Photos: Contractor Pulling Sandy-Smashed Sailboat From Bay

Contractors are currently on the scene of the Ocean Avenue footbridge, attempting to recover one of at least three sailboats that sank during Superstorm Sandy.

The company has brought in a barge with a crane mounted on top, and divers were in the water around 1:00 p.m. securing cable to the boats. It does not appear they’ll be removing all three of the boats currently underwater at the Manhattan Beach side.

The sailboats were not only destroyed by the storm, but as they became unmoored and slammed into the footbridge, they ripped open chunks of it. At least one sailboat took out a swath of railing, as Sandy’s tides sent the sailboat above the bridge.

The 131-year-old footbridge is closed as the city makes repairs.