The Silver Bridge Collapse

On December 15, 1967, the Silver Bridge connecting Point Pleasant, West Virginia, to Ohio collapsed during rush hour, killing 46 people. The tragedy occurred just 13 months after the first Mothman sightings in the area, leading many to believe the creature had been warning of the disaster.

The Mothman Sightings

From November 1966 through December 1967:

• Over 100 people reported seeing Mothman
• Descriptions were consistent: large, winged, red eyes
• Sightings centered on Point Pleasant area
• The creature seemed drawn to the TNT area and bridge

The Bridge

The Silver Bridge:

• An eyebar-chain suspension bridge
• Built in 1928
• Connected Point Pleasant to Gallipolis, Ohio
• Carried US Route 35 over the Ohio River

The Collapse

On December 15, 1967, at approximately 5:00 PM:

• The bridge was packed with rush hour traffic
• An eyebar failed due to stress corrosion
• The entire bridge collapsed in less than a minute
• 46 people died; 9 were injured

The Cause

Official investigation found:

• A defect in a single eyebar
• Stress corrosion cracking
• Design didn’t allow for redundancy
• One failure caused total collapse

Mothman Connection

Many believed Mothman was:

• Warning of the coming disaster
• Drawn to the area because of impending tragedy
• A harbinger of doom
• Trying to communicate danger

The Final Sighting

According to some accounts:

• Mothman was seen on the bridge before collapse
• Witnesses reported the creature that very day
• After December 15, Mothman sightings ceased
• The creature had apparently served its purpose

John Keel

Journalist John Keel:

• Investigated the Mothman sightings
• Was in Point Pleasant during the bridge collapse
• Published “The Mothman Prophecies” (1975)
• Connected Mothman to the tragedy

Keel’s Theory

Keel proposed:

• Mothman was a “supernatural” warning
• Related to other paranormal activity
• The creature appeared before disasters
• Part of a larger phenomenon

Other Paranormal Activity

During the Mothman period:

• UFOs were reported in the area
• Men in Black visited witnesses
• Strange phone calls plagued residents
• A wave of unusual activity occurred

The Memorial

Point Pleasant now has:

• A Mothman statue
• A Mothman museum
• Annual Mothman Festival
• The legend draws tourists

Engineering Legacy

The collapse led to:

• National bridge inspection programs
• Changes in bridge design standards
• Increased safety regulations
• Improved monitoring requirements

Significance

The Silver Bridge collapse is significant for:

• 46 deaths in bridge disaster
• Alleged Mothman prediction/warning
• End of the Mothman sightings
• Cultural legacy of “The Mothman Prophecies”
• Connection between cryptid and tragedy

Legacy

Whether Mothman was warning of disaster, drawn to impending tragedy, or simply coincidentally present during a period that ended in catastrophe, the Silver Bridge collapse cemented the creature’s place in American folklore. The question remains: was Mothman an omen of doom?