Community vigil, mural honors victims of the Key Bridge incident
BALTIMORE -- A vigil in honor of the victims of the tragic key bridge incident was held Saturday, April 6 as ongoing salvage and recovery efforts continue.
Community members said prayer is very important to them at this time and so is finding the bodies of the three construction workers who are still missing.
Eight construction workers were filling potholes on the Francis Scott Key Bridge when it was struck by a cargo ship and collapsed. Only two of them survived. The six who lost their live are now memorialized on Fort Armistead Rd in South Baltimore.
At the memorial, six wooden crosses can be viewed, one for each of the construction workers killed in the Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse. "So that their names are not forgotten." said Roberto Marquez, the artist of the memorial.
Friday morning, dive teams recovered the body of Maynor Suazo-Sandoval. Last week, divers found the bodies of Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes and Dorlian Castillo Cabrera in a red pickup truck 25 feet deep in the Patapsco River. Miguel Luna, Carlos Hernandez and Jose Lopez have yet to be found.
"It's difficult, real difficult." Marquez said.
With the help of a few neighbors, artist, Roberto Marquez, spent the last week building the memorial on Fort Armistead Road in Curtis Bay, the closest they could get to the collapse site.
"The construction of the memorial is important but also the presence." Marquez said.
"We helped him out to make this memorial for the people who lost their lives. They worked for everybody on the roads." Fernando Sajche, a local neighbor said.
On Saturday, Marquez painted the victim's names on the crosses, adorned with work boots, hard hats, and flags from their home countries while neighbors came out to light candles and say a prayer.
"It makes me feel like it could have been my family member." Keely Aranibar, a Glen Burnie resident said. "That's usually how Hispanic men start their life here, construction." (17:39:32-17:39:39)
Behind the crosses, Marquez is finishing a mural depicting the devastation of the collapse. "In the center I have a woman figure portraying pain. I didn't want to emphasize it so much but that's the reality you know?" Marquez said.
It's a reality that's difficult to accept. Neighbors pray the remaining victims will be recovered, so the community can begin to heal.
"There is a lot of hope, and the most important thing for the community is for them to be found." Aranibar said.
Marquez says he hopes to donate the mural to the city or somewhere nearby where it can have a permanent home.
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