6 Baltimore Bridge Collapse Victims Remembered as ‘Fine People’ by Construction Company

In a statement, Brawner Builders owner Jack Murphy offered prayers to the families of those who are believed to have died following the "tragic" incident

<p>JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock</p> Rescue personnel gather on the shore of the Patapsco River after a container ship ran into the Francis Scott Key Bridge causing its collapse in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, 26 March 2024

JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Rescue personnel gather on the shore of the Patapsco River after a container ship ran into the Francis Scott Key Bridge causing its collapse in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, 26 March 2024

The six construction workers who are presumed dead following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse on Tuesday are being remembered as “fine people.”

Officials said the workers were on the Baltimore bridge, which sat over the Patapsco River, when a container ship collided with the structure around 1:30 a.m. local time, causing it to crumble. Their bodies have yet to be found.

Among those reported missing after the incident are two fathers, according to the nonprofit organization CASA: father of three Miguel Luna, from El Salvador, and father of two Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, from Honduras.

In a statement shared Tuesday on Brawner Builders’ website, owner Jack Murphy said the crew “was doing bridge maintenance work on the surface of the bridge” when the crash and subsequent collapse occurred.

Related: 'Unbelievable' Baltimore Bridge Collapse Felt 'Like an Earthquake' — and Then 'It Got Real Quiet,' Residents Say

“Unfortunately, this tragic event was completely unforeseen and was not something that we could imagine would happen,” Murphy said in the statement.

“Our company is in mourning over the loss of these fine people. But of course, our sense of loss cannot in any way compare to what their families are feeling," he added.

<p>JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock</p> The Francis Scott Key Bridge rests partially collapsed after a cargo ship ran into it in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, 26 March 2024.

JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The Francis Scott Key Bridge rests partially collapsed after a cargo ship ran into it in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, 26 March 2024.

Murphy claimed safety “has always been a prime consideration” for workers with Brawn Builders, and added that “we have always taken every step necessary to provide safety for our workers in this dangerous occupation.”

“Highway workers are engaged in one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States and yet they go out every day on our highways to make things better for everyone,” he explained.

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The Brawner Builders’ owner offered prayers to the families of those who are believed to have died, as well as the individual who was hospitalized after the incident.

"We pray for a full recovery," he added.

<p>Tasos Katopodis/Getty</p> The cargo ship Dali sits in the water after running into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland

Tasos Katopodis/Getty

The cargo ship Dali sits in the water after running into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland

Authorities transitioned into the recovery phase more than 12 hours after Tuesday's crash and collapse occurred. The Washington Consulate of Mexico said the six workers included individuals from Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador.

On Wednesday, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced on CBS Mornings that he has met with the families of the six construction workers presumed dead following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

"They received the worst news that they could have possibly received," the governor said. "When their family members left to go to work, they never imagined that the result would be ... a bridge collapsed and now their family member's missing."

Related: Baltimore Bridge Collapse Survivor Described Watching Ship Get Closer, Says Maryland Gov.

More than $39,000 has been raised through a GoFundMe campaign for the Latino Racial Justice Circle, which aims to assist the families of the individuals who are presumed dead.

“We are truly blown away by the community's generosity,” organizer Katherine Jakuta wrote in an update on Wednesday.

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