The sole survivor of the Baltimore bridge disaster, Julio Cervantes Suarez, recently shared his harrowing experience of the collapse that claimed the lives of many of his friends and relatives. In his first interview since the tragic event, he recounted the moments leading up to the fall and the devastating aftermath.
Suarez, one of seven maintenance workers on the bridge at the time of impact, recalled the terror of watching his loved ones fall from the structure and ultimately perish. As the 100,000-ton cargo ship, the Dali, crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Suarez’s van was thrown off the bridge and into the Patapsco river below. He spoke of the overwhelming sense of impending death and his desperate prayers for his family’s safety.
Struggling to escape from the sinking van, Suarez managed to open a window and swim to a piece of wreckage, where he awaited rescue. As he looked back at the bridge, now destroyed, he realized the extent of the tragedy that had unfolded. Calling out to his co-workers in vain, Suarez recounted the heart-wrenching loss of his nephew, Carlos Daniel Hernández, who had been in a car on the bridge at the time of the collision.
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge came after the Dali lost power, veered off course, and struck the structure, leading to a multi-day search for victims in the waters below. Investigations by the FBI and the NTSB are ongoing, with legal action being considered against the owner of the Dali, Grace Ocean.
Despite seeking accountability and justice for the disaster, Suarez acknowledged that no amount of money could bring back his loved ones. His story serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of such tragedies and the lasting impact they have on survivors and families. Suarez’s courage and resilience in the face of unimaginable loss are a testament to the strength of the human spirit in the wake of tragedy.
