Body of the final Baltimore bridge collapse victim recovered in river, officials say

The body of the last missing construction worker following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March has been recovered from the Patapsco River, officials say.

In a news release Tuesday, the Baltimore County Police Department confirmed the identity of the sixth victim — José Mynor López, 37, of Baltimore — after salvage teams located his body.

All six construction workers who were missing and presumed dead following the incident have been found.

"With heavy hearts, today marks a significant milestone in our recovery efforts and providing closure to the loved ones of the six workers who lost their lives in this tragic event," Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., superintendent of the Maryland Department of State Police, said.

The discovery comes days after salvage workers recovered the body of a fifth person, later identified as Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez, 49, who was also killed during the fatal collapse.

Luna Gonzalez's body was discovered in a missing construction vehicle, member station WYPR reported. The unified search command led by the U.S. Navy also recovered the bodies of Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35; Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26; Carlos Hernandez, 24; and Maynor Suazo Sandoval, 38.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott released a statement Tuesday following the recovery of López's body.

"It is impossible to overstate how important it is that we've been able to bring each of these Marylanders home to their families, and the small amount of peace and closure to their families it brings," Scott said, adding that nothing will fully overcome the pain of the losses that occurred from this incident.

On March 26, the Francis Scott Key bridge fell into the Patapsco River after it was struck by a nearly 1,000-foot-long container ship named the Dali — sending several people plunging into the frigid waters below.

So far, workers have yet to finish removing pieces of the bridge from Baltimore Harbor.

The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to release its preliminary investigation this month into the circumstances of the bridge's collapse.

In addition, Maryland authorities also face the challenge of deciding how to replace the bridge's structure, which used to carry more than 30,000 vehicles each day.

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.