Baltimore Key Bridge worker reveals last-minute shift change saved his life: ‘I would have been in the water’
A construction worker from Baltimore has revealed how he narrowly escaped the deadly Baltimore bridge collapse thanks to a last-minute change in his work shift.
Moises Diaz, a 45-year-old worker at Brawny Builders, told the New York Post that he should have been working on the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday morning but asked to switch his shift.
“If I didn’t ask to switch, I would have been in the water right now,” Mr Diaz said through a translator.
“It’s tragic,” Mr Diaz continued. “I’m really appreciative that I wasn’t on the bridge. I give thanks to God.”
Mr Diaz’s colleagues weren’t so lucky.
Six construction workers from Brawny Builders were filling in potholes on the bridge when the huge Dali container vessel crashed into the structure.
So far, two victims’ bodies have been recovered from the water – while the other four are also presumed dead.
Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, of Baltimore, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, of Dundalk were found inside a submerged truck on Wednesday morning, more than 24 hours into the search.
Miguel Luna and Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval were also named by family members as being among the victims.
Two people had been rescued from the river shortly after the gigantic structure collapsed, one of whom is in a serious condition while the other appeared uninjured.
Mr Diaz recalled the moment he learned of the tragedy.
“When I found out about it, I got a notification. I remembered, ‘Oh my coworkers are on that bridge working. What happened to them?’” he said.
Mr Diaz said that he saw his colleagues as “family” having built strong relationships with each other while spending long shifts working in tunnels and bridges all across the Baltimore area.
“We are all basically a family. We work 8-10 hour shifts and are all close to one another,” he said.
“They were good citizens,” he added. “They were good workers, hard-working. They were good family members, husbands and dads.”
Mr Diaz said he has been in touch with the brother-in-law of Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval since the accident.
“They’re worried,” he said of the family. “They at least want to know that the bodies are in the water. All the families are hoping that they at least find the bodies of them.”
The US Coast Guard has said that the rescue mission has now moved to a recovery operation, with no hope of finding the victims alive.
