The bodies of two men, identified as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, were recovered from the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse site. The Maryland State Police found them in a red pickup truck in about 25 feet of water at the middle span of the bridge. Recovery efforts are now focused on salvaging vehicles encased in bridge debris, as divers can no longer operate around the debris. The search for missing people who are presumed dead following the collapse of the bridge has resumed, with search and rescue operations transitioning to recovery efforts.
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge occurred after a support column was hit by a large container ship that lost power, sending people and vehicles into the Patapsco River. Two workers were rescued from the water shortly after the collapse, with one unhurt and the other treated at a medical center. All eight individuals involved in the collapse were part of a construction crew filling potholes on the bridge at the time. The victims are from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, and were employed by a local company, Brawner Builders.
Conditions in the water, including changing currents, low visibility, and sharp metal objects, have made recovery operations challenging for divers and first responders. The Coast Guard is leading the recovery mission at the bridge site, with the Navy mobilizing barges outfitted with heavy lift cranes to help clear debris from the channel. Recovery efforts are likely to involve underwater drones to locate submerged vehicles with casualties. Ongoing rain and intensifying weather conditions further complicate the search for victims and submerged vehicles.
The victims of the collapse were identified as workers filling potholes on the bridge at the time. One victim was identified as Miguel Luna, a father of three from El Salvador, by the nonprofit organization CASA. Three South American nations indicated missing citizens among the victims without officially identifying them. The ship involved in the collision reported losing propulsion as it left Baltimore Harbor, notifying authorities of a possible bridge collision. Mayor Brandon Scott praised the swift response to the mayday call, which helped save lives and allowed emergency personnel to arrive quickly.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge crosses the Patapsco River and serves as a vital hub for East Coast shipping along with the Port of Baltimore. Located on Interstate 695, known as the Baltimore Beltway, the bridge was built in 1977 to alleviate congestion from the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. The bridge was heavily used, with around 31,000 daily users and 11.5 million vehicles annually. Federal, state, and local agencies, including the FBI and the National Transportation Safety Board, are involved in the response to the bridge collapse, with Maryland Governor Wes Moore declaring a state of emergency in the aftermath.
