Six individuals, including a father of three from El Salvador, are now presumed deceased following a collision early Tuesday when a container ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, as reported by the US Coast Guard.
The search and rescue operation for the six men, believed to be part of a road crew working on the bridge and hailing from Latin American nations, is expected to wind down. The identities of the individuals have not been fully disclosed, but some details have emerged about their backgrounds.
Efforts to locate the missing crew involved extensive searches by boat and helicopter. The crew members were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Among the missing is Miguel Luna, identified by Casa, an organization serving the immigrant community, and El Salvador’s foreign ministry. Luna had been a Maryland resident for over 19 years, according to Casa’s executive director, Gustavo Torres. Marvin Luna, Miguel’s son, expressed his shock upon learning of the bridge’s collapse.
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Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, originally from Honduras, was another individual presumed missing. His family was notified shortly after the tragedy, holding onto hope for closure. Suazo had lived in the US for 18 years and had a family.
Tributes for Suazo emerged on social media, highlighting the profound loss felt by friends and family. Additionally, Guatemala’s foreign ministry confirmed two Guatemalan nationals were among the missing, while Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador noted that two Mexicans were missing and one had been rescued, without providing further details at the family’s request.
The men worked for Brawner Builders, a Maryland contractor. Colleague Jesus Campos described the harrowing experience of the bridge’s collapse, emphasizing the workers’ vulnerability during their break. Jeffrey Pritzker from Brawner Builders lamented the tragedy, noting the men were family-oriented individuals with spouses and children, marking the incident as a profound loss.
