The body of the sixth and final construction worker was recovered Tuesday from the Francis Scott Key Bridge wreckage site, bringing an end to the weeks-long recovery effort.
Jose Mynor Lopez, 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 José Mynor López, 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, in a statement.
"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." Said Butler.
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 in a statement. "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."
"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," said Johnny Olszewski, Baltimore county executive, in a statement. "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."
Moving forward, 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," 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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: NDTV.com, Yahoo.com
