The six people missing after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore are presumed dead, the Coast Guard announced Tuesday evening, ending an 18-hour search-and-rescue effort.
Citing frigid water temperatures and sea conditions, Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said in a Tuesday evening press conference that the missing people are likely dead.
“We do not believe that we are going to find any of these individuals still alive,” he said.
The 1.6 mile bridge that held Interstate 695 collapsed at about 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday after the container ship MV Dali struck one of its main support columns. The entire main span and three adjacent spans fell into the Patapsco River.
It is believed that the six missing people, all road maintenance workers, were on the bridge fixing potholes at the time of the collapse. Two other people were rescued from the water, one uninjured and a second with severe injuries, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said.
The Coast Guard also suspended its search mission for the evening, pledging to begin the “recovery” phase Wednesday.
The collapse sends East Coast logistics into chaos, closing the busy Port of Baltimore and Interstate 695. Shippers were already scrambling Tuesday to move cargo to nearby ports in Virginia and elsewhere.
President Biden said the federal government will “move heaven and earth” to rebuild the bridge and keep port workers employed, though estimates on construction time have ranged from months to up to a year.