BALTIMORE – A fourth body was recovered Sunday from a submerged vehicle at the site of the Key Bridge collapse, according to Unified Command.
At the request of the family, the victim has not been identified.
One of the missing construction vehicles was in the river and inside was a person trapped.
A cargo ship, the Dali, crashed into the Key Bridge around 1:30 a.m. on March 26, sending eight construction workers into the Patapsco River. They were repairing holes in the bridge.
Two construction workers were rescued, and now four have been recovered. Two remain missing and presumed dead.
Prayers for the victims of Key Bridge
“Maryland continues to pray for the families and loved ones affected by this tragedy. They have our thoughts, our hearts and our support,” said Maryland Governor Wes Moore. “We hope everyone will respect the family’s request for privacy at this difficult time. As we continue to recover those who died, we may honor them, their loved ones and the dedication they made to work in a profession that has improved the lives of so many Marylanders across the state.”
Crews previously recovered the bodies of 35-year-old Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, 35-year-old Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes and 26-year-old Dorlian Castillo Cabrera.
“Our hearts continue to break for the loved ones of these victims,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. “Our entire city stands with them and joins them in mourning and healing as another of their loved ones has been brought home. For those still waiting, we join them in their hopes and sorrows that they will soon experience the same closure. As I have said from the very beginning, we will continue to do everything in our power to support these families and provide everything they need to get through this unthinkable tragedy.”
A huge crane lifts the rubble from Key Bridge to Sparrows Point
WJZ on Monday took a closer look at the salvage operation at Sparrows Point, where portions of the Key Bridge are being hauled away for disposal.
The largest piece of debris to date is a span that weighs more than 400 tons.
Jonathan Newton/for The Washington Post via Getty Images
The huge Chesapeake 1,000 crane brought it to Sparrows Point this weekend.
“This is our processing yard where all the materials that are taken out of the river are brought in by barge and crane, very large pieces of material,” said James Harkness, the chief engineer for the Maryland Transportation Authority. “When they brought it in yesterday they had to cut it in half because it was about 100 feet high.”
Cut Key Bridge to size
Welders cut the pieces into an even more manageable size. Crews also use hydraulic shears.
Respondents said every effort is being made to recycle the steel.
The government requires every large ship – including the Dali – to have a designated responder in the event of a disaster like this. In this case, that task was assigned to Resolve Marine.
“As soon as this happened, we were activated and had people on site within hours,” said Joseph Farrell, CEO of Resolve Marine.
What is the damage of the Dali?
Joseph Farrell, CEO of Resolve Marine, said that when the Key Bridge on the Dali collapsed, the ship’s bow was severed “fairly well”.
“When the bridge came down, the bow, the front of the ship, was severed quite a bit, so a lot of the systems were severed. The wiring to the bow thruster was severed,” Ferrell said.
Farrell said the Dali is currently in power. His crew tries to get the bow thruster working again. It makes the ship easier to maneuver once enough containers have been removed to move the ship.
Farrell said they have removed 40 containers, and he believes it could be enough to remove a total of 140 containers from the ship.
He said the work will not interfere with FBI and NTSB investigations and credits the Unified Command with keeping everything organized.
“There is a lot of clarity about where exactly our role lies, and we work with every agency. Everyone can connect with that and not get in each other’s way,” he said.
“There’s a lot of rubble. There’s rebar. There’s concrete.”
Divers stay in the water daily and visibility is often near zero in the muddy Patapsco.
“There’s a lot of rubble. There’s rebar. There’s concrete. For a first dive, we don’t know what dangers are down there, so we have to be very methodical and slow with that. We have something called an umbilical cord that holds the air supply from the diver to the diver’s helmet,” said Robyn Bianchi of DonJon Marine.
This weekend she told WJZ that divers are aware that several victims have yet to be recovered. Shortly after that interview, emergency workers removed the fourth victim from the water.
“As we mourn the lives lost and continue the recovery effort, we recognize that each missing individual is someone’s beloved friend or family member,” said Col. Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland Department of State Police, “along with all from our allied law enforcement partners, we pledge that we will exhaust the physical and technical aspects of their training using all available resources.”
Cargo unloaded at TradePoint Atlantic
Near TradePoint Atlantic – the only place near the Port of Baltimore where larger ships can currently dock – cargo is being unloaded, including many new cars. That preserves jobs in Baltimore.
“We can ensure that this cargo stays in Baltimore because there are other ports that are interested in helping, but that also means that the cargo could go to another port permanently, so we are grateful that we can help with some of that diverted freight,” said Kristin King of TradePoint Atlantic.
Baltimore City to sue cargo ship owner
Baltimore City is taking legal action against entities it deems responsible for the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, and the FBI has done so as well opened an investigation in the disaster.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott announced Monday that the city is working with two high-profile law firms to pursue legal action against those responsible for the tragedy, including the ship’s owner, charterer, operator, manufacturer and other parties.
The mayor said the effort is intended to alleviate the immediate and long-term harm caused to Baltimore residents, such as the victims’ families, workers at the Port of Baltimore and those who used the bridge every day. It is not clear how much compensation the city is seeking.
“We continue to do everything in our power to support everyone affected here and will continue to recognize the human impact this event has had,” the mayor said in a statement. “Part of that work must include seeking redress from those who may be responsible, and from the owner of the vessel file a petition to limit his liability Just days after the incident, we must act just as quickly to protect the city’s interests.”
