For years, Mike Singer has livestreamed ships coming in and out of the Port of Baltimore. Thanks to this longtime Baltimore resident, people from around the world have been able to bear witness to the Francis Scott Key Bridge tragedy.
Singer’s camera caught the horrifying video of the Dali, a Singapore-flagged container ship, as it crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday morning.
Years ago, Singer helped pick the view for a livestream company, which eventually set up the camera to start streaming 24/7.
"One day, I casually happened to mention [setting the camera up] to a friend, 'Hey, how would you like to have a camera mounted on the back of your house,'" said Singer in a statement. "No way that I ever think that we would catch the Key Bridge falling down. Nobody wants to be famous for that."
Singer spoke with WJZ on Tuesday morning as part of CBS News’ breaking news coverage of the collapse.
He first learned about what happened around 4 a.m. on Tuesday, waking up to several notifications on his phone.
Singer said he didn't realize the severity of the situation until he checked the Baltimore & Chesapeake Bay Ship Watchers on Facebook, a group he founded.
"One of my admins in our Facebook group said the Key Bridge is down and I immediately grabbed my phone and typed, 'Oh God no,'" Singer said. "It's one thing to watch it live, it's another thing to go out on the shore and look at [the aftermath] with your own eyes."
The impact of the collapse has been sitting heavy with Singer. He says his thoughts are with everyone that's been touched by this.
"[The bridge] is iconic for our city, it's been there for 50 years almost. For it to be gone, is just surreal. Your eyes see it, but your brain doesn't want to believe it," he said.
While the camera caught every moment of the Key Bridge's end, Singer said it'll catch every moment when it's rebuilt.
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Source: CBS News
