Bodycams capture confusion and shock of Key Bridge collapse
Maryland Department of Natural Resources bodycam video captures shock and confusion after Key Bridge collapse: "This is bad."
Bodycam video from Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officers captured the confusion and shock of the situation when they first witnessed the aftermath and rubble of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26.
That morning, the 984-foot Sri Lanka-bound Dali container ship struck the Key Bridge, causing it to collapse into the Patapsco River beneath, leaving six construction workers dead.
But when DNR officers responded to the scene, they were unaware of what they were about to see.
Fox News Digital acquired 18 videos from DNR, giving a first-hand look at what the officers saw when they arrived at the scene of the collapse.
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The Key Bridge fell at about 1:30 a.m. on March 26 and DNR officers started to arrive at the disaster nearly an hour later, though other first responders were already at the scene.
One video shows a DNR officer arriving on the scene and speaking with another law enforcement official and getting an update of what he was about to experience.
"How long have you guys been on the scene?," the DNR officer asked.
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A body-worn camera from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources shows the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into the water. (Maryland DNR)
"Well over an hour. We got one out of the water. There’s supposed to be another four, somewhere, but they were all in a vehicle that went down, so we can’t get them," the other law enforcement official said.
By about 3:15 a.m., the DNR officer had pulled up next to the Dali, where he saw one of the crew mates and asked if anyone was hurt during the crash.
The person on board could not be heard on video, though the DNR officer confirmed with the individual that one person had sustained an injury to their hand.
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Bodycam video from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources shows the response to the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26, 2024. (Maryland DNR)
The officer asked if the individual needed medical attention and was told the pilot onboard had already called for help.
Up to that point, nobody had boarded the ship to tend to the individual.
More than three hours had passed, and it was still unknown how many people had fallen into the water as a result of the disaster.
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Wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge rests on the container ship Dali, as President Biden takes an aerial tour of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Friday, April 5, 2024, as seen from an accompanying aircraft. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
The camera footage captured first responders working to find out how many victims were in the water.
One responder was heard saying nobody was doing anything, while another asked how many people were in the water.
"We’ve heard various numbers. We’re not sure," a person responded.
Part of a span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge is suspended on the container ship Dali in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., March 26, 2024. U.S. (Army Corps of Engineers/Handout via REUTERS)
"10-4, we’ll proceed with caution," the first responder said before being warned there was a lot of debris in the water.
The sun had yet to rise by 5 a.m., when one of the DNR officers was heard speaking to another person about what he was witnessing.
"Dude, this is f-----g bad," he said. "Like, there is no bridge. Like, there is no bridge."
He described what he saw when he was arriving on the scene.
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Bodycam video from Maryland Department of Natural Resources officers shows the response to the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26, 2024. (Maryland DNR)
"It’s like, are you kidding me? It’s like, something’s missing here on the skyline… the whole center span is gone completely. It’s in the water," the officer said.
Another conversation captured between two officers questioning not just the message from the boat five minutes before crashing into the bridge, but also what the disaster could mean for Baltimore.
"Why the… five minutes out and you said you’re going to hit," the first officer said.
The second officer suggested the captain could have dropped an anchor or something to prevent the massive vessel from striking the bridge.
"This is catastrophic," one of the men said.
"The infrastructure of Baltimore is going to take a hit," the other said.
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Since the bridge collapsed, six bodies have been pulled from the submerged rubble.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced last month that the state will establish a scholarship for the families of transportation workers who die on the job.
Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
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