Current:Home > StocksBaltimore bridge collapse survivor recounts fighting for his life in NBC interview -Secure Horizon Growth
Baltimore bridge collapse survivor recounts fighting for his life in NBC interview
View
Date:2025-04-15 12:48:22
BALTIMORE (AP) — The only person who survived falling from Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge during its catastrophic collapse says he watched in horror as his coworkers, friends and relatives plunged to their deaths.
In an exclusive interview with NBC News that aired Wednesday evening, Julio Cervantes Suarez described fighting for his life after his truck tumbled into the Patapsco River. He was part of a roadwork crew filling potholes on the bridge when a massive cargo ship lost power and crashed into one of its supporting columns on March 26.
Six people died in the collapse, including Cervantes Suarez’s nephew and brother-in-law. An inspector working alongside the crew was able to run to safety and declined medical treatment.
Cervantes Suarez, 37, who hadn’t previously spoken publicly about his experience, said the men were sitting in their construction vehicles during a break when the bridge suddenly started crumbling beneath them. A last-minute mayday call from the ship’s pilot had allowed nearby police officers to stop traffic to the bridge just moments earlier, but they didn’t have enough time to alert the construction workers.
Faced with almost certain death, Cervantes Suarez said he thanked God for his family.
Miraculously, he was able to manually roll down the window of his rapidly sinking truck and climb out into the frigid water.
“That’s when I realized what happened,” he told NBC News in Spanish. “I looked at the bridge, and it was no longer there.”
He said he called out to his companions by name, but no one answered him. Unable to swim, he clung to a piece of floating concrete until he was rescued by first responders. He was hospitalized for treatment of a chest wound.
Cervantes Suarez said he’s haunted by the fall and grieving an unimaginable loss.
All the victims were Latino immigrants who moved to the U.S. for work opportunities.
In the immediate aftermath of the collapse, Baltimore County’s close-knit Latino community constructed an elaborate memorial where loved ones gathered often while salvage divers continued searching the wreckage for human remains. It took six weeks before all the bodies were recovered.
“They were good people, good workers and had good values,” Cervantes Suarez said.
A National Transportation Safety Board investigation found that the wayward cargo ship Dali experienced power outages before starting its voyage from Baltimore to Sri Lanka, but the exact causes of the electrical issues have yet to be determined. The FBI is also conducting a criminal investigation into the circumstances leading up to the disaster.
The ship’s owner and manager, both Singapore-based companies, filed a court petition soon after the collapse seeking to limit their legal liability. The City of Baltimore, among other entities, have challenged that claim and accused the companies of negligence. Lawyers representing victims of the collapse and their families, including Cervantes Suarez, have also pledged to hold the companies accountable.
A federal court in Maryland will ultimately decide who’s responsible and how much they owe in what could become one of the most expensive maritime disasters in history.
Officials have pledged to rebuild the bridge, which could cost at least $1.7 billion and take several years.
During a Senate committee hearing Wednesday morning, Maryland senators reiterated calls for Congress to approve a spending measure that would allow the federal government to cover 100% of the rebuild effort.
The sections of the bridge that remain standing will be demolished in the coming months to make way for the new structure, local media reported earlier this week.
veryGood! (2)
Related
- Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
- For Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley,’ Study Shows An Even Graver Risk From Toxic Gases
- Native American ceremony will celebrate birth of white buffalo calf in Yellowstone park
- Tennessee turns over probe into failed Graceland sale to federal authorities, report says
- Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
- What happened to Minnesota’s Rapidan Dam? Here’s what to know about its flooding and partial failure
- New York Knicks acquiring Mikal Bridges in pricey trade with Brooklyn Nets. Who won?
- These Swifties went viral for recreating Taylor Swift's album covers. Now they're giving back.
- John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
- Star witness in Holly Bobo murder trial gets 19 years in federal prison in unrelated case
Ranking
- This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
- Ford recalls more than 550,000 trucks because transmissions can suddenly downshift
- A Wyoming highway critical for commuters will reopen three weeks after a landslide
- Argentina vs. Chile live updates: Watch Messi in Copa América game today
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- TikTokers Tyler Bergantino and Gabby Gonzalez Are Officially Dating
- The AP is setting up a sister organization seeking grants to support local and state news
- Lyles and Snoop help NBC post best track trials ratings in 12 years
Recommendation
Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
Why Argentina's Copa America win vs. Chile might be a bummer for Lionel Messi fans
Rip currents have turned deadly this summer. Here's how to spot them and what to do if you're caught in one.
This Longtime Summer House Star Is Not Returning for Season 9
At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
Stock market today: World shares advance after Nvidia’s rebound offsets weakness on Wall St
Sienna Miller Shares Sweet Insight Into Family Life After Welcoming Baby No. 2
Bear euthanized after 'causing minor injuries' at Gatlinburg park concession stand