Ship's Mayday Call May Have Saved Lives

Six people remain missing in the waters below Baltimore's 1.6-mile-long Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed early Tuesday when a cargo ship apparently lost power and slammed into one of its pillars. Two people have been rescued from the Patapsco River while a search continues for the others. The latest:

• Those affected: Eight people were on the bridge when it collapsed, including workers repairing potholes and those traveling in vehicles, officials said at a news conference, per CNN, noting six remain unaccounted for. There are no reports of injuries among the ship's 22 crew members, according to management company Synergy Marine Group.

• What happened: Video shows the ship's lights flickered and the vessel "veered off course" before hitting a pillar of the four-lane bridge, per CNN, which suggests the ship lost power. The bridge collapsed in seconds, partially falling on the ship, per USA Today.
• Mayday: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the crew issued a "mayday" before impact, preventing a worse disaster. "We're thankful that between the 'mayday' and collapse that we had officials who were able to begin [to] stop the flow of traffic so more cars were not up on the bridge," he said, per the Philadelphia Inquirer.
• The search: Five vehicles, including three passenger vehicles and a cement truck, have been spotted submerged in the river, per the Inquirer. Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski described "strong currents" in the waterway, up to 50 feet deep, per CNN. "The water is cold," he said. "And so we certainly worry about those who are in the water, not to mention the fall from the bridge."

• The cargo ship: The Singapore-flagged container ship Dali is owned by Grace Ocean but had been chartered by Danish shipping company Maersk and was operating on a route between Baltimore and Asia, per CNN and the Guardian.
• Prior collision: Built in 2015, the ship collided with the quay while leaving the port of Antwerp, Belgium, only a year later. "Its bow reportedly swung around, causing the stern to scrape the side of the quay, significantly damaging several meters of the hull," though no injuries were reported, per the Guardian.
• Recent deficiency: Authorities in San Antonio, Chile, gave the ship a second "deficiency" for "propulsion and auxiliary machinery"—gauges, thermometers, etc. in June 2023, per the New York Times. The ship was last inspected in September, by the US Coast Guard, with no deficiencies reported, per the AP.
• The bridge: It was "fully up to code," with no structural issues, Moore said Tuesday, per the Times. Some 35,000 people cross the bridge each day. On Tuesday morning, they were being diverted to the Harbor Tunnel and Fort McHenry Tunnel.

(More bridge collapse stories.)