A car containing two bodies was pulled from the Patapsco River Wednesday morning, shortly before Baltimore officials suspended search and recovery efforts for the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse disaster.
Divers located a red pick-up truck submerged 25 feet below the surface around 10 a.m. near the middle span of the bridge, Col. Roland L. Butler Jr., superintendent for Maryland State Police, said at a press conference.
The two victims were identified as a 35-year-old Baltimore native and a 26-year-old from Guatemala.
One of the individuals was identified by a driver’s license in his pocket and the other individual by fingerprints.
Both worked for the construction crew filling potholes on the bridge when the vessel collided and tore down the structure.
Rescuers suspended search and rescue efforts shortly after finding the pair, with officials saying the conditions are too dangerous to continue.
“Divers are no longer able to safely navigate or operate around that We have exhausted all search efforts in the areas around this wreckage,” Butler said.
“Based on sonar scans, we firmly believe that the vehicles are encased in the superstructure and concrete that we tragically saw it come down.”
