Following the devastating bridge collapse incident, authorities have made the difficult decision to pause recovery efforts for the four individuals who are presumed dead. Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., the superintendent of Maryland State Police, announced on Wednesday evening that the operation will now shift from recovery to salvage.
Butler Jr. explained that due to the challenging conditions at the site, divers are no longer able to safely navigate and operate around the vehicles believed to be encased in the superstructure and concrete of the bridge. Despite exhaustive search efforts, the vehicles remain inaccessible to the divers.
Based on sonar scans, officials have determined that the vehicles are fully encased in the superstructure of the bridge, making it impossible for divers to reach them at this time. The salvage phase, which involves removing the superstructure, is crucial for enabling divers to return to the site and provide closure to the families of the victims.
Butler Jr. emphasized that there is no definitive timeline for how long the salvage operation will take. Once the superstructure is removed, divers will resume their efforts to recover the individuals and bring closure to the tragic incident.
The superintendent expressed the challenges posed by the complex conditions of the site but remained committed to the salvage operation to ensure that every possible effort is made to retrieve the victims.
As the community mourns the loss of those affected by the bridge collapse, authorities continue to work diligently to transition from recovery to salvage in a bid to bring closure to the families and honor the memory of the victims.
