TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A computer glitch caused a major mishap in the Fourth of July fireworks display in Channelside Tuesday night.
Pyrotecnico, based in New Castle, Pa., with an office in Pompano Beach, experienced a computer crash about seven minutes into the show, officials said.
After a long pause, company workers continued the show, igniting the fireworks manually.
A spokesman with Tampa Fire-Rescue tells News Channel 8 the show continued safely and without incident.
But, some spectators weren’t happy.
“Stopping, going, we didn’t know when to leave,” said one man.
Over and over, people thought the fireworks show was finished, only to be caught off guard.
“I went to Lakeland last night. The Lakeland fireworks seemed longer than here tonight,” a spectator said.
News Channel 8 reached out to Channelside Bay Plaza, the host of the event, but hasn’t received a comment. In a Facebook post, the organization said, in part: “We regret that tonight’s aerial firework production did not go as intended. A lot of time, effort and hard work go into planning these events. No matter the level of preparation behind the scenes, live events can often be unpredictable.”
We’re also waiting to hear back from the fireworks company to find out if it’ll reimburse the Plaza for any of the costs associated with the show.STORIES OTHERS ARE CLICKING ON:
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