Six missing construction workers who fell into the river when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed are presumed dead as the Coast Guard calls off the search.
The Coast Guard is ending its active search and rescue mission for the missing workers that fell of the Francis Scott Key Bridge when a cargo ship smashed into it on Tuesday morning.
Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said that based on the extended period of time since the bridge collapsed and the freezing water temperatures ‘we do not believe that we are going to find any of these individuals still alive.’
Divers will return to the water at 6am on Wednesday to resume the search efforts and attempt to locate the missing construction workers’ bodies.
‘At this point, we do not know where they are,’ Col. Roland L. Butler of the Maryland State Police said, ‘but we intend to give it our best effort 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 calls of the search
Rescue teams searching the Patapsco River in the aftermath of the bridge collapse, leaving vehicles submerged and workers missing
Maryland authorities are using sonar to search for people who fell into the 47F water as they were working to repair potholes on the 185-foot bridge when it collapsed
This comes after another body was found during the search earlier on Tuesday. ‘We are hearing one body was found,’ Baltimore City Council Member Phylicia Porter said on CNN.
There were no other details released about the body and police have not released the person’s name.
Two other people were pulled out of the freezing Patapsco River after the collapse prior to the discovery of the body, according to the Baltimore fire chief.
One of the individuals was in a ‘very serious condition’ and rushed to a local trauma center, the chief reported.
The other of the two individuals pulled out was not injured.
Footage shows rescue teams searching the Patapsco River in the aftermath of the bridge collapse, leaving vehicles submerged and workers missing.
Teams can be seen inspecting the Singaporean-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 bow of the vessel while teams point flashlights around the murky waters as they search for those missing in the catastrophe.
Five vehicles are currently submerged in the river, with six construction workers unaccounted for who had been working on the bridge when it went down.
Maryland authorities are using sonar to search for people who fell into the 47F water as they were working to repair potholes on the 185-foot bridge when it collapsed.
Officials have since said they have spotted 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 at about 1.30am.
The ship was 20 minutes into its journey when it slammed 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, which allowed officials to stop cars from going on the bridge.
‘We’re thankful that between the ‘mayday’ and collapse that-that we had officials who were able to-to begin the stop the flow of traffic so more cars were not up 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, with one declining medical treatment and the other being taken to the hospital.
An injured person was pictured being loaded into an ambulance after getting taken off the ship following the collapse
The ship was 20 minutes into its journey when it slammed into a support column on the bridge
Wiedefeld said: ‘We know there were individuals on the bridge at the time of the collapse, working on the bridge, contractors for us.’
He said the workers were ‘basically doing some concrete deck repair’, but said they did not know how many vehicles were involved.
Doctors told DailyMail.com those on the bridge faced an agonizing drop that would feel like ‘hitting concrete’ and result in major injuries like broken bones and a ruptured heart, with a small chance of survival.
Once in the 47-degree water, hypothermia would kick in, causing hyperventilating, loss of motor control, confusion, and organ failure, starting in just three minutes.
Those in cars would have just 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’ve directed my Administration to ensure every federal resource is available to assist search and rescue efforts and response to this terrible incident.’
The president announced the government would pay the full cost to replace the bridge and insisted it was an accident.
Video shows the ship going dark seconds before the collision, suggesting a power failure on board.
The ship’s crew managed to issue a ‘mayday’ before it crashed into the bridge, which allowed officials to stop cars from going on the bridge
The bridge spans 9,000 feet across the Patapsco River and is 180 feet above the water
The ship involved is the 948 foot long Dali, a Singaporean-flagged container
It still remains unclear as to why the cargo ship crashed into the Key Bridge long before the morning commute, or how many people might be in the waters of the busy harbor near a key port.
Initial reports have pointed to a loss of propulsion or power on board just prior to the collision.
Rescuers pulled two people from the water by mid-morning and searched for more. One was unhurt, the other suffered injuries, officials said.
FBI special agent in charge of the Baltimore office William DelBagno said ‘there is no specific or credible information to suggest there are ties 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 commuter traffic.
According to The Baltimore Sun, the Dali was setting off on a particularly long voyage of 28 days 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 that media outlets stop using the video showing the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsing.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott holds a news conference after a container ship collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, left, speaks during a news conference as Sen. Chris Van Hollen looks on near the scene
Speaking to CNN, Mayor Scott told the outlet: ‘I am going to be the first to ask that CNN and everyone else stopped showing the video.
‘No one needs to see the possibility of their family member being severally injured or otherwise over and over again. It’s just traumatizing our community.’
The ship smashed into one of the bridge’s supports, causing the structure to break apart like a toy.
It tumbled into the water almost instantly — a shocking spectacle that was captured on video and posted on social media. The vessel caught fire, and thick, black smoke billowed out of it.
‘Never would you think that you would see, physically see, the Key Bridge tumble down like that. It looked like something out of an action movie,’ Mayor Scott said earlier, calling it ‘an unthinkable tragedy.’