Baltimore- Hopes that the six people still missing at sea will be found alive after a containership operated by Maersk hit and knocked down the Francis Scott Key Bridge are fading.
The US Coast Guard has in fact been combing the Patapsco River for the people missing. Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath told reporters that, based on the length of time the search operation had taken and the temperature of the water, they didn’t believe they would find any of the people still alive. He stated that ongoing search operations would be suspended at 7.30 this evening, stressing that the neither the coast guard nor any of their partners would leave and that they were simply moving to a different phase.
Maryland State Police Colonel Roland Butler said conditions had become too dangerous for divers, but surface vessels would remain in place. Tomorrow morning, however, at 06.00, they hope to put divers in the water and begin a more detailed search.
Translation by Giles Foster