BALTIMORE — Crews started early this morning, working to recover those killed in Tuesday's collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
The six unaccounted-for construction workers are now presumed dead. They were mending potholes during an early morning shift on the bridge when it was hit by a cargo ship and collapsed.
Divers were sent back into the water at 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, but a steady rain and fog haven't made recovery efforts any easier.
“While we didn’t achieve the outcome we had hoped for it was a tremendous team effort in treacherous conditions," said Vice Admiral Peter Gautier with the United States Coast Guard.
Among the six still missing are people from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico, according to diplomats from those countries. Their families, and the community, are now grieving.
“Our hearts and thoughts are with them. I know right now they are shifting from yesterday where they were hoping for news to today facing the worst possible news you possibly could," said U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
While authorities say police were able to stop traffic from going over the bridge, questions remain about the possibility of any other vehicles being on it at the time of the collapse.
“The Coast Guard is going off the numbers of individuals that have been provided to us by the state of Maryland as they were the ones administering the bridge and have the best idea of how many individuals might have been involved," said Gautier.
The National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation into the crash, is set to address the media this evening at 8 p.m. at the Double Tree Hilton Hotel by BWI.