Photos released by the U.S. Navy show the remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge lying at the bottom of the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Maryland.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the 3D images online Tuesday. These were provided by the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Salvage and Diving Supervisor (SUPSALV) and were captured by divers using an underwater sonar imaging tool called CODA Octopus.
“These 3D images demonstrate the scale of the extremely difficult and challenging salvage operation that lies ahead,” the Army Corps of Engineers said in a statement.
Divers’ visibility was limited to just 1 to 2 feet due to murky water and mud on the riverbed, those responsible for the salvage operation said.
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3D images show the remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the bottom of the Patapsco River. (U.S. Navy Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Salvage and Diving Supervisor (SUPSALV))
“Divers are forced to work in virtual darkness because their visibility is the same as driving with high-beam headlights on at night through heavy snow.” “The water is very murky, so the diver needs to be guided by detailed verbal instructions from the operator on top of the vessel, who is viewing her CODA images in real time.”
One diver said there was no usable underwater video footage of the wreckage because “there’s no need to video what you can’t see.”
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Divers said thick mud and murky water made visibility so low that it was nearly impossible to capture video of the wreckage. (U.S. Navy Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Salvage and Diving Supervisor (SUPSALV))
Workers in Maryland on Tuesday opened a second temporary channel at the site where a cargo ship crashed into a bridge, causing it to collapse, officials said.
The new channel is 14 feet deep. On Monday, two ships, a fuel barge and a scrap barge, passed through another temporary 11-foot-deep channel on the north side of the bridge.
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These 3D images were taken by divers using CODA Octopus sonar technology. (U.S. Navy Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Salvage and Diving Supervisor (SUPSALV))
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said at a news conference that the center depth of the bridge is 50 feet, and large cargo ships carrying vehicles typically need to be at least 35 feet deep.
Two bodies were found at the site of the bridge collapse. The two survivors were pulled from the sea on March 26. The other four people are presumed dead and their bodies have never been recovered. (U.S. Navy Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Salvage and Diving Supervisor (SUPSALV))
The stormy weather makes clearing the waterways a complicated task. Crews attempted to remove part of the bridge on Monday, but lightning in the area prevented cranes from operating, slowing recovery efforts.
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The container ship Dali collided with a bridge in the early morning hours of March 26 after the crew lost power and propulsion. The pilots issued a mayday, giving law enforcement enough time to stop traffic from crossing the bridge before the ship struck a support and the entire structure collapsed.
Eight construction workers were on the bridge when it collapsed. Two of the workers survived and were pulled from the water, one with serious injuries. Two bodies were discovered in a submerged pickup truck. The remaining four people are presumed dead, and divers have so far not found any bodies.
Louis Casiano of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
