McNamee-Priceville Footbridge facts for kids
The McNamee/Priceville Footbridge is a very long walking bridge in New Brunswick, Canada. It's actually the longest suspension footbridge in the whole province! This bridge stretches about 200 meters (that's like two football fields end-to-end). It crosses the Southwest Miramichi River near a place called McNamee, which is about 12 kilometers west of Doaktown, New Brunswick.
The Bridge's Story
The first Priceville footbridge was built in 1938. It had just one long section to cross the river. Sadly, this bridge was destroyed in the spring of 1939 during a big flood. This was a very serious accident.
A Heroic Rescue
Because of this tragic event, a brave man named Thomas Wilson from McNamee received the Carnegie Medal for Bravery that year. This award is given to heroes who risk their lives to save others.
On May 10, 1939, a man named Lawrence R. Price was crossing the bridge. One of the main cables holding the bridge broke. The middle part of the bridge went underwater. Mr. Price got stuck in the wire netting of the bridge, with only his head above the water. The river was deep and moving very fast.
Thomas Wilson, who was a guide, bravely walked onto the broken bridge. But he worried his weight might make it sink more. So, he went back to the riverbank. Wilson and another man tried to reach Mr. Price in a boat. But the strong river current kept pushing them away.
Another man joined Wilson, and they tried again. This time, they managed to reach the bridge about 125 feet from the bank. Wilson then grabbed a cable and pulled the boat closer to Mr. Price. He got out of the boat, stood on one cable, and held onto another. Using pliers, he cut the netting around Mr. Price. With Wilson's help, Mr. Price was able to crawl through the hole and into the boat. They then paddled safely back to the riverbank.
Building New Bridges
After the first bridge was destroyed, a second bridge was quickly built in 1939. This new bridge was different; it used two sections to cross the river, making it stronger. This second bridge was used for many years.
Then, in 1988, a third footbridge was built to replace the second one. This third bridge is the one you can see and use today! Like the second bridge, it also uses two sections to span the river. Today, the bridge is owned and taken care of by the New Brunswick Department of Transportation.
