Rescue operation underway after Baltimore's Key Bridge collapses
SURVIVABILITY IN THAT WATER AFTER FIVE PLUS, MAYBE SIX HOURS IN THE WATER MAY BE VERY CHALLENGING INDEED. THIS MORNING, A STUNNING BRIDGE COLLAPSE AT THE PORT OF BALTIMORE. >> THE ENTIRE BRIDGE IS IN THE HARBOR. >> Reporter: THE BRIDGE PLUNGING INTO THE WATER OVERNIGHT AFTER IT WAS HIT
BY A CARGO SHIP. >> THE SHIP HIT THE KEY BRIDGE, SINKING. THE BRIDGE IS GONE. HOLY HELD. >> Reporter: VIDEO SHOWS SMOKE COMING FROM THE SHIP BEFORE IT HIT THE BRIDGE. THE BRIDGE IS NORMALLY A MAJOR ARTERY. THOUGH THE COLLAPSE HAPPENED IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS, 1:30 A.M.,
VIDEO SHOWS CARS CROSSING MOMENTS BEFORE THE SHIP HITS. THE TRAFFIC THEN PAUSED, BUT VEHICLES WERE STILL ON THE BRIDGE AS IT CRUMBLED INTO THE WATER. FIRE DEPARTMENT AND COAST GUARD SCENES RUSHED TO THE SCENE. RESCUERS SEARCHING THE WATER OVERNIGHT. >> STILL VERY MUCH IN AN ACTIVE SEARCH AND
RESCUE POSTURE. OUR SONAR HAS DETECTED THE PRESENCE OF VEHICLES SUBMERGED IN THE WATER. >> Reporter: THE SHIP HAS A 950 CONTAINER VESSEL. THE MARINE CORPORATION SAYING IT COLLIDED WITH A BRIDGE PILLAR AND ALL OF ITS CREW MEMBERS, INCLUDING THE TWO PILOTS, HAVE BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR. THE SHIP REPORTEDLY
LOST POWER WHILE IN THE WATER. THIS MORNING WITH THE SUNRISING, RESCUE TEAMS CONTINUE LOOKING FOR ANY SURVIVORS IN THE AREA AS THE BALTIMORE AREA REELS FROM A MAJOR COLLAPSE. >> WE
THERE ARE SURVIVORS STILL IN THE WATER, HOW LONG CAN THEY SAFELY REMAIN IN THOSE COLD TEMPS? >> Reporter: YEAH. 40, 45 DEGREES ON THE WATER. 32 DEGREES WHERE WE ARE. WE CHECKED WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MIN DULUTH. AFTER 7 MINUTES YOU START TO HAVE EXHAUSTION AND THEN YOU
MAY HAVE, IF YOU ARE LUCKY, IF YOU HAVE A FLOTATION DEVICE, IF YOU HAVE GOT THE RIGHT GEAR, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO SURVIVE FOR AN HOUR. WE ARE NOW SIX HOURS INTO THIS EPISODE. THE SURVIVABILITY IS REALLY POTENTIALLY VERY, VERY CHALLENGING. BUT OVERHEAD, HELICOPTERS CONTINUE TO SEARCH
THE WATER FOR ANY SIGNS OF SURVIVORS. AND THIS IS AN ALL HANDS ON DECK EFFORT IN TERMS OF BALTIMORE AND MARYLAND STATE AUTHORITIES AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES ALL SENDING MASS RESOURCES INTO THIS AREA, TRYING TO FIND ANYBODY WHO MIGHT BE IN THE WATER. >> LET’S TALK, TOM, IF WE
COULD ABOUT THIS CARGO SHIP. EARLIER, YOU AND I WERE ON THE AIR. WE COULDN’T MAKE OUT IF THE SHIP WAS STILL AFLOAT. WE NOW SEE THAT IT IS. THE CREW REMAINS ON THE SHIP, INCLUDING PRESUMABLY THE PILOT OF THIS VESSEL. WHAT IS THE INVESTIGATION GOING TO LOOK LIKE
NOW? AS I UNDERSTAND IT, BY LAW, YOU HAVE TO, IF YOU ARE TRAVELING THESE VERY COMPLEX WATERS IN AND AROUND THE BALTIMORE AREA AND CHESAPEAKE BAY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LOCAL MARINE PILOT ON BECAUSE IT IS SO COMPLEX. WE CAN ROLL THE VIDEO, TOM. IN THE MOMENTS
BEFORE IT HITS THIS STRUCTURE, THIS KEY PART OF THE PILE LON OF THE BRIDGE’S STRUCTURE, THE SHIP LOOKS DARK. IT LOOKS LIKE IT’S LOST POWER. >> Reporter: YES. AND THERE WAS ONE REPORT THAT IT HAD, IN FACT, LOST POWER. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEF SAY THEY WILL NOT PUT
PEOPLE ONBOARD THAT SHIP UNTIL THEY DO A FULL DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TO DETERMINE HOW SAFE IT IS. AND THEN THEY HAVE GOT TO EVACUATE THE CREW AND DETERMINE HOW SEAWORTHY THE SHIP IS. HOWEVER, AT THE MOMENT, IT SEEMS TO BE FINE. THE NTSB WILL BE RUNNING THE INVESTIGATION INTO
HOW THIS HAPPENED. BUT I MUST SAY THE LOCALS HERE ARE STUNNED THAT THIS SHIP WOULD, FIRST OF ALL, CRASH INTO ONE OF THESE PILE-ONES. AGAIN, WE DON’T KNOW IF THEY HAD CONTROL OF THE SHIP. AND SECONDLY, STUNNED THAT THE BRIDGE WOULD BE SO VULNERABLE TO COLLAPSE WITH THE
SHIP HANGING A PILE-ON. I WOULD MAKE THE POINT WE ARE RIGHT UP AGAINST, VERY CLOSE TO I-95, THAT CRITICAL NORTH/SOUTH CORRIDOR ON THE EAST COAST. I95 IS OPEN. 695, HOWEVER, IS CLOSED. SO IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO COME UP AND DOWN THE EAST COAST, BE AWARE THAT THE
AREA AROUND BALTIMORE IS GOING TO BE REALLY, REALLY TRYING AND PROBLEMATIC JUST IN TERMS OF TRAFFIC. AND THE PORT OF BALTIMORE ITSELF, ONE OF THE BUSIEST IN THE COUNTRY, WILL BE REELING FROM THIS AND TRYING TO DETERMINE HOW SAFE IT IS TO MOVE TRAFFIC IN AND OUT. >>
THE SUN IS COMING UP, TOM.
