A portion of the beloved fishing pier in Keansburg has collapsed into the icy waters of Raritan Bay.

“I've got so many texts that they just love the pier, and they're telling me they're sorry,” said pier manager, Kathi Smock.

Smock’s father helped build the 2,000+ foot pier in the 1980s. The nearby Keansburg Amusement Park owns the pier, but Smock manages it.

Amusement park management did not return News 12 inquiries, but Smock says that the owners have told her they plan to rebuild.

Some of the visitors to the Bayshore on Tuesday came out to fact-check what they thought could have been an AI-generated image. It’s the summertime hot spot for anglers and a linchpin for local tackle shops.

“A ton of people fish that pier all summer long,” said Gary Carr, of Fishing Flea Market Bait & Tackle. “On weekends, she did overnights, which no one else did.”

The waters of Raritan Bay in the area are rich in striped bass, flounder and bluefish. The pier was repaired in 2012 after Superstorm Sandy struck. This time, ice on the bay caused the damage.

“We've had ice, but nothing like this,” Smock said. “It's bad this year. The pier is fighting the ice right now.”

“I haven't heard the bay, or Keyport, freezing over like this in 60-70 years,” said Carr. “I have never seen it.”

The icy conditions are expected to persist as temperatures hover around freezing. It has impacted ferry routes around the region, canceling Seastreak service out of Highlands and Atlantic Highlands.