Body of sixth and final victim recovered from site of Key Bridge collapse

BALTIMORE - The body of the sixth and final construction worker was recovered Tuesday from the Key Bridge wreckage site, bringing an end to the weeks-long recovery effort.

José Mynor López, 37, was confirmed as the last of the construction workers recovered from the March 26 bridge collapse.

Lopez was born in Guatemala and moved to the United States for a better life. The father lived in Dundalk with his wife. 

Crews previously recovered the bodies of Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, Carlos Daniel Hernandez Estrella and Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez.

"With heavy hearts, today marks a significant milestone in our recovery efforts and providing closure to the loved ones of the six workers who lost their lives in this tragic event," said Colonel Roland Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland Department of State Police. 

"As we mourn with the families, we honor the memory of José Mynor López, Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, Carlos Daniel Hernandez Estrella, and Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez."

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore offered his condolences to the families of the six construction workers.

"We pray for José Mynor López, his family, and all those who love him. It is with solemn relief that he will be reunited with his loved ones, and we ask, again, to respect the family's request for privacy during this difficult time," Moore said. "To the friends, family, and loved ones of Alejandro Hernández Fuentes, Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, Maynor Yasir Suazo-Sandoval, Carlos Hernández and Miguel Ángel Luna González — we continue to pray for your healing, peace, and closure. We remain steadfast in our commitment to enduring support and will forever remember the lives of these six Marylanders."

In March, WJZ's Alexus Davila spoke to Mynor Lopéz's widow. 

"I feel bad," Isabel Franco said. "Only God knows how hard my heart aches. Maybe he was desperate, trying to escape."

Franco said a coworker told her the crew was told to pack up for the day and move out early because of weather conditions.

"He had a good heart," she said. "He was a hard worker. He was always worried about his family too. He died but he was fighting for us always."   

Around 1:30 a.m., on March 26, the container ship Dali collided with the Key Bridge, causing it to collapse, and knocking eight men, who were repairing potholes on the bridge, into the Patapsco River.

Two men were rescued, and now, six men have been recovered from the collapse site.

"We join their families and loved ones in their grief and continue to pray for healing for them — and for all those who have suffered from this unfathomable tragedy," Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski said. "We thank the team at Unified Command for their heroic commitment to search and recovery efforts and for their unwavering dedication to ensuring that every person was returned with dignity — and we hope these efforts assist the families of the six victims to begin finding closure."

Unified Command efforts ship removal

Controlled explosives will be used to remove a large span of the Key Bridge that lies on top of the Dali. The Unified Command says this process is part of what they call "precision cutting."

"We knew that in order to safely remove the Dali, it was going to require precision cutting to be able to do it," Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said. "Right now, the Dali still has anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000 tons of steel that's sitting on top of it."

Officials hope to refloat the Dali by the end of the week.

Next steps of Key Bridge rebuild

While the ship removal process is underway, the Maryland Transportation Authority held a virtual conference to discuss the next big step of rebuilding a new Key Bridge. A staggering 1,700 people registered to attend.

The timeline for the opening of the next bridge remains fall of 2028 with an estimated cost of just under $2 billion. 

They are coordinating with the federal government to expedite permits.