Current:Home > ScamsLast-minute shift change may have saved construction worker from Key Bridge collapse -RiseUp Capital Academy
Last-minute shift change may have saved construction worker from Key Bridge collapse
View
Date:2025-04-16 06:28:59
Moisés Díaz was scheduled to fill potholes on the Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday morning, but a last-minute shift change may have saved his life.
"Every day we give thanks to God for life," Díaz told CBS News.
But while he's thankful, Díaz is grieving the loss of the six fellow construction workers — men he calls brothers — who died when the bridge collapsed.
"I saw my friends as family members," he said. "The ones that died in this tragedy."
Díaz met with one of the surviving workers and his family on Wednesday. He said the crew had finished filling potholes and were sitting in their cars waiting for the concrete to dry so the lane could be reopened when the Dali, a massive cargo ship, struck one of the Key Bridge's support columns.
Julio Cervantes, one of the two workers who survived the collapse, managed to crawl out the window of his sinking truck, Díaz told CBS News.
"He thought, 'I'm going to die here,'" Díaz said. "And even though he can't swim, he survived."
Díaz says Cervantes' chest was crushed during the escape, but that he was stable as of Thursday. The trauma of the collapse remains, according to Díaz, who said his friend can't stop replaying the tragedy in his head.
In the hours after the collapse, thermal imaging technology was used to look for victims.
"That was our main focus that night around 4 a.m. was using that thermal imaging just to try to locate anybody," said Jordan Olszewski, of the Baltimore County Police Department.
On Wednesday, Maryland State Police pulled the bodies of Alejandro Hernández Fuentes and Dorlian Castillo Cabrera out of the Patapsco River. Divers have been unable to reach the four people still missing due to dangerous debris from the bridge.
One of the victims still in the river is Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval. His brother told CBS News he wishes he could have stopped him from going to work that morning.
Nicole SgangaCBS News reporter covering homeland security and justice.
TwitterveryGood! (3142)
Related
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- Q&A: Linda Villarosa Took on the Perils of Medical Racism. She Found Black Americans ‘Live Sicker and Die Quicker’
- Fossil Fuel Companies and Cement Manufacturers Could Be to Blame for a More Than a Third of West’s Wildfires
- Get the Know the New Real Housewives of New York City Cast
- The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
- invisaWear Smart Jewelry and Accessories Are Making Safety Devices Stylish
- Fossil Fuel Companies Should Pay Trillions in ‘Climate Reparations,’ New Study Argues
- Paris Hilton Celebrates 6 Months With Angel Baby Phoenix in Sweet Message
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- Chicago’s Little Village Residents Fight for Better City Oversight of Industrial Corridors
Ranking
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- Meet the Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner: All the Details on the 71-Year-Old's Search for Love
- Biden’s Top Climate Adviser Signals Support for Permitting Deal with Fossil Fuel Advocates
- All the Tragedy That Has Led to Belief in a Kennedy Family Curse
- B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
- Australian Sailor Tim Shaddock and Dog Bella Rescued After 2 Months Stranded at Sea
- Log and Burn, or Leave Alone? Indiana Residents Fight US Forest Service Over the Future of Hoosier National Forest
- Harry Styles’ 7 New Wax Figures Will Have You Doing a Double Take
Recommendation
US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
Determined to Forge Ahead With Canal Expansion, Army Corps Unveils Testing Plan for Contaminants in Matagorda Bay in Texas
This 2-In-1 Pillow and Blanket Set Is the Travel Must-Have You Need in Your Carry-On
Log and Burn, or Leave Alone? Indiana Residents Fight US Forest Service Over the Future of Hoosier National Forest
The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
California Bill Would Hit Oil Companies With $1 Million Penalty for Health Impacts
Who Said Recycling Was Green? It Makes Microplastics By the Ton
Water, Water Everywhere, Yet Local U.S. Planners Are Lowballing Their Estimates