Demolition to remove part of Baltimore’s Key Bridge to free trapped ship postponed until Monday due to inclement weather

Nicole Grether and Gloria Pazmino, CNN
Sun, May 12, 2024 

The planned demolition to remove a portion of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland has been rescheduled to Monday afternoon due to inclement weather conditions, according to the United States Coast Guard.

Crews were expected Sunday evening to use small explosives to break apart a massive chunk of the Baltimore bridge that collapsed on a cargo ship six weeks ago after the US Coast Guard previously pushed back the controlled demolition by an hour.

The operation was originally to take place Saturday, but officials on Friday announced it would be postponed due to an adverse weather forecast.


The explosion is now slated to take place at 5 p.m. ET on Monday, according to the Coast Guard.

The planned demolition is aimed at helping officials remove debris and ultimately free the 213-million-pound Dali cargo ship, which veered off course March 26 and struck a pillar of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to fall into the water below. The collapse killed six construction workers and destroyed a key thoroughfare, threatening the economy at the Port of Baltimore.

Sunday’s weather in the Baltimore area – which included lightning strikes – is what led officials to hold off on the demolition.

“We were all set to do the precision cuts … today,” Nick Ameen with the US Coast Guard told reporters Sunday. “There’s several factors, environmental factors among them, that have unfortunately pushed that event until tomorrow.”

Ameen called the process a “dynamic” one and said, “We will absolutely not sacrifice safety for speed.”

He added: “Whenever there’s a lightning strike in the area, that pushes the clock back, and so that clock just kept getting pushed back and pushed back.”

Officials last week recovered the sixth and final body, allowing them to proceed with the plan to free the Dali. If the operation succeeds this weekend, the ship could be refloated and returned to the Port of Baltimore as soon as this week, The Baltimore Sun and CNN affiliate WBAL previously reported.

“The safest and swiftest method to remove the bridge piece from on top of the M/V Dali is by precision cuts made with small charges,” the Key Bridge Response Unified Command said in a news release last week.

“This is an industry-standard tool in controlled demolition that will break the span into smaller pieces,” it added, “which will allow the work of refloating the vessel and removing it from the federal channel.”

Salvage crew members work on the deck of the cargo ship Dali on Friday, May 10, 2024. - Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

According to an infographic from the US Army and the US Army Corps of Engineers, the process will “look like multiple puffs of smoke and sound like fireworks.” Nearby communities should receive a “cellular notification” beforehand, according to Unified Command, which includes state and federal authorities, the US Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers among them.

The 21 members of the ship’s crew – who have not left the ship since it struck the bridge in late March – will remain onboard during the operation, according to Darrel Wilson, a spokesperson for Synergy Marine Group, which manages the Dali.

“They will have a safe place on the vessel where they can shelter during the controlled explosion,” Wilson said, adding that the crew was “holding up well” despite the stress of recent weeks.

“Even though they are not sailing, they are still performing their normal crew duties,” Wilson said. “This is still a large, complicated piece of equipment and there is a lot they have to look after.”

While the Dali’s management company has tried to support the crew on board, members of Baltimore’s seafaring community remain concerned for their wellbeing given the length of time they’ve been aboard the ship.

Rev. Josh Messick, executive director of the Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center, told CNN the crew is well taken care of but feels disconnected from the rest of the world. They have internet access, thanks to hotspots Messick’s group helped deliver, but they do not have their cellphones, which were confiscated by authorities as part of the investigation.

“They are a little anxious because of the phone situation. We are trying to get their cellphones back to them,” Messick said. “It’s not just a phone, they can’t access their online banking, their finances, their contacts, they can’t look at photos of their loved ones before they go to sleep at night. It’s a lot more than just a phone.”

In the meantime, several investigations continue into the cause of the disaster and who is responsible. The House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure plans to hold a hearing Wednesday on the catastrophe, with testimony expected from the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board and officials from the Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers and the US Department of Transportation.

CNN’s Paradise Afshar, Holly Yan and Dakin Andone contributed to this report.


Controlled demolition at Baltimore bridge collapse site postponed due to weather

LEA SKENE
Updated Sun, May 12, 2024 at 2:29 PM MDT·4 min read
21







Remnants of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge and the cargo ship Dali are seen, Sunday, May 12, 2024, in Baltimore. For safety reasons, officials postponed a controlled demolition, which was planned for Sunday, to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed bridge. The bridge came crashing down under the impact of the massive container ship on March 26. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark)
ASSOCIATED PRESSMore


BALTIMORE (AP) — The controlled demolition of the largest remaining steel span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore has been postponed because of weather conditions, officials said Sunday afternoon.

Crews have been preparing for weeks to use explosives to break down the span, which is an estimated 500 feet (152 meters) long and weighs up to 600 tons (544 metric tons).

It landed on the ship’s bow after the Dali lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s support columns shortly after leaving Baltimore. Since then, the ship has been stuck amidst the wreckage and Baltimore’s busy port has been closed to most maritime traffic.

Officials said the demolition had been tentatively moved to Monday evening. They said lightning in the area and rising tides Sunday prompted them to reschedule.

Six members of a roadwork crew plunged to their deaths in the March 26 collapse. The last of their bodies was recovered from the underwater wreckage last week. All the victims were Latino immigrants who came to the U.S. for job opportunities. They were filling potholes on an overnight shift when the bridge was destroyed.

The controlled demolition will allow the Dali to be refloated and guided back into the Port of Baltimore. Once the ship is removed, maritime traffic can begin returning to normal, which will provide relief for thousands of longshoremen, truckers and small business owners who have seen their jobs impacted by the closure.

The Dali’s 21-member crew will stay onboard the ship while the explosives are detonated.

William Marks, a spokesperson for the crew, said they would shelter “in a designated safe place” during the demolition. “All precautions are being taken to ensure everyone’s safety,” he said in an email.

Officials said the demolition is the safest and most efficient way to remove steel under a high level of pressure and tension.

“It’s unsafe for the workers to be on or in the immediate vicinity of the bridge truss for those final cuts,” officials said in a news release Sunday.

In a videographic released last week, authorities said engineers are using precision cuts to control how the trusses break down. They said the method allows for “surgical precision” and the steel structure will be “thrust away from the Dali” when the explosives send it tumbling into the water.

Once it’s demolished, hydraulic grabbers will lift the resulting sections of steel onto barges.

“It’s important to note that this controlled demolition is not like what you would see in a movie,” the video says, noting that from a distance it will sound like fireworks or loud thunder and give off puffs of smoke.

So far, about 6,000 tons (5,443 metric tons) of steel and concrete have been removed from the collapse site. Officials estimate the total amount of wreckage at 50,000 tons (45,359 metric tons), about the equivalent of 3,800 loaded dump trucks.

Officials previously said they hoped to remove the Dali by May 10 and reopen the port’s 50-foot (15.2-meter) main channel by the end of May.

The Dali is currently scheduled to be refloated during high tide on Tuesday, officials said Sunday. They said three or four tugboats will be used to guide the ship to a nearby terminal in the Port of Baltimore. It will likely remain there for a few weeks and undergo temporary repairs before being moved to a shipyard for more substantial repairs.

The Dali crew members haven’t been allowed to leave the vessel since the disaster. Officials said they have been busy maintaining the ship and assisting investigators. Of the crew members, 20 are from India and one is Sri Lankan.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FBI are conducting investigations into the bridge collapse.

Danish shipping giant Maersk chartered the Dali for a planned trip from Baltimore to Sri Lanka, but the ship didn’t get far. Its crew sent a mayday call saying they had lost power and had no control of the steering system. Minutes later, the ship rammed into the bridge.

Officials have said the safety board investigation will focus on the ship’s electrical system.

Removal of Francis Scott Key Bridge wreckage rescheduled due to lightning

IVAN PEREIRA and LEAH SARNOFF
Sun, May 12, 2024 

Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge removal has been rescheduled until Monday after lightning was spotted near the site on Sunday, officials told ABC News.

Engineers were scheduled Sunday to set off controlled explosives in the steel remains of the Key Bridge to help remove the debris from the freighter that crashed in March.

The removal process is rescheduled for Monday at 5:00 p.m., officials said.

Ongoing storms in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. region have delayed the demolition since Friday.

The explosives will split a large section of truss at specific locations to allow "salvors to use cranes and barges already on scene to remove these sections of the bridge and ultimately remove the MV Dali from the channel," Unified Command, the group in charge of the recovery and salvage operations, said in a statement.

PHOTO: Salvors with the Unified Command prepare charges for upcoming precision cuts to remove section 4 from the port side of the bow of the M/V DALI, April 21, 2024, during the Key Bridge Response 2024. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Christopher Rosario)

"By using precision cuts, we reduce risks to our personnel and can safely and efficiently continue clearing the channel for the Port of Baltimore," Capt. David O’Connell, the Key Bridge Response federal on-scene coordinator, said in a statement.

MORE: Baltimore bridge collapse timeline: Inside the cargo ship collision

Officials said hearing protection will not be required outside of a 2,000-yard radius of the site.

PHOTO: Salvors with the Unified Command prepare charges for upcoming precision cuts to remove section 4 from the port side of the bow of the M/V DALI, April 21, 2024, during the Key Bridge Response 2024. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Christopher Rosario)

"Sound levels outside of the noise radius will be no louder than a standard fireworks show and will last two to five seconds," Unified Command said.

A cellphone alert will go out to residents warning them about the explosion, Unified Command said.

The freighter has been stuck in the location ever since it slammed into the bridge during the early morning hours on March 26 after the vessel experienced a malfunction.

MORE: Containers being removed from ship that struck Baltimore bridge

Body camera footage of the incident, which was released Friday by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources in response to a public records request by ABC News, shows officers getting an up-close look at the location where the bridge once stood.

PHOTO: Wreckage removal is ongoing on the M/V DALI to prepare to refloat and remove the vessel from the Fort McHenry Federal Navigation Channel, April 21, 2024. (Christopher Rosario/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District)

"There is no bridge," an officer can be heard saying. "The whole center span is gone completely. It’s in the water."

Another officer reported encountering a "large debris field" with containers on the side of the river closest to Baltimore. In one video, he can be heard shouting toward the freighter to ask if anyone was hurt. Someone aboard the ship responded that their finger was cut.

MORE: Body of 6th construction worker killed in Key Bridge collapse recovered

The bridge suffered a near-total collapse and caused massive logistical delays in the Port of Baltimore. Six construction workers who were on the bridge at the time were killed in the incident.

PHOTO: Salvors with the Unified Command prepare charges for upcoming precision cuts to remove section 4 from the port side of the bow of the M/V DALI, May 7, 2024, during the Key Bridge Response 2024. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Christopher Rosario)

The incident is still under investigation and the recovery efforts are ongoing.

ABC News' Beatrice Peterson, Jared Kofsky and Josh Margolin contributed to this report.



Body camera footage captures first responders' reactions in wake of Baltimore bridge collapse

Julia Gomez, USA TODAY
Sun, May 12, 2024 

Body camera footage caught the moment first responders were left shocked by the Baltimore bridge collapse.

"This is [expletive] bad," one officer is heard saying in the footage. "Like, there is no bridge."

In the video, which was originally published by The Baltimore Banner, an officer is heard stuttering while standing on a boat as he looks out to where the Francis Scott Key Bridge once stood.

"It's like something's missing here in the skyline..." said the officer. "The whole center span is gone completely. It's in the water."

The media outlet reports that at 5 a.m., the officer was talking on his cell phone. He stood on a boat that neared the collapsed bridge and spoke with someone who reported that everything was suspended until there was sunlight.
What happened during the bridge collapse?

On March 26, early in the morning, a 984-foot container ship struck the bridge, which left it in ruins. A video posted to YouTube shows how the bridge collapsed and plunged into the water that morning.

The incident killed six construction workers who were on the bridge fixing potholes.

On May 7, more than a month after the collapse, the final victim was recovered from the river according to police.

Salvage work continues on the Francis Scott Key Bridge on May 9, 2024. The major span over the Patapsco River in Baltimore collapsed on March 26, 2024 after it was struck by a Singapore-flagged container ship 'Dali’, killing six road workers who were on the bridge at the time.

 Baltimore accuses firms behind Dali ship that destroyed bridge of negligence

Salvage work continues on the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge as it lies on the container ship Dali on Monday, in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Photo by Julia Nikhinson/UPI | License Photo

April 23 (UPI) -- he city of Baltimore is blaming the the owner and manager of a merchant vessel that crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge late last month of negligence.

In a filing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Northern Division, the city of Baltimore and its council said Grace Ocean Private and Synergy Marine "were grossly and potentially criminally negligent" in their operations of the Dali container ship.

The 985-foot Dali container ship is owned by Grace Ocean Private and it is managed by Synergy Marine. Early March 26, the vessel lost power shortly after leaving the Port of Baltimore and crashed into the bridge, causing it to immediately collapse.

Six people were killed and nearly all commercial transit to the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest in the United States, has since come to halt.

The filing on Monday is in response the companies asking the court to limit their potential liability payouts to $43.6 million. The city is asking the court to deny the firms' request.

"For more than four decades, cargo ships made thousands of trips every year under the Key Bridge without incident. There was noting about March 26, 2024, that should have changed that," the city said in its legal filing.

The city argues that Dali was operated despite being "a clearly unseaworthy vessel."

It said hours before departing, alarms had been going off on Dali showing that it had been experiencing an inconsistent power supply, which was either not investigated or investigated but not fixed.

"The allision was a direct and proximate result of petitioners' carelessness, negligence, gross negligence and recklessness and as a result of the unseaworthiness of the vessel," the city said.

The city accuses the companies of committing 23 acts and omissions related to their alleged negligence, from providing the vessel with an incompetent crew to failing to properly maintain and operate the ship's engine and propulsion system.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has also opened a criminal investigation into the collapse of the bridge.

Maersk May Set Up Container-on-Barge Service to Reach Baltimore

Contractors work to clear a 35-foot-deep channel for merchant ships in Baltimore, April 22, 2024 (USACE)

PUBLISHED APR 24, 2024 5:29 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Baltimore's shipping channel is closed to deep-draft container ships because of the wreckage of the Key Bridge, and will probably not reopen until the end of May, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. This has an outsize effect on local businesses that depend on the port for logistics: they now have to truck their goods to and from New York or Virginia to get access to ocean freight. But Maersk may have an interim solution - a container-on-barge service, also known in the United States as a Marine Highway operation. 

The federal coordinated response - led by the USACE and the U.S. Navy's Supervisor of Diving and Salvage (SUPSALV) - has cleared three channels to date. The third and deepest has a controlling depth of 20 feet, and might potentially allow Maersk and other container carriers to ship boxes into and out of Baltimore by barge. There is no guarantee yet, though, and Maersk says that it will reach out to customers directly if it can offer barge service. 

Any tug-and-barge service would necessarily be carried out by a Jones Act operator, and would join a small number of similar operations around the country. The U.S. Maritime Administration has sponsored "Marine Highway" container on barge transport services in dozens of coastal ports and inland waterways. 

The federal unified command will also temporarily open a fourth, 35-foot-deep channel through the wreckage on Thursday. It will be open over the weekend to allow the vessels trapped in the main harbor to leave (if desired). The ships currently in Baltimore include one carrier, the Swedish-flagged Carmen; five bulkers, the Klara Oldendorff, Balsa 94, Saimaagracht, Phatra Naree and JY River; and the tanker Palanca Rio. Five ships are expected to depart. 

In the inbound direction, one container barge, a smaller bulker, and an aluminum carrier are scheduled to enter the port, Captain of the Port David O'Connell told reporters yesterday. (The charterer of the container barge was not immediately clear.) Traffic will be limited to vessels of less than 60,000 dwt, in calm weather, and with fore and aft tug escorts. 

Baltimore to Open Larger Temporary Channel as Dali is Readied for Removal

Progress continues as they prepare to open a 35-foot deep channel this week (USCG)

PUBLISHED APR 23, 2024 3:09 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

A month after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Maryland and Baltimore officials along with the members of the Unified Command highlighted the strong progress that has been made in the recovery by announcing plans for a brief window to move large commercial vessels. In addition to having removed large sections of the bridge debris, they are also now focused on the removal of the Dali in the coming weeks.

Buoys and lights are now being laid in anticipation according to the Captain of the Port David O'Connell of establishing a temporary deep draft channel into the Port of Baltimore. The Unified Command reports it will open, depending on the weather, on Thursday, April 25, with a 35-foot draft, 300-foot horizontal clearance, and 214-foot vertical clearance. 

The plan is to run the channel for approximately four days to permit commercial vessels access. O’Connell reports there are seven ships trapped in the port ready to depart and they expect five, including a loaded car carrier, will use the channel in the coming days. In addition, a container barge, a smaller bulker, and an aluminum carrier are scheduled to enter the port. It will be the first movement of large commercial vessels since March 26.

Opening of the channel was made possible by the recent lifts, which between Sunday night and early Monday, April 22, included the largest yet completed. They removed a 560-ton section after two and a half days of prep and rigging. They also cleared debris that was wrapped around the piling to make the deeper channel possible. Another large 460-ton lift was completed on Friday. Governor Wes Moore reported today that a total of 2,900 tons of wreckage has been removed. 

 

(Map courtesy of USCG)

 

Movement on the deepest channel will be suspended starting next week till approximately May 10 as they prepare to remove the Dali. Coast Guard officers highlighted that they will be focusing on the span laying on the Dali and in early May they will be rigging and then lifting that section. Shortly after that, they expect the Dali will be freed and removed.

The Governor reports that 145 commercial vessels have used the three channels already established and they will continue movements during the upcoming work. This includes the 20-foot channel opened at the end of last week and the two prior channels with 10- and 11-foot draft clearance.

The Captain of the Port reviewed additional conditions for using the 35-foot draft channel which will include a requirement for a tug at the bow and another at the stern of each vessel and a minimum three foot under keel clearance. Due to the proximity to the Dali, speed must also be at or below 5 knots and transits will only be permitted while wind speeds are below 15 knots. They expect vessels below 50,000 dwt will be permitted, while vessels between 50,000 and 60,000 dwt will be individually reviewed, and vessels above 60,000 dwt will most likely not be permitted at this time.

Major shipping companies had highlighted that they were closely following these developments. Wallenius Wilhelmsen has a car carrier trapped in the port that had unloaded when the port was closed due to the collapse. Last week, Maersk advised customers that the temporary channels were not deep enough to accommodate the ocean going container vessels that Maersk and other carriers use to call at Baltimore. They reported they were waiting for details from the Captain of the Port. Maersk advised customers today, April 23, that the temporary 20-foott channel, "could potentially allow Maersk and other carriers to operate limited barge services into and out of the Port of Baltimore."

The officials said today they expect to have the 35-foot channel reopened in mid-May. The port is on track to fully have the 50-foot channel reopened by the end of May.

Baltimore Opens Third Channel as Plans Sequence Efforts to Refloat Dali

Progress continues in Baltimore with teams planning the efforts to refloat the Dali (US Army Corps photo April 19)

PUBLISHED APR 19, 2024 7:11 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

Recovery efforts in Baltimore continue to make good progress Maryland Governor Wes Moore highlighted in a briefing on Friday afternoon, April 19, reporting that more than 1,300 tons of steel have now been removed from the waterway. While the priority remains on establishing a larger temporary channel to reopen Baltimore harbor, late today they also opened a third temporary channel while the teams are also beginning to converge on the Dali for the effort to refloat and remove the vessel.

Crews they reported have now removed 120 containers from the bow of the vessel and expect to move approximately 20 more in the coming days to clear a path for the salvage team to safely reach the debris resting on the vessel. Governor Moore reported that each of the laden containers weighs between 1.5 and 2.5 tons and that in addition, the salvage teams project that there are 3,000 to 4,000 tons of steel from the bridge sitting on the bow of the vessel.

After the containers are removed, they are planning to build a staging area to address the debris. Representatives from the Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard reported that they planning the effort to cut the sections of roadway and steel and remove it from the ship and then the refloating sequence. 

 

More than 100 containers have been removed over two weeks from the Dali (USCG photo)

 

Another 20 containers need to be removed before they begin staging for the controlled demolition of debris on the bow of the Dali (USCG photo)

 

They declined to specify a timeline for these efforts saying that the focus remains at this moment on establishing the Limited Access Channel. The third smaller channel established today should provide for about 15 percent of the harbor's normal traffic with a controlling depth of 20 feet, a 300-foot horizontal clearance, and a vertical clearance of 135 feet. Maersk earlier in the weekly however informed customers that the channels being established are too small for containerships and that they did not have a timetable for access to the port.

The Army Corp said they are working on debris wrapped around the other pier of the bride after teams modeling the channel identified this area as a priority. However, they noted that three salvage teams are also all working around the vessel as they plan the controlled demolition of the sections on and around the Dali. They noted that sections of the bridge’s pier are embedded in the vessel adding to the challenge to remove the ship. The plan is to take it back to a dock in Baltimore.

 

Three channels have been established which should permit approximately 15 percent of commercial activity in Baltimore (Unified Command)

 

Governor Moore highlighted that there are now 80 different assets working in the area and 380 people. They reported that 113 vessels have already passed through the first two channels and they are still on schedule to have the larger temporary channel established by the end of April.

Maryland also announced the next phase of financial assistance programs both for port workers and businesses impacted by the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. More than $5.5 million in assistance is budgeted and they will be paying people who worked at the port $430 a week as temporary job assistance.

At the same time today, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro traveled to Baltimore to personally assess the work. He met with both Naval Sea Systems Command and the Unified Command emphasizing the contribution of the Navy’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving in the effort. The Navy is providing its diving expertise and coordinating efforts to aid in the recovery. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assigned the Navy’s SUPSALV with supporting by leading the clearing of the waterway.

During today’s briefing, they said two large sections of the bridge steel have already been successfully lifted. They are currently rigging a third section to be lifted.

 

Baltimore Welcomes its First Container Ship Since Bridge Collapse

Courtesy Port of Baltimore

PUBLISHED APR 28, 2024 9:32 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

On Saturday, the Port of Baltimore received its first container ship since the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge one month ago. The arrival is an important milestone for Baltimore businesses and longshoremen, who have been heavily impacted by the closure of the inner harbor. 

At about 1730 hours local time on Saturday, the sub-Panamax MSC Passion III transited through the temporary 35-foot-deep shipping channel and moored alongside at Seagirt. About 80 union longshoremen were there to meet the ship and handle her cargo. The port is an important local source of well-paid jobs, and the longshore community has been particularly hard-hit by the closure. 

Containers arrive off MSC Passion III (Port of Baltimore)

The Passion III is a 2,800 TEU feeder vessel - about average for the decade when the Key Bridge was built, but far smaller than the 10,000 TEU Dali or even larger modern ships that call Baltimore today. Passion III's small size allowed her to access the harbor: with her current draft of 30.5 feet, she could fit through the 35-foot-deep "limited access channel" that the Army Corps of Engineers recently cleared through the bridge's wreckage. 

"Around that 35-foot draft is where you're really starting to get some of the inventory that's coming onboard that had really been some of the hallmarks of The Port of Baltimore," Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said at a news conference last week. 

A container-on-barge service from Port of Virginia arrived as soon as the channel opened, but MSC Passion III was the first self-propelled boxship to enter the harbor. The complex operation to restore the waterway to its full navigable depth and remove the damaged boxship Dali is still under way, and will likely continue until the end of May. 

Workers begin cutting through beams alongside the trapped boxship Dali, April 27 (USACE)

The litigation over the impact of the closure is just beginning. The latest complaint was a class-action lawsuit filed by Baltimore printing house American Publishing last week. The suit alleges that the publisher's local clients have stopped placing orders due to the effects of the port shutdown. The company claims that its revenue has plummeted by 84 percent compared with the same time last year. Much like an earlier suit brought by the City of Baltimore, American Publishing's civil action accuses the owner and operator of Dali of a "failure to ensure the seaworthiness of the vessel that ultimately led to the bridge’s destruction."

Maritime Chaplains Minister to Crew After Baltimore Bridge Collision

Courtesy FBI Baltimore Field Office

PUBLISHED APR 28, 2024 5:01 PM BY REV. MARK NESTLEHUTT

 

 

"Baltimore Key Bridge Collapses After Ship Collision" - this and similar headlines greeted us as we awoke on the morning of March 26. Within 48 hours, our industry partners reached out to the Seamen’s Church Institute to ask what SCI could do to support the seafarers aboard the container ship Dali, now trapped under the superstructure of the Key Bridge. Amid ongoing investigations by the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), access to the Dali was extremely limited. Yet, within a week of the allision, SCI was cleared to board the ship to provide support for the 21 seafarers still aboard the vessel. And so, on a stormy morning we boarded the launch and were ferried out to the Dali along with the surveyors and attorneys who were part of the investigation. 

Boarding via the rope pilot ladder, SCI was the first seafarer welfare organization to meet with the crew and to offer crisis support through one-on-one and small group meetings with the Indian and Sri Lankan seafarers. After a full day aboard, and with a strong sense that the seafarers were well cared for by the ship’s operator, we returned home to plan a more extensive follow-up visit and to brief the local seafarer welfare organizations of the state of the crew and the situation aboard the ship.

In the world of global shipping, crises happen. What is unknown is when and where these events will occur. SCI has consistently demonstrated its readiness, dispatching its Chaplains, trained in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), to provide much-needed support and assistance in such situations. These deployments range from pirate attacks off the Somali coast, a ship sinking in the Atlantic, onboard fatalities near Yokohama, capsized workboats in the Gulf or on the Western rivers, and, in this most recent case, a fatal bridge allision in Baltimore Harbor. 

After assessing the situation, what the crew of the Dali seemed to need most were maritime chaplains who spoke their native language, Hindi and Tamil. Fortunately, SCI has two trained Chaplain Associates who speak these languages and serve at SCI’s International Seafarers’ Center in Port Newark. Along with a third SCI Chaplain, this team mobilized for a follow-up visit. But then there was a new wrinkle. 

On Monday. April 15, the FBI issued a statement to the media that FBI agents were “presently aboard the cargo ship Dali conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity.” SCI’s team was told to standby. After a two-day FBI investigation aboard the ship, SCI was green-lighted and the team of three boarded the early morning launch, carrying new SIM cards (for mobile phones) and other items for the crew of the Dali. The second visit could not have been more impactful or appreciated. After meeting with the Master, the crew showed up quickly and were eager to speak to our chaplains in Hindi, Malayalam, and Tamil, the dialects of India where most of the crew call home. 

While the ship was well provisioned, there was concern over the uncertainty of their situation. An anticipated month-long sail to their next port, was now a yet-to-be-defined extended stay in Baltimore. The chaplains learned from the seafarers that their mobile phones and computers had been taken by the FBI as part of its investigation, meaning they had lost their contact numbers, WeChat, and WhatsApp applications to connect with family and friends, increasing the crew’s sense of isolation. However, herein lies another strength of our organization. Working through SCI’s Center for Mariner Advocacy, we contacted the appropriate U.S. Coast Guard authorities to advocate for the seafarers, and to ascertain if and when their phones would be returned by the FBI. By the following day, the ship’s operator had provided six new mobile phones for the crew’s use, with the understanding that the seafarers’ original phones eventually would be returned to them. 

Going forward, SCI will continue to work with the various Baltimore-based seafarer organizations to provide for the crew of the Dali. While SCI has been focused on the Dali's crew, Baltimore’s local chaplains have continued to attend to the seafarers on the other vessels stuck in the port waiting for the channel to reopen, which may take weeks or months. 

What does the crew of the Dali want most—other than the return of their mobile phones? Namely, items that remind them of home such as Indian-language periodicals and newspapers, Indian snack foods, toiletries, and ongoing support and vessel visits. Over the next several weeks, SCI will work with the local seafarer welfare groups to collect requested and needed items to be sent to the Dali's crew. And our Hindi, Malayalam, and Tamil-speaking chaplains will continue to travel to the ship for morale visits as part of SCI’s ongoing care and support. 

Our service in Baltimore is our mission in action. SCI’s commitment to crisis response reflects our strategic objectives, demonstrating a dedication to providing effective and compassionate support for mariners and seafarers, no matter where in the world they may face challenging circumstances. 

The Rev. Mark Nestlehutt is President and Executive Director of SCI. 

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.

UPDATED

Key Bridge collapse: Some Dali crew members can go home, will be deposed later under last-minute deal

Salvage experts continue to clear the large amount of wreckage on the bow of the container ship Dali twelve weeks after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

(Jerry Jackson/Staff)


By MADELEINE O'NEILL | moneill@baltsun.com

BALTIMORE SUN

PUBLISHED: June 20, 2024 

Legal obstacles are now cleared to allow some crew members of the cargo ship that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge to return home after 12 weeks stuck aboard the vessel.

A court hearing Thursday morning confirmed that the army of lawyers involved in litigation surrounding the crash reached an agreement late Wednesday that will permit some members of the crew to leave the United States and be deposed at a later date.

The hearing was scheduled originally in response to emergency motions from the city of Baltimore and another party, both of which have claims against the cargo ship Dali and raised concerns after learning this week that crew members could be leaving the country as soon as Thursday.

The ship’s operator is bringing on a replacement crew, which occurs periodically with crews in the industry, before the Dali is moved to Norfolk, Virginia, for more repairs as early as next week.

Both parties ultimately withdrew their motions and indicated they were able to reach an agreement: The lawyers for the ship’s owner and manager will guarantee that the crew members will appear for depositions later, possibly in London.

In all, eight crew members and two trainee cadets have been granted permission to return to their home countries, said Darrell Wilson, a spokesman for Synergy Marine Group, the vessel operator. The group includes a cook, several seamen, a fitter, an oiler and a general steward.

The exact timeline for their departure remains unclear. The remaining crew will be lodged in Baltimore for the time being, Wilson said.

Thursday’s hearing included seven government lawyers from various agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice and the National Transportation Safety Board. None spoke at the hearing, where Senior U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar reaffirmed that an agreement had been reached and asked the lawyers to be as efficient as possible in the future.

Thursday’s hearing could have been avoided entirely if the lawyers for one of the claimants had withdrawn their emergency motion Wednesday night instead of Thursday morning, said Bredar, addressing attorneys William H. “Billy” Murphy Jr. and Jason P. Foster.

“How are we going to conduct this very complex and potentially lengthy proceeding in the coming months and years?” Bredar asked. “My aspiration is that we’re going to do so efficiently and with every lawyer bringing their A-game and being conscious of the fact that the actions they take or don’t take have consequences.”

After the hearing, Murphy said he was satisfied the emergency was resolved.

“We’re happy that we were able to file the emergency motion and cause the agreement to be made,” Murphy said.

His team filed the withdrawal as quickly as they could, he said, adding that they were still in negotiations as late as this morning.

Murphy’s client in the litigation, Damon A. Davis, has not yet filed his claim against the Dali. Murphy declined to describe his client’s connection to the case Thursday, saying Davis is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and does not want publicity.

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The legal dispute began Tuesday when an attorney for the ship’s owner and manager, William Bennett, emailed claimants and informed them that eight crew members would be allowed to leave as early as Thursday.

The Coast Guard declined a request to help secure crew members temporary parole through Customs and Border Patrol, Bennett wrote, so the men would need to go directly to the airport from the vessel.

Claimants’ attorneys objected, noting that they had been promised plenty of notice before crew members began to return home. Their emergency motions triggered Thursday’s hearing, though the deal was reached before Bredar could take the bench.

The final agreement included the two trainees, whose names were not on the original list of crew members granted permission to leave. The ship’s lawyers also agreed to turn over personnel files and other documents about the crew members.

The Dali struck the Key Bridge early on the morning of March 26, collapsing the span into the Patapsco River and killing six members of a crew who were doing road work on the bridge. The accident closed the Port of Baltimore to all vessel traffic for weeks. It wasn’t fully reopened until this month.

The ship’s owner and manager, both companies based in Singapore, quickly filed a limitation of liability action in federal court aimed at capping the amount of damages they could be forced to pay at about $43 million, roughly the salvage value of the Dali and its cargo. Parties who believe they may be entitled to damages stemming from the crash have until September to file claims against the ship.

The Dali remained pinned under the Key Bridge until last month, when it was refloated and moved to Seagirt Marine Terminal. The massive ship and its crew, who are from India and Sri Lanka, have remained there since, as workers removed more bridge debris from the ship’s bow.

Some Dali crew to leave after months on ship in Baltimore

By Bernd Debusmann Jr, BBC News, Washington

The ship was towed away last month and is now at a local container terminal

Some crew members on the cargo ship that struck a major bridge in Baltimore are set to return home after nearly three months on the vessel, according to the cargo ship's management company.

Earlier this week, Baltimore officials dropped a petition that would have prevented the crew members from leaving so that they could be questioned.

The 21 seafarers, predominantly from India, have been stranded on the MV Dali since it crashed into Baltimore's iconic Francis Scott Key bridge on 26 March, causing it to collapse.

Six construction workers who were on the bridge were killed in the incident, which remains the focus of two investigations from the FBI and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The crash sent the mile-long bridge, a regional transportation artery, into Maryland's Patapsco River and across the vessel's deck, blocking the port of Baltimore.

The seafarers have lived on the vessel since the crash occurred. They were unable to depart the ship because they were considered witnesses and did not have valid visas or shore passes to enter the US.

According to local media reports, a deal reached between the city of Baltimore, the ship's owners, and its management company will now allow some sailors to leave the vessel.

But they will have to be made available for depositions even after they leave the US.

The number of crew members initially headed home - and their date of departure - is unclear.

When contacted by the BBC, Synergy Marine - the ship's management company -spokesperson Darrel Wilson said that the company is "working to send some crew home", while "some will remain to assist with the investigation".

He added that the crew is "doing well".

Andrew Middleton, who runs Apostleship of Sea - a programme that ministers to ships coming through Baltimore - said there were "mixed emotions" on board the ship when he went to meet the sailors on Thursday.

"The ones that get to go home are happy, relieved," he said. "But the ones that are staying are wondering when they will get to go home too. That's added to the mental strain."

He added that he believes some crew members may leave within days.

Mr Middleton said that it remains unclear when the remaining sailors will be given shore passes to step off the vessel, or what that will "look like" when they are.

Some, he said, could ultimately be housed in hotels while the investigations progress, an experience he said could be "isolating" without their fellow crew members.

Two unions representing the sailors said in May that morale on the ship had "dipped" due to "unfounded fear of personal criminal liability" and emotional distress.

Grace Ocean Private Ltd, which owns the ship, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In court documents filed earlier this week, lawyers for Baltimore said they were made aware last-minute that eight of the seafarers were planning to leave the country as early as Wednesday.

Mr Middleton also said he believes that eight sailors are expected to leave.

The city initially called for a judge to intervene to prevent that from happening.

A deal reached late Wednesday, however, includes a guarantee that the "vessel interests will produce the witness in question for deposition during the discovery phase" of legal proceedings, court documents show.

Baltimore officials are currently working to determine potential compensation for the incident and have resisted attempts by the Dali's owner to cap damages at $43m (£33.9m).

The US Justice Department has already interviewed the Dali's crew as part of its own investigation and has no objection to them leaving the country.

After months stranded under the metal and steel remnants of the Key Bridge, the 948ft (289m) ship was towed away last month and is now at a local container terminal.

Replacement sailors will be brought in while the ship remains at the terminal, according to CBS, the BBC's news partner.

Last week, the shipping channel outside of Baltimore that had been blocked by the crash was re-opened after 11 weeks of closure.

Deal Reached for First Dali Crewmembers to Depart

Dali will sail with escorts bound for Norfolk and the next phase of the salvage operation (USCG file photo

PUBLISHED JUN 20, 2024 2:50 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

A deal was reached between the lawyers representing the City of Baltimore and the other claimants in the lawsuits with the owners and operators of the Dali that will permit the first of the crewmembers to depart the ship some 12 weeks after the vessel hit the Baltimore bridge. At the same time, the U.S. Coast Guard is reporting that the containership might also be departing Baltimore as early as tomorrow, Friday, June 21 with a replacement crew aboard.

The U.S. District Court met on Thursday for an emergency pretrial conference and the Judge James Bredar signed off on the deal that had been reached for the crew. The order filed today clears the way for three Able Body seaman, an ordinary seaman, an oiler, a fitter, a cook, and a general steward, to leave the vessel at the end of their contract and travel as early as today to their homes. Late on Thursday, the International Seafarers Center said travel has been arranged for Friday evening for the eight people.

The lawyers had initially sought to block the efforts to begin supplying a replacement crew to the vessel arguing that they had only been given two day’s notice despite earlier promises from Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine. They told the court that the departure could prevent “crucial discovery,” for the individuals who might not be available once they left the country.

All the lawyers met and conferred with the lawyers for Grace Ocean and Synergy and later filed a motion to withdraw their request. In exchange, Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine agreed to substantively respond to written discovery and guarantee the appearance of the eight crewmembers when the case reaches the deposition stage. The crewmembers leaving the ship are agreeing to appear in London or elsewhere to provide depositions which are not expected to happen sooner than November 2024.

The eight crewmembers of the approximately 21 aboard the vessel will be replaced by Synergy Marine. So far, there has been no mention of the timing when other crewmembers might be permitted to travel to their homes in India and Sri Lanka. The Seafarers Center said the crew will be moving to hotels onshore in Baltimore as they are being required to remain at the time as the legal cases proceed. The government will provide apartments or hotel rooms for the duration of the litigation.

The Dali after spending 55 days trapped under the wreckage of the Francis Scott Bridge has now been at Baltimore’s Seagrit Terminal for 31 days. During that time, additional debris was removed including more of the damaged containers from the bow. The Baltimore Sun is reporting that the work was completed yesterday and that there is no longer any overhanging debris and the U.S. Coast Guard believes all the loose debris has been removed or secured.

Coast Guard Cmdr. Baxter Smoak told The Baltimore Sun that the vessel could depart as early as Friday in what will be a “highly choreographed” operation to get the vessel from Baltimore to Norfolk, Virginia for the next phase of the recovery and repairs. Earlier reports had said the vessel would be offloaded and initial repairs made to the bow so that the owners could move the containership to another shipyard.

Describing the operation to The Baltimore Sun, the Coast Guard explained one challenge is that the Dali no longer has anchors. The one that was dropped on March 26 in an effort to slow the ship was cut off during the first phase of the salvage operation. The other anchor was “completely crushed” the newspaper says in the allision with the bridge. The ship will be underway with some of the debris still on its bow and it must go the USCG says from terminal to terminal not holding offshore to wait for a space. Late on Thursday, the International Seafarers Center said the departure is tentative set for 1800 on Friday.

While the Dali will be moving under its power for the voyage which is estimated to take 16 to 20 hours, the vessel will be accompanied by a small flotilla for safety. The USCG told The Baltimore Sun there will be four tugs accompaning led by a U.S. Coast Guard cutter. Resolve Marine will also supply an escort with the USCG saying one goal was to monitor to confirm nothing falls from the vessel. If it does the escorts will make it possible to immediately mark the debris for recovery.

Lawyers Ask Court to Block Departre from US of First Eight Crew from Dali

Dali has been docked for a month in Baltimore after the removal (USCG photo)

PUBLISHED JUN 19, 2024 12:55 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

The crew of the containership Dali which knocked down the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore remains at the center of the brewing legal battles 85 days after the ship hit the bridge. So far none of the approximately 22 crewmembers have been permitted to leave Baltimore and now lawyers for the plaintiffs including the City of Baltimore are asking the U.S. District Court to block the departure of the first crewmembers as part of an effort by the vessel’s operator to arrange for a replacement crew.

The Dali remains in Baltimore at the Seagirt terminal where she was moved after the bridge debris was removed last month. Work is ongoing on the salvage of the vessel removing more containers and debris, but the crew remains aboard nearly three months after the allision with the bridge.

Lawyers for the vessel’s operator, Synergy Marine and owners Grace Ocean informed the plaintiffs in an email on June 18 that eight of the crewmembers were scheduled to leave the vessel for return to their homes in India and Sri Lanka. The list consists of eight individuals, including three ABs, one ordinary seaman, an oiler, a fitter, a cook, and a general steward.

The plaintiffs are objecting citing an email from April that said they would be given notice and there would be provisions for interviews or depositions before any crewmembers left the ship. In the court filing, they argue that if these individuals are permitted to leave “claimants may never have the opportunity to question or depose them.”

The crewing company says these individuals' time is up and they are arranging for replacement crewmembers for the vessel. Further, they reported they inquired with the U.S. Coast Guard to waive CBP (Customs and Border Protection) restrictions to permit the crew to remain temporarily in the U.S. and it was refused. All the crewmembers have already been interviewed by the Department of Justice, the notice states, and there is no objection to their departure from the United States. The plan was to transfer the crew possibly as early as tomorrow, June 20, from the ship directly to the airport.

The plaintiffs asked for an emergency hearing now scheduled for June 20, and the judge ordered Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine “not to facilitate” the departure of any crewmembers. The court also instructed the United States not to deport the crewmembers before the hearing.

The court notes it is unclear if it can retain the crewmembers while also saying that there was no time for the opposing parties to be heard and seek relief. They also note the plaintiff’s lawyers cited minimal authority that supports the request.

In the past in lesser cases such as MARPOL violations, the U.S. has ordered crewmembers to remain in the United States to provide testimony. These waits can stretch into months or even a year or more despite objections from lawyers for the crewmembers. In this case, the lawyers for the crewmembers said they will advise the individuals to invoke the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which provides the protections against self-incrimination (i.e. the right to remain silent).

Seamen's Church: Dali Disaster Highlights Crew Welfare Lesson Learned

The Dali has been refloated and removed, but the crew remain aboard (Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard)

PUBLISHED JUN 17, 2024 1:00 PM BY SEAMEN'S CHURCH INSTITUTE

 

The tragic allision of the Dali container ship with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore highlights the often-overlooked humanitarian impact of maritime incidents and the mental pressures faced by seafarers. The first seafarer charity on the scene, the Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI), is advocating for increased support for affected crew members. The SCI team found a traumatized crew aboard the Dali and is urging leaders in maritime and regulatory bodies to consider the human impact when undertaking a presumably lengthy but necessary investigation.

The Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, president and executive director of SCI, emphasizes the importance of making swift decisions regarding the 21 crew members, including their return home and potential legal consequences.

“While the logistics of wreckage removal and ship movement are crucial, we must also prioritize the crew who have endured significant trauma since the accident,” he says. The crew have been deeply affected by the loss of six construction workers and deserve a measure of empathy and support.

“Imagining ourselves in their position helps us understand their constraints and the pressure they are under," he adds.

The 21 seafarers - 20 Indians and one Sri Lankan - are being well cared for by Synergy Marine, the vessel's management company. But despite receiving support they have been confined to the ship since March 26, unable to take any break away from the scene.

“The uncertainty they face about seeing their families again and the looming investigation are major stressors,” explains Mr. Nestlehutt. “With the final report potentially taking two years, consideration and clarity on their situation is important.”

Mr. Nestlehutt suggests that U.S. authorities, including the US Coast Guard, FBI, and National Transportation Safety Board, consider expediting decisions regarding the crew’s status, perhaps determining which crew members are essential to the investigation and allowing others to return home. "With some of their contracts ending over a month ago, these seafarers are now looking at extended stays on the vessel, and that can cause distress and impact mental health," he says. 

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the detrimental effects of prolonged and extended vessel confinement on seafarers' mental health. Consequently, renewal of the crew’s visas and permitting non-essential members to take shore leave would offer much-needed relief. Currently, expired visas prevent them from stepping ashore in Baltimore, which exacerbates their predicament.

After the March 26 collision, SCI's proactive response included the deployment of chaplains trained in Critical Incident Stress Management within a week of the accident. Additionally, in the following weeks, SCI provided chaplain associates who speak Hindi and Tamil, ensuring that the crew received culturally and linguistically appropriate support.

The Dali disaster can be considered a call to action for the maritime industry and regulatory bodies to enhance their response protocols for seafarers in distress. By prioritizing their well-being and expediting necessary decisions, we can demonstrate our commitment to those who keep global trade moving, even in the face of adversity.

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.