30 metres below into the water. The bridge was renamed the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing on June 17, 1994 to commemorate those who lost their lives.

The late North Vancouver diver Phil Nuytten invented the NewtSuit and Exosuit deep water dive systems and helped James Cameron shoot underwater footage for the Titanic, but on June 17, 1958 he was one of the first divers in the water to rescue the drowning workers. Earlier this year, the BC Building Trades interviewed Nuytten for their Tradetalk magazine about his experience that day.

“That day was certainly something. Every year we go down there and talk about what we did and what we saw. Most of the guys that had been in the water there didn’t last very long. So it was kind of sad to think that, not only did the ironworkers die, but some of our divers were lost,” Nuytten said.

Nuytten also grieved for a fellow diver who lost his life while attempting to save others.

“Later when they were looking to recover bodies, even though they knew…one was one of our guys. Any bodies that he could bring up, and he did bring some up, but he never came back,” he said.

A memorial was held at Bates Park at 1 p.m. on June 17, with representatives from the BC Building Trades, Ironworkers Local 97, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 115 and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades DC38 as well as members of government and family of the fallen workers.