The search and rescue efforts that were underway after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore on Tuesday morning were called off at 7:30 pm as the efforts switched to recovery. Six individuals are presumed dead after the Singaporean ship the Dali crashed into the bridge, sending it into the Patapsco River in pieces.
A spokesperson for the Coast Guard announced on Tuesday night that “based on the length of time that we’ve gone in this search, the extensive search efforts that we’ve put into it, the water temperature, we do not believe that we are going to find any of these individuals still alive.”
“This evening,” he said, “at about 7:30 we are going to suspend the active search and rescue efforts.”
He said that the Coast Guard isn’t leaving the area, and that they are transitioning to “a different phase.”
The ship that crashed into the bridge reportedly lost control and navigation before the crash. Initial reports were that there were “multiple” vehicles on the bridge at the time of the collapse, and that there are “multiple” people in the water. However, it later became clear that construction workers had stopped traffic and were able to save the lives of many motorists.
Mayor Brandon Scott said the collapse looked like “something out of an action movie,” and that the tragedy was “like something you could never imagine.” He urged press to focus on those who are “impacted.”
