Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

‘This is gonna be a hell of a cleanup’: Body cam footage shows cops’ reaction to Baltimore bridge collapse

The department released body cam footage from around 1.40am on March 26, just 11 minutes after the 100,000-ton cargo ship Dali smashed into the structure

Mike Bedigan
New York
Friday 02 August 2024 17:08 EDT
Comments
Body cam footage shows cops reaction to Baltimore bridge collapse

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

New footage released by the Baltimore police shows officers’ shock and disbelief in the aftermath of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, with one remarking “this is gonna be a hell of a cleanup.”

The department released body cam footage from around 1.40am on March 26, just 11 minutes after the 100,000-ton cargo ship, Dali, smashed into the structure.

Arriving at 1:48am, one officer asks another: "Is that the Key Bridge collapsed?"

"Yeah it’s the whole bridge, a ship lost its steering and the whole bridge is down in the water over here," the other officer responds.

Later, another officer says: "We got a call a minute, if that, before it hit it,” before adding: "This is gonna be a hell of a cleanup."

Body cam footage shared by the Baltimore Police Department shows officer reactions in the aftermath of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge
Body cam footage shared by the Baltimore Police Department shows officer reactions in the aftermath of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge (Baltimore Police Department)

The group of officers then discusses the construction workers who were on the bridge at the time of the collision, with one noting how there were still “20 if not more” unaccounted for at that time.

Just before 2am the footage also shows a person being rescued from the water, with a man in a yellow high-visibility jacket seen disembarking from a police boat and being led away.The man was later identified as Julio Cervantes Suarez, the sole surviving member of a seven-strong construction crew, who were filling potholes on the bridge and all fell into the icy water following the crash.

In a recent interview with NBC, Cervantes Surez said he had watched in horror as his coworkers, friends and relatives plunged to their deaths, and described fighting for his life after his truck tumbled into the Patapsco River.

In the footage, a man dressed in a hi-vis jacket and later identified as construction worker Julio Cervantes Suarez, is escorted from the dock
In the footage, a man dressed in a hi-vis jacket and later identified as construction worker Julio Cervantes Suarez, is escorted from the dock (Baltimore Police Department)

The 37-year-old said that 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.

“They were good people, good workers and had good values,” Cervantes Suarez told NBC.

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.

A National Transportation Safety Board investigation found that the wayward cargo ship Dali experienced power outages before the crash on March 26
A National Transportation Safety Board investigation found that the wayward cargo ship Dali experienced power outages before the crash on March 26 (Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved)

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.

Officials have pledged to rebuild the bridge, which could cost at least $1.7 billion and take several years.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in