HERALD STAFF REPORT

MANATEE -- A silver car left running at the top of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge just after rush hour Friday has sparked a search in the Gulf waters for a possible suicide victim.

But a body, or survivor, had not been found by 7:30 p.m., said Lt. Joel Granata of St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue.

The silver car, whose make or model was not immediately available, was pulled over near the wall in the southbound lanes, Granata said.

An initial search by St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue did not turn up anything, but the U.S. Coast Guard and Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office are continuing the search, Granata said.

"There was no note and no eyewitness and nothing caught on camera," Granata said.

A few weeks ago, a similar incident occurred involving an abandoned car and no victim was found in that case, Granata added.

The Florida Highway Patrol monitors cameras on the bridge around the clock and issues a "bridge alert" when a car stops on the bridge, Granata said.