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Pollo guisado con papas, a chicken stew with potatoes, simmers on the kitchen stove inside Lidia López’s East Baltimore rowhome.
But Lidia cannot eat without thinking of her nephew José Mynor López, one of the construction workers who have been missing since a cargo ship toppled Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, where the men were repairing potholes early Tuesday morning.
“Sometimes when I want to eat, I remember,” Lidia says, speaking in Spanish. “He always ate with me.” She cries at her dining room table, which is draped with a pink floral tablecloth and topped with bowls full of bananas, oranges, and apples.
José, 35, was a husband and a father of three children. He emigrated from Guatemala 19 years ago.
Deby Estrada, a family friend, said she and her siblings grew up with José and are close with the entire López family.
“He was called José López,” Deby says, speaking in Spanish, “but we all knew him since he was a child as Chepe.”
She says José was always there to help someone in need.
“He always, whatever I needed, if I needed money, he paid for me,” she says. “If I wanted to eat, he would share food.”
One of José’s uncles, Gildardo Correra López, remembers his nephew as a hard worker. He hopes his body will be found soon to give their family closure.
“Well, he is a good man and the only thing we want is for his body to be rescued,” Gildardo says, speaking in Spanish.
In an interview with WJZ, José’s wife Isabel Franco described the pain she feels now that her husband is gone. Language barriers have also left her in the dark, with much of the information about the bridge collapse not available in Spanish.
“I feel bad a little bit still because I want the body,” Franco told WJZ through a translator. “His family is desperate to see him too.”
A cargo ship called the Dali was leaving the Port of Baltimore when the vessel lost power and it hit one of the Key Bridge’s support columns at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday. Before the destruction, the ship’s crew sent out a mayday call, which allowed authorities to stop traffic from entering the bridge.
But eight construction workers, who were repairing potholes, fell into the Patapsco River when the ship struck the bridge. The men worked for Hunt Valley, Maryland-based general contractor Brawner Builders.
Two individuals were rescued from the river on Tuesday, including one who was hospitalized and one who declined to be taken to a hospital. One of the survivors is Julio Cervantes, whose wife told NBC News that it is a miracle her husband is alive because he doesn’t know how to swim.
On Wednesday, divers found two bodies inside a red pickup truck that was submerged in the water, Maryland State Police Superintendent Roland Butler said. The two men have been identified as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera.
Authorities paused their search for the four remaining victims, who are presumed dead.
Identities of the six fallen workers have been released by government officials, community organizations, families, and news organizations. Their names are:
- José Mynor López, 35, originally from Guatemala
- Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, 38, originally from Honduras
- Miguel Luna, 49, originally from El Salvador
- Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, originally from Guatemala
- Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, originally from Mexico
- Carlos Hernández, 24, originally from Mexico
Immigrant rights advocates have called for better protections for immigrant workers, following the Key Bridge collapse.
A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up to support José’s family. As of this article’s publication, it has raised more than $42,000.
“The Keybridge Disaster took away not just a life, but the stability and security this family once knew. As the sole breadwinner, the husband worked tirelessly to ensure his family had everything they needed. His sudden absence has left a void that cannot be filled, both emotionally and financially,” writes Josue Latorre, co-owner of Owls Corner Cafe in Dundalk, where Franco works.
Latorre continues, “With the recovery still ongoing, this family is grappling with the immense challenge of rebuilding their lives from the ground up. From funeral expenses to daily necessities, every aspect of their lives has been disrupted by this devastating loss. The road ahead is daunting, but with your support, we can help alleviate some of the burden they face.”
The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs has also set up the Key Bridge Emergency Response Fund, which is collecting donations for the families of the victims and survivors.
