Officials obtain Baltimore ship crash 'black box'

STORY: A pilot on board the cargo ship that knocked down Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge had radioed for tugboat help, then reported a loss of power on the vessel, minutes before plowing into a bridge pylon.

That was the ship's first indication of distress to harbor officials, according to federal safety authorities on Wednesday.

They were citing audio retrieved from the ship's "black box" data recorder, after boarding the crashed freighter for investigations.

National Transport Safety Board chief Jennifer Homendy said recorder data was "consistent with a power outage", but that an actual failure had yet to be confirmed.

The recorder also picked up commands to the crew to drop anchor, presumably aimed at slowing the vessel.

Homendy said the ship's two pilots would be interviewed the next day and that the probe into the cause of the accident could take up to two years.

Meanwhile, divers recovered the remains of two of the six missing road workers who fell in the harbor as the bridge went down and are presumed dead.

Maryland State Police Colonel Roland Butler said their bodies were found in a pickup truck about 25 feet under water.

He said the dive team has suspended efforts to retrieve the other bodies, because they were encased in the collapsed bridge structure.

"The sonar simply said that they cannot get to that area because it was fully encased in the superstructure. Now, once that salvage effort takes place and that superstructure is removed, those same divers are going to go back out there and bring those people closure.”

Authorities said they're working on a replacement bridge now, with Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott stressing the importance of taking the correct steps forwards.

"We will reopen the channel as quickly as possible, but it is just important that it's done the right way. We are also - this is me, I'm also asking for folks to have a little bit of decency and respect. Don't spread misinformation. Don't play bridge engineer online or in the media. Remember that these are people's families members who lost their lives simply trying to make transit better for the rest of us."

There are now worries about the economic fallout, with officials saying about 8,000 jobs are "directly associated" with port operations.