Dog safe after reportedly jumping into Broad River due to mid-bridge car crash near Beaufort
A canine passenger swam safely to shore after reportedly jumping off the Broad River Bridge in the moments following a mid-bridge car collision Friday afternoon.
The two-car crash happened around 2:55 p.m. on the northbound lanes of the bridge, closer to the span’s Beaufort side. Some witnesses told first responders they saw the dog jump off the edge of the bridge into the chilly water below, presumably “spooked” by the crash, according to Chief Dan Byrne of the Burton Fire District.
Following the swimming dog from the surface of the bridge, the driver of one of the vehicles was picked up by passerby and taken to the south end of the bridge, Byrne said. From there, he entered the water and helped the dog get back to dry land, the chief said.
Byrne said the department wasn’t entirely sure how the dog got into the water. Accounts from witnesses near the crash differed dramatically: Some said the dog jumped off the bridge, others claimed it ran down the side of the bridge and still others reported they saw the driver jump after the dog.
Photos from the scene show a heavily damaged white sedan that appeared to have clipped the bridge’s right-side barrier. A pickup truck was also towed from the area around 3:40 p.m. Friday.
Emergency crews cleared the scene just before 4 p.m., although traffic backups persisted for commuters heading from Bluffton to Beaufort.
One person was transported to the hospital with minor injuries following the crash, Byrne said.
Chief Clay Emminger of Beaufort Water Search & Rescue said its water rescue crews were dispatched to the scene Friday afternoon, but the request was canceled on their way to the area due to both the man and the dog arriving safely to shore.
This story was originally published January 31, 2025 at 4:31 PM.
