Six missing construction workers who fell into the river when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed are presumed dead as the Coast Guard begins a search.
The Coast Guard is ending its active search and rescue mission for missing workers who fell from the Francis Scott Key Bridge when a freighter crashed into it Tuesday morning.
Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said that based on the long period of time since the bridge collapsed and the frigid water temperatures, “we don’t think we’re going to find any of these individuals still alive.”
Divers will return to the water at 6 a.m. Wednesday to resume search efforts and attempt to locate the bodies of the missing construction workers.
“At this time, we don’t know where they are,” said Col. Roland L. Butler of the Maryland State Police, “but we intend to do our best to help these families find closure.”
Six missing construction workers who fell into the river when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed are presumed dead as the Coast Guard launches a search.
Rescue teams search the Patapsco River after the bridge collapse, leaving vehicles submerged and workers missing
Maryland authorities are using sonar to search for people who fell into 47°F water while working to repair potholes in the 185-foot bridge when it collapsed.
This comes after another body was found during the search on Tuesday. “We’re hearing that a body was found,” said Baltimore City Council member Phylicia Porter. cnn.
No further details about the body were released and police have not released the person’s name.
Two other people were pulled from the icy Patapsco River after the collapse before the discovery of the body, according to the Baltimore Fire Chief.
One of the individuals was in “very serious condition” and was rushed to a local trauma center, the chief reported.
The other of the two rescued individuals was not injured.
Footage shows rescue teams searching the Patapsco River after the bridge collapsed, leaving vehicles submerged and workers missing.
Crews can be seen inspecting the Singapore-flagged Dali after it collided with the bridge on Tuesday morning.
Remnants of the 1.6-mile-long bridge can be seen embedded in the ship’s bow as crews shine flashlights around the murky waters as they search for those missing in the catastrophe.
Five vehicles are currently submerged in the river, and six construction workers are missing and were working on the bridge when it fell.
Maryland authorities are using sonar to search for people who fell into 47F water while working to repair potholes in the 185-foot bridge when it collapsed.
Since then, authorities have said they have detected five vehicles underwater thanks to infrared and side-scan sonar technology: three passenger vehicles, a cement truck and a fifth vehicle.
Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency Tuesday morning following the catastrophic collision, which occurred around 1:30 a.m.
The ship had been traveling for 20 minutes when it crashed into a support column on the bridge.
The Democrat said the ship’s crew managed to issue a “mayday” before it crashed into the bridge, allowing officials to prevent cars from passing over the bridge.
“We are grateful that between Mayday and the collapse we had officials who were able to begin stopping the flow of traffic so there were no more cars on the bridge,” Moore added.
Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld said eight people were on the bridge when it collapsed, and two of them were rescued from the water, one refused medical treatment and the other was taken to the hospital.
An injured person was photographed being loaded into an ambulance after being taken off the ship following the collapse.
The ship had been traveling for 20 minutes when it crashed into a bridge support column.
Wiedefeld said: “We know that at the time of the collapse there were people on the bridge, working on the bridge, contractors for us.”
He said workers were “basically repairing some concrete pads” but said they didn’t know how many vehicles were involved.
Doctors told DailyMail.com that those on the bridge faced an agonizing fall that would feel like “hitting concrete” and lead to serious injuries such as broken bones and a ruptured heart, with a slim chance of survival.
Once in 47-degree water, hypothermia kicked in, causing hyperventilation, loss of motor control, confusion, and organ failure, which began in just three minutes.
Those in cars would have only two minutes to escape before drowning.
President Joe Biden said on X: ‘This morning, I convened senior members of my team for a briefing on the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.
“I have directed my Administration to ensure that all federal resources are available to assist in the search and rescue efforts and response to this terrible incident.”
The president announced that the government would pay the full cost of replacing the bridge and insisted that it was an accident.
The video shows the ship going dark seconds before the collision, suggesting a power outage on board.
The ship’s crew managed to issue a “mayday” before it crashed into the bridge, allowing officials to prevent cars from passing over the bridge.
The bridge spans 9,000 feet over the Patapsco River and is 180 feet above the water.
The ship involved is the 948-foot-long Dali, a Singapore-flagged container ship.
It’s still unclear why the freighter crashed into the Key Bridge long before the morning commute, or how many people might be in the busy harbor waters near a key port.
Initial reports pointed to a loss of propulsion or power on board just before the collision.
Rescuers pulled two people from the water mid-morning and searched for more. One was uninjured and the other was injured, authorities said.
FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Baltimore office, William DelBagno, said there is “no specific or credible information to suggest there are links to terrorism in this incident.”
The collapse is sure to create a logistical nightmare for months, if not years, for the East Coast, shutting down ship traffic at the Port of Baltimore and snarling cargo and passenger traffic.
According to The Baltimore Sun, the Dali is undertaking an especially long 28-day voyage because the crew wanted to go around South Africa to avoid the Red Sea, where Yemeni Houthi rebels have been attacking Western ships to protest the war in Gaza.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has asked the media to stop using video showing the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott holds a news conference after a container ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore (left) speaks during a press conference as Senator Chris Van Hollen looks on near the scene.
Speaking to CNN, Mayor Scott told the outlet: “I’m going to be the first to ask that CNN and everyone else stop showing the video.”
‘No one needs to see the possibility of a member of their family suffering serious or other injuries over and over again. “It’s just traumatizing our community.”
The ship crashed into one of the bridge supports, causing the structure to break like a toy.
He fell into the water almost instantly, a shocking sight that was captured on video and posted on social media. The ship caught fire and thick black smoke came out of it.
‘You would never think you would see, physically see, the Key Bridge collapse like that. “It was like something out of an action movie,” Mayor Scott previously said, calling it “an unthinkable tragedy.”