The grim recovery mission at the site of the catastrophic Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore took another somber turn Wednesday as authorities confirmed the bodies of two missing men have been located in the wreckage.
Identified as 35-year-old Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes and 26-year-old Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, the victims were found around 10 am inside a red pickup truck submerged 25 feet deep in the Patapsco River. Divers made the discovery as they painstakingly searched the debris field from the crumpled bridge segment.
With two victims accounted for by the Maryland State Police, the focus has now shifted to a salvage operation to remove the ruins after a total of four people remained missing and presumed dead following Tuesday’s collapse. Recovery efforts were halted as officials determined divers could no longer safely operate amidst the precarious rubble.
“Based on the length of time…the extensive search efforts…the water temperature, at this point we do not believe that we’re going to find any of these individuals still alive,” Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath stated.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge experienced a catastrophic failure early Tuesday when a support column was struck by a large container ship that had lost power. The impact sent vehicles, debris and people plunging into the river below in a scene of chaos.
While two people were initially rescued from the waters, the multi-agency operation has been unable to locate the four remaining victims despite around-the-clock efforts. The Navy is now mobilizing heavy lift crane barges to help clear the channel and remove submerged portions of the collapsed span.
