Body camera video captures first reactions to Baltimore bridge collapse
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The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River in the early morning of March 26, killing six men who were working on the span at the time.
PHOTO: NYTIMES
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MARYLAND - Body camera video captured the shocked reactions of first responders in the aftermath of the collapse of a Baltimore bridge in March
The recordings, obtained by local media on May 10, offer a snapshot of the incredulity of officers from the Maryland Natural Resources Police as they approached the site where the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed.
“Dude, this is f****** bad, like there is no bridge,” one person can be heard saying in the video published by The Baltimore Banner, as the boat nears the collapsed bridge.
The bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River in the early morning of March 26, killing six men who were working on the span at the time, after a massive container ship lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s support pylons.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation in April opened a criminal probe into the collapse that also halted traffic at the Port of Baltimore, a trade hub that accounted for 28 per cent of US coal exports in 2023.
In video clips, one responder said that they had heard various numbers but were not sure how many people were in the water and in need of rescuing after the incident.
Officers trying to ascertain injuries can be heard asking if everybody was okay and, while the response from the ship’s crew cannot be heard on the video, a responder said shortly after: “Just one cut to the fingers? Okay, do you need medical attention right now?”
“This is catastrophic,” another responder said in a different clip published by The Baltimore Banner. REUTERS
