1
00:00:01,166 --> 00:00:03,500
♪ ♪

2
00:00:05,966 --> 00:00:10,500
NARRATOR:
March 26, 2024.

3
00:00:13,100 --> 00:00:17,633
A heavily loaded container ship
careens out of control

4
00:00:17,633 --> 00:00:19,666
and heads straight
toward one of the supports

5
00:00:19,666 --> 00:00:23,533
of the Francis Scott Key Bridge
in Baltimore.

6
00:00:28,633 --> 00:00:31,200
OFFICER (on radio):
C-13 Dispatch, the whole bridge
just fell down.

7
00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:32,633
The whole bridge just collapsed.

8
00:00:32,633 --> 00:00:34,233
SEARCH UNIT MEMBER:
Key Bridge is down.

9
00:00:34,233 --> 00:00:36,066
Several vehicles
in the water.

10
00:00:36,066 --> 00:00:38,500
NARRATOR:
It's a race to find survivors...

11
00:00:38,500 --> 00:00:39,833
OFFICER 2:
They're bringing a victim
in now.

12
00:00:39,833 --> 00:00:40,900
OFFICER 3:
Okay.

13
00:00:40,900 --> 00:00:42,233
(helicopter whirring)

14
00:00:42,233 --> 00:00:46,733
NARRATOR:
...and remove the 50,000 tons
of debris

15
00:00:46,733 --> 00:00:49,100
that completely cut off
this vital port.

16
00:00:49,100 --> 00:00:51,366
ESTEE PINCHASIN:
People are looking at us
and saying,

17
00:00:51,366 --> 00:00:52,766
"What's the plan?"

18
00:00:53,733 --> 00:00:57,533
NARRATOR:
The scale of the salvage
operation is daunting.

19
00:00:57,533 --> 00:01:00,533
They need to reopen
this crucial shipping route

20
00:01:00,533 --> 00:01:02,266
as quickly as possible.

21
00:01:02,266 --> 00:01:04,466
ROBYN BIANCHI:
You could instantly feel
the ripple effects

22
00:01:04,466 --> 00:01:06,566
on our economy, on Baltimore.

23
00:01:08,033 --> 00:01:09,300
PINCHASIN:
We knew that it was

24
00:01:09,300 --> 00:01:10,666
gonna be very dangerous,

25
00:01:10,666 --> 00:01:12,166
very complex.

26
00:01:12,166 --> 00:01:13,333
STEPHEN SKIPPEN:
It will certainly make
your hair stand up

27
00:01:13,333 --> 00:01:14,700
on the back of your neck

28
00:01:14,700 --> 00:01:18,400
seeing the steel drop
as you're making cuts.

29
00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:21,733
NARRATOR:
Investigators scramble
to uncover what went wrong,

30
00:01:21,733 --> 00:01:25,000
asking, how did
a modern ship suffer

31
00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,266
such a catastrophic loss
of control?

32
00:01:27,266 --> 00:01:30,433
And why did a single point
of impact

33
00:01:30,433 --> 00:01:33,433
cause the entire bridge
to collapse?

34
00:01:33,433 --> 00:01:35,400
The problem you have
is that ships have gotten

35
00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:36,900
bigger and larger,

36
00:01:36,900 --> 00:01:39,533
and the infrastructure
has not kept up with them.

37
00:01:39,533 --> 00:01:44,066
NARRATOR:
An estimated two-and-a-half
thousand U.S. bridges

38
00:01:44,066 --> 00:01:45,866
remain at risk of ship strikes.

39
00:01:45,866 --> 00:01:48,566
ABI AGHAYERE:
This could have been prevented.

40
00:01:48,566 --> 00:01:51,666
NARRATOR:
As vessels grow in size,

41
00:01:51,666 --> 00:01:55,000
can our infrastructure
handle it?

42
00:01:55,000 --> 00:02:00,633
"Baltimore Bridge Collapse,"
right now on "NOVA."

43
00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:08,033
♪ ♪

44
00:02:34,166 --> 00:02:36,233
♪ ♪

45
00:02:36,233 --> 00:02:38,766
NARRATOR:
The port of Baltimore,
Maryland,

46
00:02:38,766 --> 00:02:41,800
is one of the busiest ports
on the East Coast,

47
00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:44,400
and its history
is as long and storied

48
00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,366
as the United States itself.

49
00:02:49,233 --> 00:02:51,500
So much of Baltimore's identity
is actually

50
00:02:51,500 --> 00:02:53,366
wrapped up in its port.

51
00:02:53,366 --> 00:02:56,600
The Port of Baltimore has been
one of the earliest trade points

52
00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:59,266
for not just the state,
but for this country.

53
00:02:59,266 --> 00:03:01,266
I mean, that port is

54
00:03:01,266 --> 00:03:04,466
our economic heartbeat
in the state of Maryland.

55
00:03:04,466 --> 00:03:07,033
NARRATOR:
Every year,

56
00:03:07,033 --> 00:03:10,566
it handles cargo
worth more than $80 billion

57
00:03:10,566 --> 00:03:13,533
and supports
more than 20,000 jobs.

58
00:03:15,566 --> 00:03:17,466
♪ ♪

59
00:03:17,466 --> 00:03:19,500
The Port of Baltimore
supplies the nation

60
00:03:19,500 --> 00:03:23,533
with critical goods
from food to pharmaceuticals.

61
00:03:24,900 --> 00:03:27,600
The port has
17 separate terminals

62
00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:32,600
for container operations,
cruise ships, and bulk cargo.

63
00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:36,366
2,000 vessels dock here
every year.

64
00:03:36,366 --> 00:03:39,233
It can handle some
of the world's largest ships,

65
00:03:39,233 --> 00:03:43,333
each carrying
more than 15,000 containers.

66
00:03:43,333 --> 00:03:45,833
To reach the port terminals,

67
00:03:45,833 --> 00:03:48,966
all ships must pass under
the Francis Scott Key Bridge,

68
00:03:48,966 --> 00:03:52,133
which carries four lanes
of road traffic

69
00:03:52,133 --> 00:03:56,266
1.7 miles across the bay.

70
00:03:56,266 --> 00:03:59,000
The ships must negotiate
a narrow shipping channel

71
00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:02,533
that runs between
the main supports of the bridge.

72
00:04:04,033 --> 00:04:05,733
♪ ♪

73
00:04:05,733 --> 00:04:08,833
MOORE:
From a practical perspective,
the Key Bridge

74
00:04:08,833 --> 00:04:11,033
gets you
to the Port of Baltimore.

75
00:04:12,066 --> 00:04:14,066
(chuckles):
But it's so much more than that.

76
00:04:14,066 --> 00:04:16,300
It's our skyline.

77
00:04:16,300 --> 00:04:19,066
The backdrop for Baltimore.

78
00:04:19,066 --> 00:04:22,366
♪ ♪

79
00:04:24,766 --> 00:04:29,500
NARRATOR:
In the early hours
of Tuesday, March 26, 2024,

80
00:04:29,500 --> 00:04:33,000
12 ships are docked in the port.

81
00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,500
At 12:36 A.M.,

82
00:04:35,500 --> 00:04:37,700
one sets sail for Sri Lanka

83
00:04:37,700 --> 00:04:42,066
with 21 crew
and two local pilots onboard.

84
00:04:42,066 --> 00:04:44,966
It's called Dali,

85
00:04:44,966 --> 00:04:49,433
a 124,000-ton,
947-foot-long ship.

86
00:04:50,533 --> 00:04:53,933
It's part of a modern class
of ships so massive

87
00:04:53,933 --> 00:04:56,866
that only certain ports have
channels deep enough

88
00:04:56,866 --> 00:04:59,166
to allow them to pass.

89
00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:02,300
The vessel is almost full,

90
00:05:02,300 --> 00:05:06,000
laden with nearly 4,700
containers,

91
00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:10,000
carrying everything
from soybeans to perfume.

92
00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:12,666
But as the ship approaches
the bridge,

93
00:05:12,666 --> 00:05:15,466
there's a sudden loss
of electrical power.

94
00:05:17,066 --> 00:05:20,366
The ship is plunged
into darkness.

95
00:05:20,366 --> 00:05:24,533
At 1:26 A.M.,
one of the pilots onboard

96
00:05:24,533 --> 00:05:28,100
sends out a distress call,
which alerts the police.

97
00:05:28,100 --> 00:05:30,833
DISPATCHER:
Hold all traffic
on the Key Bridge.

98
00:05:30,833 --> 00:05:32,366
There's a ship approaching

99
00:05:32,366 --> 00:05:34,800
that has just
lost their steering.

100
00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:36,200
OFFICER:
I'm holding traffic now.

101
00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,600
I was driving, but we stopped
prior to the bridge.

102
00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:42,000
MOORE:
We had workers on that bridge.

103
00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:44,700
These are people
who are fixing potholes.

104
00:05:44,700 --> 00:05:47,033
They were fixing potholes
while we slept.

105
00:05:47,033 --> 00:05:50,733
DISPATCHER: Just make sure no
one's on the bridge right now.

106
00:05:50,733 --> 00:05:52,133
If there's a crew up there,

107
00:05:52,133 --> 00:05:53,900
you might want to notify
whoever the foreman is,

108
00:05:53,900 --> 00:05:56,066
see if we can get them
off the bridge temporarily.

109
00:05:59,866 --> 00:06:01,200
OFFICER:
Once you get here,

110
00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:03,466
I'll go grab the workers
on the Key Bridge

111
00:06:03,466 --> 00:06:05,866
and then stop the outer loop.

112
00:06:05,866 --> 00:06:10,866
NARRATOR:
But the police are unable
to reach the workers in time.

113
00:06:10,866 --> 00:06:15,900
♪ ♪

114
00:06:19,100 --> 00:06:21,666
OFFICER:
C-13 Dispatch,
the whole bridge just fell down.

115
00:06:21,666 --> 00:06:22,800
The whole bridge just collapsed.

116
00:06:24,900 --> 00:06:29,933
♪ ♪

117
00:06:39,566 --> 00:06:40,966
MOORE:
My chief of staff,

118
00:06:40,966 --> 00:06:43,600
he sent me a, a note saying,
"I just sent you a video."

119
00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:46,766
The video was of
the bridge collapsing

120
00:06:46,766 --> 00:06:49,100
and it literally
took my breath away.

121
00:06:49,100 --> 00:06:51,466
Uh, it just didn't look real.

122
00:06:51,466 --> 00:06:54,266
♪ ♪

123
00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:56,866
We knew that

124
00:06:56,866 --> 00:06:59,900
one of the most tragic moments
in our state's history

125
00:06:59,900 --> 00:07:01,433
had just occurred.

126
00:07:04,333 --> 00:07:06,133
BYSTANDER:
That's the Key Bridge,
Key Bridge.

127
00:07:06,133 --> 00:07:08,100
OFFICER: Yeah, it is.
BYSTANDER: Wow!

128
00:07:09,133 --> 00:07:11,433
NARRATOR:
The container ship Dali

129
00:07:11,433 --> 00:07:14,566
has smashed into
and destroyed the bridge.

130
00:07:16,966 --> 00:07:19,233
Immediately, Coast Guard
and police search teams

131
00:07:19,233 --> 00:07:21,166
race to the scene.

132
00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:26,300
MAN:
The whole bridge has collapsed.

133
00:07:26,300 --> 00:07:30,166
And the bridge is sitting on top
of the container ship.

134
00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:33,266
DAVID O'CONNELL:
We started searching

135
00:07:33,266 --> 00:07:35,200
almost instantaneously

136
00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:36,900
'cause our station was
very close.

137
00:07:39,100 --> 00:07:40,533
If you just get us near where

138
00:07:40,533 --> 00:07:42,533
the other Fire Department
assets are out there.

139
00:07:42,533 --> 00:07:43,966
MAN:
You got it, you got it.

140
00:07:43,966 --> 00:07:45,600
SEARCH UNIT MEMBER:
Key Bridge is down.

141
00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:47,233
It was last reported,

142
00:07:47,233 --> 00:07:48,766
at least several vehicles
in the water

143
00:07:48,766 --> 00:07:50,666
and several people
still unaccounted for.

144
00:07:51,666 --> 00:07:53,266
O'CONNELL (voiceover):
It was night time,

145
00:07:53,266 --> 00:07:55,633
it was a fairly clear night
though so they could see,

146
00:07:55,633 --> 00:07:57,066
they had visibility.

147
00:07:57,066 --> 00:07:58,666
They had lights as well.

148
00:07:59,733 --> 00:08:01,200
RESCUE OFFICER:
Hey what's going on, man?

149
00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:02,900
We've got one out
of the water.
Okay.

150
00:08:02,900 --> 00:08:05,800
O'CONNELL (voiceover):
There was one survivor
that went into the water

151
00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,066
in his vehicle

152
00:08:08,066 --> 00:08:10,466
and he was clinging to
a piece of debris

153
00:08:10,466 --> 00:08:12,800
when he was picked up.

154
00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:14,700
RESCUE OFFICER:
They're bringing the victim
in now.

155
00:08:14,700 --> 00:08:16,333
Okay.

156
00:08:16,333 --> 00:08:18,100
O'CONNELL (voiceover):
Incredible that somebody
would survive

157
00:08:18,100 --> 00:08:21,233
that fall and be rescued.

158
00:08:21,233 --> 00:08:25,733
It gave hope to the rescuers
that we were gonna find

159
00:08:25,733 --> 00:08:28,833
other victims as well that
survived the fall.

160
00:08:28,833 --> 00:08:30,800
SEARCH UNIT:
343 Sierra.

161
00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:32,633
I have nothing at the moment.

162
00:08:32,633 --> 00:08:35,733
NARRATOR:
The search teams have rescued
one construction worker,

163
00:08:35,733 --> 00:08:39,800
but six are still missing.

164
00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:42,366
First light reveals

165
00:08:42,366 --> 00:08:45,333
the full scale of the disaster.

166
00:08:47,366 --> 00:08:50,033
♪ ♪

167
00:08:51,300 --> 00:08:52,866
POLICE OFFICER (on radio):
God.

168
00:08:52,866 --> 00:08:54,266
POLICE OFFICER 2 (on radio):
Natural one to Command.

169
00:08:54,266 --> 00:08:57,000
NARRATOR:
The Dali had so much momentum,

170
00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:00,333
it completely destroyed one of
the main support piers

171
00:09:00,333 --> 00:09:02,700
that held up the Key Bridge.

172
00:09:02,700 --> 00:09:05,333
The ship has run aground,

173
00:09:05,333 --> 00:09:07,333
and is trapped by the wreckage.

174
00:09:08,533 --> 00:09:10,866
Almost 3,000 feet
of the crossing

175
00:09:10,866 --> 00:09:14,133
have collapsed
into the Patapsco River.

176
00:09:14,133 --> 00:09:15,933
OFFICER (on radio):
We've got some
investigators onboard,

177
00:09:15,933 --> 00:09:18,600
we'll be in
the area of the, uh, bridge.

178
00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:23,133
NARRATOR:
Fortunately,
the Dali's crew is unscathed

179
00:09:23,133 --> 00:09:25,366
and the hull has not
been breached.

180
00:09:27,166 --> 00:09:31,500
But no ships can get in or out
of the Port of Baltimore.

181
00:09:31,500 --> 00:09:35,133
50,000 tons of debris
completely block

182
00:09:35,133 --> 00:09:39,900
the main shipping channel;
the port is shut down.

183
00:09:43,866 --> 00:09:47,966
As the day ends,
there's still no sign

184
00:09:47,966 --> 00:09:50,800
of the six missing workers.

185
00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:52,800
MOORE (voiceover):
I remember speaking
with the person

186
00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:54,500
who was running the operation
from the Coast Guard,

187
00:09:54,500 --> 00:09:56,933
and I said,

188
00:09:56,933 --> 00:09:58,433
"What is the probability

189
00:09:58,433 --> 00:10:02,066
that we're gonna find
someone alive at this point?"

190
00:10:02,066 --> 00:10:04,166
And the answer that he gave
was "Governor,

191
00:10:04,166 --> 00:10:06,133
"my professional assessment
is zero.

192
00:10:06,133 --> 00:10:08,066
There's a zero percent chance."

193
00:10:08,066 --> 00:10:11,200
♪ ♪

194
00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:13,000
I remember one of
the family members who said

195
00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:14,200
"Quiero el cuerpo."

196
00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:16,300
Which is "I, I want the body."

197
00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:29,000
♪ ♪

198
00:10:38,033 --> 00:10:40,800
♪ ♪

199
00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:43,000
NARRATOR:
While the search

200
00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:44,933
for lost workers continues,

201
00:10:44,933 --> 00:10:48,466
the city begins to grapple with
the sheer scale of the problem.

202
00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:53,433
PINCHASIN:
Never seen anything
of that magnitude before.

203
00:10:56,800 --> 00:10:59,166
We had the bridge collapse

204
00:10:59,166 --> 00:11:00,233
with the vessel,

205
00:11:00,233 --> 00:11:01,433
everything mangled

206
00:11:01,433 --> 00:11:03,100
up on top and around.

207
00:11:05,833 --> 00:11:07,900
You had these big, large spans

208
00:11:07,900 --> 00:11:11,366
that were just laying
in the water.

209
00:11:13,866 --> 00:11:16,200
You see four-inch steel

210
00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:18,900
that's been bent-- bent!

211
00:11:20,066 --> 00:11:23,233
How can you even start
to think about the force?

212
00:11:23,233 --> 00:11:25,466
♪ ♪

213
00:11:25,466 --> 00:11:26,900
People are looking at us

214
00:11:26,900 --> 00:11:28,700
and saying, "What's the plan?"

215
00:11:29,900 --> 00:11:31,666
NARRATOR:
The stakes are high.

216
00:11:31,666 --> 00:11:34,600
Every day the port
is closed costs

217
00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:36,633
$15 million in lost revenue,

218
00:11:36,633 --> 00:11:38,100
and more than a thousand

219
00:11:38,100 --> 00:11:41,333
containers a day
cannot move in or out.

220
00:11:43,133 --> 00:11:46,966
There are fears the closure
could impact the wider economy,

221
00:11:46,966 --> 00:11:50,466
affecting commerce
across the country.

222
00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:53,566
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

223
00:11:53,566 --> 00:11:55,033
and the U.S. Coast Guard

224
00:11:55,033 --> 00:11:56,900
bring in the Navy

225
00:11:56,900 --> 00:12:00,466
and three specialist
salvage teams.

226
00:12:00,466 --> 00:12:02,766
PINCHASIN:
The number one priority

227
00:12:02,766 --> 00:12:05,600
was recovering
the missing personnel.

228
00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:09,233
The number two priority was
opening the channel.

229
00:12:11,266 --> 00:12:13,833
NARRATOR:
The situation calls for
a rapid response

230
00:12:13,833 --> 00:12:15,933
of unprecedented scale.

231
00:12:15,933 --> 00:12:18,300
The team must free the Dali

232
00:12:18,300 --> 00:12:20,600
from the 5,000 ton
bridge section

233
00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:25,133
that pins down its bow,
so they can tow the vessel away.

234
00:12:25,133 --> 00:12:28,200
But before they can
fully reopen the port,

235
00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:31,000
they must also cut
the collapsed sections of bridge

236
00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:34,400
into smaller pieces
and lift them from the river.

237
00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:38,333
50,000 tons of mangled steel
and concrete.

238
00:12:38,333 --> 00:12:41,766
It's a huge challenge.

239
00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:45,000
BIANCHI:
And you just think, how?

240
00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:47,300
How are we going to?

241
00:12:48,133 --> 00:12:51,166
Seeing it on the news,
seeing it in photos,

242
00:12:51,166 --> 00:12:52,600
I was not prepared to see it,

243
00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:55,266
you know, up close and personal.

244
00:12:58,566 --> 00:13:01,966
NARRATOR:
Robyn Bianchi is part of a
salvage team brought in

245
00:13:01,966 --> 00:13:05,166
to clear the bridge wreckage
from the main shipping channel.

246
00:13:05,166 --> 00:13:08,200
WORKER:
This is gonna be a hell
of a clean-up.

247
00:13:09,300 --> 00:13:12,933
BIANCHI:
And it was just so unfathomable,
the amount of damage

248
00:13:12,933 --> 00:13:16,266
and wreckage
and how massive everything was.

249
00:13:17,333 --> 00:13:20,800
And we instantly knew,
well, we can't make any plans

250
00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:22,366
on how to raise this
wreckage out of the water

251
00:13:22,366 --> 00:13:24,833
until we know what it looks like
under the water.

252
00:13:26,100 --> 00:13:27,833
NARRATOR:
The salvage team's first task

253
00:13:27,833 --> 00:13:32,600
is to send divers down
into the mass of twisted steel.

254
00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:36,200
They must try to make sense
of how the mangled beams

255
00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:39,133
and smashed road
are positioned on the riverbed.

256
00:13:41,466 --> 00:13:44,100
It's a key step
before they can make a plan

257
00:13:44,100 --> 00:13:47,866
to disassemble
the tangled structure safely.

258
00:13:47,866 --> 00:13:52,633
BIANCHI:
They're entering a very
inherently dangerous situation.

259
00:13:52,633 --> 00:13:55,633
SALVAGE TEAM MEMBER:
You have the hanger,
go back to the hanger part.

260
00:13:55,633 --> 00:13:56,900
(respirating)

261
00:13:56,900 --> 00:13:59,366
BIANCHI:
Like, there was no
visibility,

262
00:13:59,366 --> 00:14:01,333
so I kind of compared it to

263
00:14:01,333 --> 00:14:03,566
a metal jungle gym underwater.

264
00:14:03,566 --> 00:14:05,833
Right, you have this
rusty, metal jungle gym

265
00:14:05,833 --> 00:14:08,066
that was plopped into
zero visibility.

266
00:14:08,066 --> 00:14:11,233
You turn off all the lights in
the room and try and tell me

267
00:14:11,233 --> 00:14:13,000
all the pieces

268
00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,100
of where they connect,
of that metal jungle gym.

269
00:14:15,100 --> 00:14:17,500
Oh, and by the way the jungle
gym's completely twisted

270
00:14:17,500 --> 00:14:20,100
and it looks nothing like it did
when it was built to perfection.

271
00:14:20,100 --> 00:14:22,366
(respirating)

272
00:14:22,366 --> 00:14:25,733
SALVAGE TEAM MEMBER:
How far from the first gusset
that you just left?

273
00:14:25,733 --> 00:14:27,833
DIVER: Maybe about six foot?
SALVAGE TEAM MEMBER: Okay.

274
00:14:27,833 --> 00:14:31,033
BIANCHI:
You want to really meticulously
guide them through.

275
00:14:31,033 --> 00:14:34,066
All right, when you have
your hand on this section,

276
00:14:34,066 --> 00:14:37,000
we're gonna call this section J,
so I'd have them

277
00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:40,000
mark it with a little,
um, underwater marker

278
00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:41,900
and that correlated to section J

279
00:14:41,900 --> 00:14:44,633
on this
specific engineering plan.

280
00:14:44,633 --> 00:14:46,700
SALVAGE TEAM MEMBER:
Can you see
the other side of that pendant?

281
00:14:46,700 --> 00:14:48,100
Is it disconnected?

282
00:14:48,100 --> 00:14:50,766
DIVER:
Yeah, it looks still
connected to a beam,

283
00:14:50,766 --> 00:14:52,233
uh, like a truss.

284
00:14:53,466 --> 00:14:55,400
BIANCHI:
We were able to kind of map out

285
00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:57,333
what it looks like underwater.

286
00:14:57,333 --> 00:14:59,533
You verify
and validate with comms,

287
00:14:59,533 --> 00:15:02,866
and then you move on
to the next objective.

288
00:15:02,866 --> 00:15:04,800
SALVAGE TEAM MEMBER:
So how much
do you have exposed

289
00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:07,100
from the mudline to
the top of the gusset plate?

290
00:15:08,066 --> 00:15:09,900
DIVER:
Standby, I'll grab the tape.

291
00:15:09,900 --> 00:15:12,466
BIANCHI:
It was very dangerous
for divers

292
00:15:12,466 --> 00:15:13,866
because you'd turn left

293
00:15:13,866 --> 00:15:15,300
and you went
underneath something,

294
00:15:15,300 --> 00:15:17,500
like a piece of rebar
that's sticking out,

295
00:15:17,500 --> 00:15:20,300
you have to remember that that's
where you have to come back out

296
00:15:20,300 --> 00:15:22,600
otherwise
you could become trapped.

297
00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:25,233
Everything
that could make diving

298
00:15:25,233 --> 00:15:27,633
more difficult,
it was on this job.

299
00:15:27,633 --> 00:15:29,466
♪ ♪

300
00:15:29,466 --> 00:15:33,933
NARRATOR:
Visibility is no more
than one or two feet.

301
00:15:33,933 --> 00:15:38,066
To give the divers
a clearer picture,

302
00:15:38,066 --> 00:15:40,433
the team deploys
underwater drones

303
00:15:40,433 --> 00:15:42,900
equipped with sonar
to map the wreckage.

304
00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:48,100
Together with the hands-on
dive surveys,

305
00:15:48,100 --> 00:15:49,866
these scans will help
the team decide

306
00:15:49,866 --> 00:15:53,133
where to cut
and lift each section of debris.

307
00:15:54,366 --> 00:15:56,066
SUAREZ:
This volumetric sonar

308
00:15:56,066 --> 00:15:58,733
uses very precise location data

309
00:15:58,733 --> 00:16:00,433
from various scans

310
00:16:00,433 --> 00:16:02,733
to essentially stitch together

311
00:16:02,733 --> 00:16:04,266
multiple scans to create

312
00:16:04,266 --> 00:16:06,266
a 3D model.

313
00:16:09,133 --> 00:16:11,200
The picture spoke
a thousand words.

314
00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:13,966
It just gave
a really high fidelity view

315
00:16:13,966 --> 00:16:17,566
of exactly what everyone
was dealing with on the bottom.

316
00:16:17,566 --> 00:16:20,700
PINCHASIN:
Down at the bottom
is where you had

317
00:16:20,700 --> 00:16:23,733
a big, mangled mess, especially
in the center of the channel.

318
00:16:23,733 --> 00:16:25,333
Not just the steel,

319
00:16:25,333 --> 00:16:28,300
but the reinforced concrete
from the road bed.

320
00:16:28,300 --> 00:16:30,866
What we didn't realize
until we were able to get

321
00:16:30,866 --> 00:16:32,500
some 3D imagery

322
00:16:32,500 --> 00:16:36,966
of just how catastrophic
the collapse was.

323
00:16:36,966 --> 00:16:38,366
♪ ♪

324
00:16:38,366 --> 00:16:39,766
NARRATOR:
While the salvage teams

325
00:16:39,766 --> 00:16:42,233
prepare their work plans,

326
00:16:42,233 --> 00:16:44,766
the National Transportation
Safety Board

327
00:16:44,766 --> 00:16:46,666
begins an investigation

328
00:16:46,666 --> 00:16:50,100
to answer the questions-- what
caused the ship to lose power

329
00:16:50,100 --> 00:16:52,600
and collide with the bridge?

330
00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:56,866
And why did the structure
collapse so catastrophically?

331
00:16:58,500 --> 00:17:01,333
♪ ♪

332
00:17:04,533 --> 00:17:08,966
Investigators board the Dali
on the day of the accident.

333
00:17:08,966 --> 00:17:12,633
They document the scene,

334
00:17:12,633 --> 00:17:16,266
and meticulously gather physical
and electronic evidence.

335
00:17:16,266 --> 00:17:19,600
They interview
the captain and 20 crew,

336
00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:23,966
all of whom remain on the ship
because of visa restrictions.

337
00:17:23,966 --> 00:17:26,466
They retrieve the ship's
voyage data recorder,

338
00:17:26,466 --> 00:17:29,333
which stores audio
from the Dali's bridge

339
00:17:29,333 --> 00:17:33,166
and details engine
and rudder commands.

340
00:17:33,166 --> 00:17:36,800
Marcel Muise is the investigator

341
00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:39,466
in charge
of the Dali accident.

342
00:17:40,500 --> 00:17:42,066
We're looking at
different aspects

343
00:17:42,066 --> 00:17:43,333
of the incident

344
00:17:43,333 --> 00:17:45,833
to answer,
how do we stop ships

345
00:17:45,833 --> 00:17:47,200
from losing power?

346
00:17:48,366 --> 00:17:51,133
Assuming that we can't
stop ships from losing power,

347
00:17:51,133 --> 00:17:52,966
how do we stop them from
hitting things?

348
00:17:52,966 --> 00:17:54,866
Assuming we can't stop
ships from hitting bridges,

349
00:17:54,866 --> 00:17:56,733
how do we stop
them from falling down?

350
00:17:56,733 --> 00:17:59,433
NARRATOR:
To answer this question,

351
00:17:59,433 --> 00:18:02,500
the team must study
the structure of the bridge

352
00:18:02,500 --> 00:18:04,966
to understand how it collapsed.

353
00:18:07,733 --> 00:18:09,900
♪ ♪

354
00:18:09,900 --> 00:18:11,733
The critical structural
element that allowed

355
00:18:11,733 --> 00:18:14,700
the Key Bridge to reach
all the way across the river

356
00:18:14,700 --> 00:18:19,633
was its massive truss,
a lattice of steel beams

357
00:18:19,633 --> 00:18:23,933
arranged in triangles
that made it light yet strong.

358
00:18:26,066 --> 00:18:28,366
Spanning 1,200 feet,

359
00:18:28,366 --> 00:18:31,566
it was the third longest
continuous bridge truss

360
00:18:31,566 --> 00:18:33,700
ever constructed.

361
00:18:33,700 --> 00:18:35,533
But at this extreme length,

362
00:18:35,533 --> 00:18:37,733
it would have buckled
under its own weight

363
00:18:37,733 --> 00:18:39,533
without support.

364
00:18:39,533 --> 00:18:41,866
(metal buckling)

365
00:18:41,866 --> 00:18:45,833
It needed two large reinforced
concrete piers to hold it up,

366
00:18:45,833 --> 00:18:49,533
dividing it into
three shorter spans.

367
00:18:50,966 --> 00:18:53,700
The Key Bridge was
a feat of structural engineering

368
00:18:53,700 --> 00:18:56,666
but it had
a fundamental weakness.

369
00:18:58,066 --> 00:19:00,333
♪ ♪

370
00:19:00,333 --> 00:19:02,133
AGHAYERE:
If you take away
a critical element,

371
00:19:02,133 --> 00:19:05,400
you lose that equilibrium and
the structure is gonna collapse.

372
00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:09,000
NARRATOR:
With one of the main support
piers destroyed,

373
00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:11,833
the bridge cannot span such
a distance,

374
00:19:11,833 --> 00:19:14,700
and begins to break apart.

375
00:19:14,700 --> 00:19:17,833
These two span becomes
one span

376
00:19:17,833 --> 00:19:20,066
for which this bridge was
not designed.

377
00:19:20,066 --> 00:19:23,866
You can see separation
happening at the bottom.

378
00:19:23,866 --> 00:19:26,733
The collapse
is progressing, actually.

379
00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:32,233
And that part is gonna separate,

380
00:19:32,233 --> 00:19:34,533
and you can see
it's breaking off

381
00:19:34,533 --> 00:19:36,233
because of that tension.

382
00:19:36,233 --> 00:19:40,600
NARRATOR:
Without the rest of the truss
to hold it in tension,

383
00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:42,900
the remaining span
becomes unbalanced

384
00:19:42,900 --> 00:19:45,566
and collapses
under its own weight.

385
00:19:45,566 --> 00:19:47,400
AGHAYERE:
A typical progressive

386
00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:50,566
collapse, uh, scenario.

387
00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:56,633
♪ ♪

388
00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:05,800
Let's take a test run
on this bridge right now.

389
00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:08,200
♪ ♪

390
00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:12,133
NARRATOR: When the Francis Scott
Key Bridge was opened in 1977,

391
00:20:12,133 --> 00:20:15,300
a failure on this scale
must have seemed impossible.

392
00:20:16,866 --> 00:20:19,666
 
But back then,
the largest container ships

393
00:20:19,666 --> 00:20:22,766
were less than
half the size of the Dali.

394
00:20:24,733 --> 00:20:26,533
So the main piers of
the Key Bridge

395
00:20:26,533 --> 00:20:29,133
were built with concrete
and timber fenders,

396
00:20:29,133 --> 00:20:32,466
designed to absorb
the impact of ships at the time.

397
00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:36,500
AGHAYERE:
There's no way that they could
have envisioned

398
00:20:36,500 --> 00:20:39,800
that it would be
a 100,000 ton ship

399
00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:41,766
striking the bridge.

400
00:20:41,766 --> 00:20:43,200
REPORTER (voiceover):
So I've just completed

401
00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:45,433
the maiden voyage
for NewsWatch 2

402
00:20:45,433 --> 00:20:47,200
across the
Francis Scott Key Bridge,

403
00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:49,566
and starting Wednesday
at 10:00 A.M.,

404
00:20:49,566 --> 00:20:51,400
you'll get your chance.

405
00:20:52,700 --> 00:20:54,500
♪ ♪

406
00:20:54,500 --> 00:20:57,400
SAL MERCOGLIANO:
We move more goods today than
at any time in our history.

407
00:20:58,900 --> 00:21:00,833
The problem you have
is that ships

408
00:21:00,833 --> 00:21:02,566
have gotten bigger and larger,

409
00:21:02,566 --> 00:21:04,966
and the infrastructure
has not kept up with them.

410
00:21:07,433 --> 00:21:10,966
Lifespan for bridges is
about 75 years.

411
00:21:10,966 --> 00:21:13,233
Ships on the other hand
can last anywhere

412
00:21:13,233 --> 00:21:15,200
from 20 to 30 years,

413
00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:19,200
and so two to three different
generations of ships can happen

414
00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:21,500
during the lifespan of just
one bridge.

415
00:21:22,833 --> 00:21:24,633
Infrastructure can't change

416
00:21:24,633 --> 00:21:26,100
as fast as shipping can change.

417
00:21:29,500 --> 00:21:30,833
AGHAYERE:
The force from the Dali

418
00:21:30,833 --> 00:21:32,200
was huge.

419
00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:34,733
It was a huge, huge force.

420
00:21:35,866 --> 00:21:37,600
NARRATOR:
The ship's enormous mass

421
00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:40,466
acts as a multiplier
of its velocity

422
00:21:40,466 --> 00:21:43,133
to devastating effect.

423
00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:48,433
AGHAYERE:
There's truly no bridge
that I know

424
00:21:48,433 --> 00:21:50,366
that would be designed

425
00:21:50,366 --> 00:21:55,266
for 34 million pounds
of impact force.

426
00:21:55,266 --> 00:21:59,500
So it's not surprising
that it went down.

427
00:21:59,500 --> 00:22:01,900
What is surprising is that there
was no protection

428
00:22:01,900 --> 00:22:04,466
of those piers.

429
00:22:04,466 --> 00:22:06,666
This could have been prevented.

430
00:22:07,733 --> 00:22:13,333
♪ ♪

431
00:22:13,333 --> 00:22:16,400
NARRATOR:
Five days after the collision,

432
00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:18,733
four construction
workers are still missing.

433
00:22:21,466 --> 00:22:25,466
11 ships are trapped in
the port,

434
00:22:25,466 --> 00:22:29,433
many more unable
to get into the port

435
00:22:29,433 --> 00:22:31,466
are diverted as far south

436
00:22:31,466 --> 00:22:36,333
as Brunswick, Georgia,
over 700 miles away.

437
00:22:37,533 --> 00:22:41,500
The sonar scans reveal that huge
sections of the collapsed bridge

438
00:22:41,500 --> 00:22:45,500
are anchored deep in the mud
on the riverbed.

439
00:22:45,500 --> 00:22:46,733
This will make the task

440
00:22:46,733 --> 00:22:49,233
to remove the wreckage
even tougher.

441
00:22:51,333 --> 00:22:54,866
Engineers bring in
22 massive floating cranes,

442
00:22:54,866 --> 00:23:00,533
some urgently reassigned from
other jobs 130 miles away.

443
00:23:01,666 --> 00:23:05,233
These cranes can lift
up to 500 tons.

444
00:23:06,766 --> 00:23:09,366
But even that isn't enough.

445
00:23:09,366 --> 00:23:11,900
BIANCHI:
Some of those pieces

446
00:23:11,900 --> 00:23:13,366
were more than a thousand tons.

447
00:23:13,366 --> 00:23:17,400
NARRATOR:
They must risk destabilizing
the tangled mess

448
00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,366
by cutting the massive truss
sections

449
00:23:20,366 --> 00:23:22,700
into more manageable pieces.

450
00:23:22,700 --> 00:23:25,033
BIANCHI:
So we kind of had to figure out

451
00:23:25,033 --> 00:23:27,033
how many bites do we have
to take

452
00:23:27,033 --> 00:23:29,100
out of this large structure
that's underwater?

453
00:23:31,166 --> 00:23:33,500
How do you eat an elephant

454
00:23:33,500 --> 00:23:34,766
one bite at a time?

455
00:23:39,033 --> 00:23:42,933
NARRATOR:
But each bent steel beam holds
a potentially lethal surprise

456
00:23:42,933 --> 00:23:46,300
for the workers
about to cut through them.

457
00:23:46,300 --> 00:23:48,966
They're loaded with
enormous stored energy,

458
00:23:48,966 --> 00:23:51,766
just like compressed springs.

459
00:23:55,100 --> 00:23:57,466
SKIPPEN:
As we started cutting
and removing

460
00:23:57,466 --> 00:23:59,933
the first sections of steel,
it was really challenging

461
00:23:59,933 --> 00:24:02,966
to figure out where the
energy was stored

462
00:24:02,966 --> 00:24:05,233
in different members and how
they would react.

463
00:24:06,500 --> 00:24:08,866
BIANCHI:
That stored energy
of the bridge,

464
00:24:08,866 --> 00:24:10,900
I like to describe it
like taking

465
00:24:10,900 --> 00:24:12,100
a metal Slinky

466
00:24:12,100 --> 00:24:13,833
that has all that energy

467
00:24:13,833 --> 00:24:16,700
that wants to come like this,
but it's held with the steel.

468
00:24:16,700 --> 00:24:18,566
When you cut that,
all the energy is free

469
00:24:18,566 --> 00:24:20,233
and it'll break apart like that,

470
00:24:20,233 --> 00:24:22,966
and sometimes
it's very dynamic and dramatic.

471
00:24:25,333 --> 00:24:27,300
PINCHASIN:
We have people,

472
00:24:27,300 --> 00:24:29,266
crane operators,

473
00:24:29,266 --> 00:24:31,633
operating very close
to this massive

474
00:24:31,633 --> 00:24:35,166
Jenga, pick-up-sticks,
loaded spring of a problem

475
00:24:35,166 --> 00:24:37,433
where members are being cut

476
00:24:37,433 --> 00:24:39,100
and then they spring back.

477
00:24:39,100 --> 00:24:42,766
(metal scraping,
water splashing)

478
00:24:42,766 --> 00:24:44,533
It's very dangerous.

479
00:24:44,533 --> 00:24:46,500
SKIPPEN:
It'll certainly make
your hair stand up

480
00:24:46,500 --> 00:24:47,733
on the back of your neck

481
00:24:47,733 --> 00:24:49,233
seeing the steel drop

482
00:24:49,233 --> 00:24:51,666
as you're making cuts.

483
00:24:55,366 --> 00:24:58,366
♪ ♪

484
00:24:58,366 --> 00:25:00,933
NARRATOR:
To speed up the job and lift out

485
00:25:00,933 --> 00:25:04,000
the biggest sections of bridge
possible, the team calls in

486
00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:07,033
the largest floating crane on
the East Coast.

487
00:25:07,033 --> 00:25:10,266
The Chesapeake 1000 is capable
of lifting

488
00:25:10,266 --> 00:25:12,300
up to a thousand tons.

489
00:25:14,166 --> 00:25:16,866
BIANCHI:
You're not just dealing
with weight, you're dealing with

490
00:25:16,866 --> 00:25:19,900
all the forces
that are working against you.

491
00:25:19,900 --> 00:25:22,066
There were days
where we were battling

492
00:25:22,066 --> 00:25:25,166
specific sections
due to mud suction.

493
00:25:25,166 --> 00:25:27,266
You have this force that wants
to keep it

494
00:25:27,266 --> 00:25:28,866
sucked down in the mud

495
00:25:28,866 --> 00:25:30,700
and you're trying to apply
a force that's coming

496
00:25:30,700 --> 00:25:33,033
opposite of that, so you have
to break that suction force.

497
00:25:33,033 --> 00:25:35,766
And then as you're
coming up out of the water,

498
00:25:35,766 --> 00:25:38,666
you have all this
material just hanging off,

499
00:25:38,666 --> 00:25:41,366
dangerous road bed,
rebar and stuff.

500
00:25:41,366 --> 00:25:43,900
We had to get under there
with small boats

501
00:25:43,900 --> 00:25:47,166
and torch cut and
get that off of the structure.

502
00:25:48,266 --> 00:25:49,533
So from start to finish,

503
00:25:49,533 --> 00:25:51,600
just a very inherently
dangerous

504
00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:53,600
world that we live in.

505
00:25:54,666 --> 00:25:56,666
♪ ♪

506
00:26:01,666 --> 00:26:04,033
NARRATOR:
The salvage team

507
00:26:04,033 --> 00:26:05,733
hopes to recover the bodies
of the four

508
00:26:05,733 --> 00:26:06,966
missing construction workers

509
00:26:06,966 --> 00:26:10,833
as they remove the layers
of steel and concrete.

510
00:26:12,566 --> 00:26:14,433
PINCHASIN:
To get out onto the water,

511
00:26:14,433 --> 00:26:16,000
you go past the memorial,

512
00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:18,600
you see all the flags
from their home countries

513
00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:21,100
and the people that are
gathered there,

514
00:26:21,100 --> 00:26:22,666
the families that were
gathered there.

515
00:26:26,866 --> 00:26:29,333
When anyone was recovered,

516
00:26:29,333 --> 00:26:32,033
everything stopped,
it was a very

517
00:26:32,033 --> 00:26:34,966
solemn and respectful moment.

518
00:26:34,966 --> 00:26:37,500
We were able to then return
those people

519
00:26:37,500 --> 00:26:40,033
to their families.

520
00:26:40,033 --> 00:26:43,066
♪ ♪

521
00:26:53,666 --> 00:26:58,700
♪ ♪

522
00:27:01,266 --> 00:27:03,933
NARRATOR:
The complexity of the salvage

523
00:27:03,933 --> 00:27:07,266
leaves Baltimore's main shipping
channel completely blocked

524
00:27:07,266 --> 00:27:10,933
more than three weeks
after the collision.

525
00:27:10,933 --> 00:27:13,466
Hundreds of ships
are unable to dock.

526
00:27:16,333 --> 00:27:18,766
To get shipping moving again,

527
00:27:18,766 --> 00:27:22,833
engineers open three temporary
channels for smaller vessels...

528
00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:29,766
...to restore around 15% of
commercial shipping to the port.

529
00:27:38,033 --> 00:27:42,000
The next priority is to
clear a 300-foot-wide section

530
00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:44,433
of the deeper
main shipping channel

531
00:27:44,433 --> 00:27:48,133
that will allow single
lane traffic for larger vessels,

532
00:27:48,133 --> 00:27:52,333
and restore around 70%
of shipping to the port.

533
00:27:53,266 --> 00:27:56,066
(seagulls squawking)

534
00:27:57,300 --> 00:28:01,100
It takes almost four weeks to
haul this wreckage from the mud.

535
00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:08,833
PINCHASIN:
When they opened
the limited access channel

536
00:28:08,833 --> 00:28:10,366
and you saw the scale of
the ships

537
00:28:10,366 --> 00:28:11,733
that we were able to bring in

538
00:28:11,733 --> 00:28:14,433
we just knew that we were
getting one step closer

539
00:28:14,433 --> 00:28:17,733
to bringing Baltimore
back to full functionality.

540
00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:24,200
NARRATOR:
But this access channel creates
another challenge for the team.

541
00:28:26,033 --> 00:28:28,900
Larger vessels
disturb the water so much,

542
00:28:28,900 --> 00:28:33,066
that the Dali could
start to rock and roll.

543
00:28:33,066 --> 00:28:35,800
There's a risk
the vessel could break free,

544
00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:38,900
swing around and
block the channel again.

545
00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:43,633
The team urgently
needs to stabilize the ship,

546
00:28:43,633 --> 00:28:47,666
so they pump water into
the ballast tanks at the front

547
00:28:47,666 --> 00:28:52,700
to weigh down the bow
and lock it into the riverbed.

548
00:28:52,700 --> 00:28:57,300
To secure the stern,
they drop four massive anchors,

549
00:28:57,300 --> 00:29:02,000
and they send in powerful
tugboats to restrain the Dali

550
00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:04,500
should the ship break
its chains.

551
00:29:06,233 --> 00:29:09,800
As the team races
to secure the vessel,

552
00:29:09,800 --> 00:29:12,400
they must also devise
a plan to remove

553
00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:14,266
the 5,000-ton truss

554
00:29:14,266 --> 00:29:18,633
resting precariously
across the bow.

555
00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:22,100
The bridge section on the Dali

556
00:29:22,100 --> 00:29:23,666
was very unstable.

557
00:29:23,666 --> 00:29:27,066
There was bolts falling off it,
pieces of seal falling off it.

558
00:29:28,833 --> 00:29:30,966
Taking care
of the truss on the ship

559
00:29:30,966 --> 00:29:33,400
was gonna be
challenging and dangerous.

560
00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:38,700
NARRATOR:
The cost of the port shutdown

561
00:29:38,700 --> 00:29:41,400
exceeds $15 million a day.

562
00:29:43,500 --> 00:29:45,466
And this is not

563
00:29:45,466 --> 00:29:49,233
the first time in America that
a ship colliding with a bridge

564
00:29:49,233 --> 00:29:51,766
has led to catastrophe.

565
00:29:53,866 --> 00:29:56,066
(helicopter whirring)

566
00:29:56,066 --> 00:29:59,500
An incident
more than 40 years earlier

567
00:29:59,500 --> 00:30:01,500
highlights
the vulnerability of bridges,

568
00:30:01,500 --> 00:30:04,033
but also shows how to
protect them from ship strikes.

569
00:30:06,833 --> 00:30:09,366
In 1980,

570
00:30:09,366 --> 00:30:12,000
a freighter called
"Summit Venture"

571
00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:13,733
brought down a section

572
00:30:13,733 --> 00:30:16,733
of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge
in Florida.

573
00:30:16,733 --> 00:30:19,400
ACCIDENT SURVIVOR:
And as I came to the very top
of the bridge here,

574
00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:21,733
I saw the rest of the bridge
was out

575
00:30:21,733 --> 00:30:23,633
and applied the brakes
immediately

576
00:30:23,633 --> 00:30:26,466
and I stopped within
about two feet of going in.

577
00:30:28,533 --> 00:30:32,266
NARRATOR:
But 35 people lost
their lives in this tragedy.

578
00:30:35,800 --> 00:30:38,433
♪ ♪

579
00:30:38,433 --> 00:30:41,533
The new bridge was
built with engineered islands

580
00:30:41,533 --> 00:30:45,933
to protect the main piers
from ship collisions.

581
00:30:45,933 --> 00:30:49,200
Vast underwater pillars
called "dolphins"

582
00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:52,600
guard the piers
that hold up the roadway.

583
00:30:52,600 --> 00:30:55,900
AGHAYERE:
Dolphins, they are really
anchored all the way down

584
00:30:55,900 --> 00:30:58,800
into the seabed
and filled with concrete,

585
00:30:58,800 --> 00:31:01,900
so they are massive,
they're not pushovers.

586
00:31:01,900 --> 00:31:04,700
They dissipate the energy
and bring the ship to a stop.

587
00:31:06,700 --> 00:31:08,233
NARRATOR:
After 1991,

588
00:31:08,233 --> 00:31:12,533
all new bridges had to be built
with pier protection.

589
00:31:12,533 --> 00:31:14,633
Bridges built before then

590
00:31:14,633 --> 00:31:16,966
were not required to be
protected.

591
00:31:18,500 --> 00:31:21,166
They were kind of

592
00:31:21,166 --> 00:31:23,066
just left alone.

593
00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:27,633
So that's why a bridge like
the Francis Scott Key Bridge

594
00:31:27,633 --> 00:31:29,866
was left unprotected.

595
00:31:29,866 --> 00:31:32,066
♪ ♪

596
00:31:32,066 --> 00:31:34,833
NARRATOR:
But retrofitting
pier protection

597
00:31:34,833 --> 00:31:37,266
to older bridges is possible.

598
00:31:38,533 --> 00:31:40,966
Operators of
the Delaware Memorial Bridge,

599
00:31:40,966 --> 00:31:43,366
which opened in 1951,

600
00:31:43,366 --> 00:31:46,066
decided to spend $93 million

601
00:31:46,066 --> 00:31:48,333
to install eight new dolphins.

602
00:31:50,066 --> 00:31:53,133
It would cost almost
$2 billion to replace

603
00:31:53,133 --> 00:31:56,866
the Delaware Memorial Bridge
in the event of a collapse--

604
00:31:56,866 --> 00:31:59,733
more than 20 times
the cost of the dolphins.

605
00:32:02,433 --> 00:32:05,466
In the 1970s, the Key Bridge

606
00:32:05,466 --> 00:32:07,666
was built with four dolphins,

607
00:32:07,666 --> 00:32:11,333
but they were all positioned
over 400 feet

608
00:32:11,333 --> 00:32:13,666
from its main piers.

609
00:32:13,666 --> 00:32:15,866
AGHAYERE:
The dolphins were so far away
from the piers

610
00:32:15,866 --> 00:32:18,133
that they were basically useless

611
00:32:18,133 --> 00:32:21,400
in terms of protecting
the piers.

612
00:32:23,466 --> 00:32:25,633
I believe that if you had

613
00:32:25,633 --> 00:32:28,633
dolphins, closer up dolphins,

614
00:32:28,633 --> 00:32:32,400
protecting the Key Bridge,
that direct hit

615
00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:35,766
from the Dali
would not have happened.

616
00:32:37,333 --> 00:32:38,566
The ship would be damaged,

617
00:32:38,566 --> 00:32:40,300
but the bridge would have been
spared.

618
00:32:40,300 --> 00:32:41,833
The lives would have been
spared.

619
00:32:45,100 --> 00:32:47,200
Maritime law is written
in blood.

620
00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:50,833
 
We tend to wait for an accident
to take place.

621
00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:54,200
It took Titanic's sinking

622
00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:56,633
for us to come up with
a convention

623
00:32:56,633 --> 00:32:59,400
that mandated
enough lifeboats onboard.

624
00:33:00,633 --> 00:33:03,033
It's because we can't imagine
something as bad

625
00:33:03,033 --> 00:33:05,866
as what happens with Dali
ever happening.

626
00:33:07,300 --> 00:33:10,766
♪ ♪

627
00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:26,066
NARRATOR:
Since the Francis Scott Key
Bridge opened in 1977,

628
00:33:26,066 --> 00:33:29,666
thousands of ships
have passed safely underneath.

629
00:33:32,100 --> 00:33:35,233
But this disaster
had been foreseen.

630
00:33:35,233 --> 00:33:39,733
Between 2006 and 2016,

631
00:33:39,733 --> 00:33:41,100
meeting notes reveal

632
00:33:41,100 --> 00:33:42,866
that Baltimore's Harbor Safety
Committee

633
00:33:42,866 --> 00:33:44,966
discussed the need for
the Key Bridge

634
00:33:44,966 --> 00:33:48,066
to be protected
from ship strikes.

635
00:33:50,633 --> 00:33:53,233
There were people
really stressing that

636
00:33:53,233 --> 00:33:55,300
there needs
to be pier protection.

637
00:33:55,300 --> 00:33:56,933
You could have ships
lose electrical power,

638
00:33:56,933 --> 00:33:58,766
and if they lose
electrical power,

639
00:33:58,766 --> 00:34:00,233
they could drift

640
00:34:00,233 --> 00:34:01,600
and, and hit the piers.

641
00:34:03,033 --> 00:34:04,800
But the issue of cost

642
00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:08,000
is discussed, and it seems crazy

643
00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:10,266
but nothing was done.

644
00:34:10,266 --> 00:34:15,566
There was a real opportunity
to prevent what happened.

645
00:34:16,900 --> 00:34:19,433
NARRATOR:
The Dali is not
even the first ship

646
00:34:19,433 --> 00:34:21,066
to strike Baltimore's
Key Bridge.

647
00:34:23,133 --> 00:34:25,333
On August 29, 1980,

648
00:34:25,333 --> 00:34:28,166
a 400-foot-long cargo ship

649
00:34:28,166 --> 00:34:30,800
also lost power leaving port,

650
00:34:30,800 --> 00:34:33,033
and slammed into the same pier

651
00:34:33,033 --> 00:34:36,433
that the Dali would hit
over four decades later.

652
00:34:36,433 --> 00:34:38,833
REPORTER:
Here's where it happened,
a Japanese ship

653
00:34:38,833 --> 00:34:40,033
called the Blue Nagoya

654
00:34:40,033 --> 00:34:42,166
was heading south
out of Baltimore Harbor

655
00:34:42,166 --> 00:34:45,433
when it rammed right into
Key Bridge; as you can see,

656
00:34:45,433 --> 00:34:47,866
it tore off about 30 feet
of planking

657
00:34:47,866 --> 00:34:51,033
and damaged part of
the bridge's support structure.

658
00:34:52,033 --> 00:34:55,600
NARRATOR:
The Blue Nagoya
was a large ship for 1980,

659
00:34:55,600 --> 00:34:57,433
but it was only

660
00:34:57,433 --> 00:35:00,266
about a third the size
of the Dali.

661
00:35:00,266 --> 00:35:02,233
Even so,

662
00:35:02,233 --> 00:35:04,866
the ship caused half-a-million
dollars' worth of damage

663
00:35:04,866 --> 00:35:07,000
to the Key Bridge.

664
00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:09,233
AGHAYERE:
The fender was badly damaged,

665
00:35:09,233 --> 00:35:11,233
and had to be replaced,

666
00:35:11,233 --> 00:35:13,200
so that was a warning sign.

667
00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:16,833
It was something that they knew
had happened before.

668
00:35:16,833 --> 00:35:18,466
So if it had happened before,

669
00:35:18,466 --> 00:35:20,333
the probability that it will
happen again

670
00:35:20,333 --> 00:35:22,333
was always there.

671
00:35:23,500 --> 00:35:28,833
NARRATOR:
But the damage the Dali
would cause on March 26, 2024,

672
00:35:28,833 --> 00:35:31,133
was completely unprecedented.

673
00:35:32,533 --> 00:35:34,700
♪ ♪

674
00:35:34,700 --> 00:35:37,633
That morning, the ship was on
the correct course

675
00:35:37,633 --> 00:35:41,266
to sail directly between
the main piers of the bridge.

676
00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:45,666
♪ ♪

677
00:35:45,666 --> 00:35:48,700
So what caused it to veer
to the right

678
00:35:48,700 --> 00:35:52,100
and head straight
for the bridge pier?

679
00:35:53,333 --> 00:35:55,700
The ship's data recorder reveals

680
00:35:55,700 --> 00:35:59,200
that Dali lost power
at 1:25 in the morning,

681
00:35:59,200 --> 00:36:02,366
and started to drift rudderless

682
00:36:02,366 --> 00:36:04,000
at nine knots.

683
00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:06,000
At that time,
the vessel was sailing

684
00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:08,500
closer to one side
of the shipping channel,

685
00:36:08,500 --> 00:36:10,333
possibly causing
pressure differences

686
00:36:10,333 --> 00:36:12,166
along the ship's hull

687
00:36:12,166 --> 00:36:15,066
that may have
pushed the bow to the right.

688
00:36:15,066 --> 00:36:16,733
At that precise moment,

689
00:36:16,733 --> 00:36:19,500
the ship passes the mouth
of a river tributary,

690
00:36:19,500 --> 00:36:22,566
whose currents may have
pushed the stern to the left

691
00:36:22,566 --> 00:36:25,366
and set the ship on a collision
course with the bridge pier.

692
00:36:25,366 --> 00:36:29,100
With no propulsion
to correct its course,

693
00:36:29,100 --> 00:36:35,033
the 124,000-ton juggernaut
was only seconds from disaster.

694
00:36:37,133 --> 00:36:38,200
MERCOGLIANO:
If they lost power

695
00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:40,533
30 seconds earlier,
30 seconds later,

696
00:36:40,533 --> 00:36:42,766
you probably don't have
the collapse

697
00:36:42,766 --> 00:36:44,500
of the Key Bridge.

698
00:36:44,500 --> 00:36:47,800
30 seconds earlier, the ship
may have side swiped the pylon,

699
00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:50,366
it may have gone aground
inside the bridge.

700
00:36:50,366 --> 00:36:51,666
30 seconds later,

701
00:36:51,666 --> 00:36:53,500
it may have coasted under
the bridge and not hit it.

702
00:37:02,366 --> 00:37:04,800
NARRATOR:
It's now over six weeks

703
00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:07,600
since the Francis Scott Key
Bridge collapsed.

704
00:37:07,600 --> 00:37:10,533
As teams prepare to move

705
00:37:10,533 --> 00:37:13,966
the stranded Dali,
they continue to hunt

706
00:37:13,966 --> 00:37:17,500
for the sixth and final missing
construction worker.

707
00:37:17,500 --> 00:37:18,900
PINCHASIN:
The recovery never stopped

708
00:37:18,900 --> 00:37:22,266
until every single person
was found.

709
00:37:22,266 --> 00:37:25,366
♪ ♪

710
00:37:38,933 --> 00:37:41,100
NARRATOR:
Finally, with most of
the mangled mass of steel

711
00:37:41,100 --> 00:37:42,566
out of the way,

712
00:37:42,566 --> 00:37:45,900
they must remove the truss
pinning down the Dali

713
00:37:45,900 --> 00:37:50,033
so they can tow the vessel away
and clear the shipping channel.

714
00:37:50,033 --> 00:37:52,933
This will be a huge challenge.

715
00:37:54,300 --> 00:37:57,400
There's so much pressure,
compressive pressure,

716
00:37:57,400 --> 00:37:59,200
on the beam from how
it's laying;

717
00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:01,600
that's very dangerous if you
have someone in the way

718
00:38:01,600 --> 00:38:03,700
and all of a sudden
it's gonna give way.

719
00:38:05,866 --> 00:38:07,533
So the best thing to do

720
00:38:07,533 --> 00:38:09,533
is to remove the human
from the equation.

721
00:38:09,533 --> 00:38:12,500
Using controlled demolition
was the fastest

722
00:38:12,500 --> 00:38:13,800
and safest way to conduct

723
00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:17,166
that many cuts,
all at the same time.

724
00:38:17,166 --> 00:38:20,833
NARRATOR:
Workers makes cuts
at strategic points,

725
00:38:20,833 --> 00:38:23,966
but do not fully sever
the beams.

726
00:38:23,966 --> 00:38:26,533
Then they insert
specially shaped charges,

727
00:38:26,533 --> 00:38:29,933
explosives that create
high velocity jets,

728
00:38:29,933 --> 00:38:33,266
to slice through the steel
and complete the cuts.

729
00:38:33,266 --> 00:38:36,566
The charges must now explode,

730
00:38:36,566 --> 00:38:41,100
so the 5,000 ton truss section
falls safely away from the ship.

731
00:38:42,900 --> 00:38:45,200
♪ ♪

732
00:38:45,200 --> 00:38:48,466
It's now seven weeks
since the disaster.

733
00:38:48,466 --> 00:38:50,600
The Dali's crew continues

734
00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:52,933
to assist with the
investigation,

735
00:38:52,933 --> 00:38:54,566
and visa restrictions
still prevent them

736
00:38:54,566 --> 00:38:56,933
from leaving the ship.

737
00:38:56,933 --> 00:38:59,233
With safety measures in place,

738
00:38:59,233 --> 00:39:03,400
they are moved to the stern,
away from the blast.

739
00:39:05,066 --> 00:39:06,766
This is a critical operation

740
00:39:06,766 --> 00:39:09,866
engineers have been meticulously
preparing for.

741
00:39:10,933 --> 00:39:14,333
But have they thought
of everything?

742
00:39:14,333 --> 00:39:17,066
Are all their calculations
correct?

743
00:39:20,866 --> 00:39:22,766
BIANCHI:
Blast day was set.

744
00:39:24,600 --> 00:39:26,366
The time was set.

745
00:39:30,333 --> 00:39:32,666
We had a blast radius, so we
had to stay out,

746
00:39:32,666 --> 00:39:34,733
outside of and you know, a
safety zone set up.

747
00:39:34,733 --> 00:39:37,400
♪ ♪

748
00:39:38,733 --> 00:39:40,933
O'CONNELL:
We were telling people
it wasn't gonna be

749
00:39:40,933 --> 00:39:42,900
as you see in the movies,
a big explosion.

750
00:39:42,900 --> 00:39:44,166
But at the end of the day,

751
00:39:44,166 --> 00:39:45,700
it turned out to be a pretty big
explosion.

752
00:39:48,166 --> 00:39:49,400
(explosion booms)

753
00:39:58,533 --> 00:40:00,800
BIANCHI:
Feeling the boom and then
seeing it fall in the water,

754
00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:03,166
it was pretty magnificent,
it was, it was pretty cool.

755
00:40:03,166 --> 00:40:04,400
I mean,

756
00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:06,866
I, I've never
seen anything like it before.

757
00:40:06,866 --> 00:40:09,000
(explosion booms)

758
00:40:13,700 --> 00:40:16,833
♪ ♪

759
00:40:16,833 --> 00:40:18,533
But then I was thinking,

760
00:40:18,533 --> 00:40:19,766
"All right,
what do we have to do

761
00:40:19,766 --> 00:40:21,266
to go get this,
like, out of the water?"

762
00:40:24,266 --> 00:40:26,466
♪ ♪

763
00:40:26,466 --> 00:40:27,766
NARRATOR: Finally,

764
00:40:27,766 --> 00:40:29,433
after eight weeks of cutting

765
00:40:29,433 --> 00:40:31,700
and lifting wreckage
from the river,

766
00:40:31,700 --> 00:40:35,066
they free the ship from
the metal.

767
00:40:36,500 --> 00:40:38,900
They pump water out
of the ship's ballast tanks

768
00:40:38,900 --> 00:40:43,100
to help raise the
Dali off the riverbed.

769
00:40:43,100 --> 00:40:45,833
♪ ♪

770
00:40:45,833 --> 00:40:47,500
And that's when she came free,

771
00:40:47,500 --> 00:40:50,333
and floated up and we were
able to pull her off.

772
00:40:50,333 --> 00:40:53,766
♪ ♪

773
00:40:55,666 --> 00:40:57,900
NARRATOR:
A fleet of 5,000
horsepower tugs

774
00:40:57,900 --> 00:41:02,366
helps haul the ship away
from the devastated pier.

775
00:41:02,366 --> 00:41:06,033
♪ ♪

776
00:41:10,500 --> 00:41:13,566
♪ ♪

777
00:41:19,133 --> 00:41:21,966
Finally,
11 weeks after the accident,

778
00:41:21,966 --> 00:41:24,033
the salvage team removes

779
00:41:24,033 --> 00:41:26,500
the last of the wreckage,

780
00:41:26,500 --> 00:41:29,833
fully restoring shipping
to the Port of Baltimore.

781
00:41:31,466 --> 00:41:33,100
BIANCHI:
Seeing the first deep draft ship

782
00:41:33,100 --> 00:41:34,700
come through that channel,

783
00:41:34,700 --> 00:41:37,300
I felt like there should have
been fireworks behind it;

784
00:41:37,300 --> 00:41:39,500
you know, it was an
accomplishment for everyone.

785
00:41:44,833 --> 00:41:46,800
NARRATOR:
This highly coordinated,

786
00:41:46,800 --> 00:41:48,700
complex salvage operation

787
00:41:48,700 --> 00:41:52,400
clears the way for the
Port of Baltimore to reopen.

788
00:41:54,500 --> 00:41:58,033
It costs over $100 million
to clear the wreckage,

789
00:41:58,033 --> 00:42:01,833
and it could cost almost
$2 billion more

790
00:42:01,833 --> 00:42:05,000
to replace the Key Bridge.

791
00:42:06,166 --> 00:42:09,366
A number of lawsuits against
the Dali's owners

792
00:42:09,366 --> 00:42:12,333
allege that poor maintenance
and cost-cutting

793
00:42:12,333 --> 00:42:15,766
cause the ship to lose power
and hit the bridge.

794
00:42:15,766 --> 00:42:18,866
The ship's owners
reject these allegations,

795
00:42:18,866 --> 00:42:21,400
but if upheld,

796
00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:23,833
maritime insurers estimate
that the total claims

797
00:42:23,833 --> 00:42:26,766
could approach $4 billion.

798
00:42:28,366 --> 00:42:30,033
Ever since the crash,

799
00:42:30,033 --> 00:42:32,033
the National Transportation
Safety Board's

800
00:42:32,033 --> 00:42:34,400
lead investigator, Marcel Muise,

801
00:42:34,400 --> 00:42:37,066
has been working to find out
what caused

802
00:42:37,066 --> 00:42:39,333
the Dali to lose power.

803
00:42:40,766 --> 00:42:43,400
His team has now released
preliminary reports

804
00:42:43,400 --> 00:42:46,800
that suggest how a
series of unfortunate events

805
00:42:46,800 --> 00:42:49,966
may have led to this tragedy.

806
00:42:49,966 --> 00:42:52,733
MUISE:
Why the ship lost power
is absolutely

807
00:42:52,733 --> 00:42:54,666
the focus of the investigation,
we want to prevent

808
00:42:54,666 --> 00:42:57,033
this from happening again.

809
00:42:57,033 --> 00:42:59,433
Ships are complicated.

810
00:42:59,433 --> 00:43:01,233
They need electrical power

811
00:43:01,233 --> 00:43:02,933
to run a variety of systems,

812
00:43:02,933 --> 00:43:04,033
including propulsion

813
00:43:04,033 --> 00:43:05,566
and steering and navigation.

814
00:43:05,566 --> 00:43:07,266
♪ ♪

815
00:43:07,266 --> 00:43:10,333
NARRATOR:
The investigation reveals that
on the night of the crash,

816
00:43:10,333 --> 00:43:14,400
the Dali was running two
of its four power generators.

817
00:43:14,400 --> 00:43:17,800
Together, they produce
over eight megawatts

818
00:43:17,800 --> 00:43:21,433
of electricity to power
nearly everything on the ship,

819
00:43:21,433 --> 00:43:24,733
including the fuel and
water pumps for the main engine

820
00:43:24,733 --> 00:43:28,533
and the hydraulics
of the steering mechanism.

821
00:43:31,166 --> 00:43:33,766
MERCOGLIANO:
Ships generate a great deal
of electricity to run,

822
00:43:33,766 --> 00:43:35,500
and much like your own house

823
00:43:35,500 --> 00:43:37,233
where you have circuit breakers

824
00:43:37,233 --> 00:43:39,666
to ensure that if there
is a disruption or a problem,

825
00:43:39,666 --> 00:43:42,233
they'll trip,
ships have them too.

826
00:43:43,800 --> 00:43:46,600
NARRATOR:
The investigation discovers
a loose cable,

827
00:43:46,600 --> 00:43:50,133
which lawsuits claim
was shaken loose

828
00:43:50,133 --> 00:43:53,466
by engine vibrations,
causing a power surge

829
00:43:53,466 --> 00:43:55,433
that tripped two breakers,

830
00:43:55,433 --> 00:43:58,400
disrupting
the electrical power supply.

831
00:43:59,866 --> 00:44:02,200
The system should have
automatically switched

832
00:44:02,200 --> 00:44:04,700
to a secondary circuit.

833
00:44:06,066 --> 00:44:09,200
But lawsuits allege the control
was set to manual,

834
00:44:09,200 --> 00:44:11,800
so did not automatically switch,

835
00:44:11,800 --> 00:44:14,600
causing a blackout
across large parts of the ship.

836
00:44:15,700 --> 00:44:18,000
The pumps required
to run the main engine

837
00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:20,066
and the steering all shut down,

838
00:44:20,066 --> 00:44:24,600
which killed the propulsion
and locked the rudder in place.

839
00:44:26,333 --> 00:44:29,300
♪ ♪

840
00:44:29,300 --> 00:44:30,733
MUISE:
When they were about

841
00:44:30,733 --> 00:44:32,700
three ship lengths away
from the bridge,

842
00:44:32,700 --> 00:44:34,100
the ship lost power.

843
00:44:36,800 --> 00:44:39,700
MERCOGLIANO:
Having sailed for many years
on a ship, I can tell you

844
00:44:39,700 --> 00:44:41,633
that the worst sound
you ever hear

845
00:44:41,633 --> 00:44:42,900
on a ship is silence.

846
00:44:42,900 --> 00:44:45,666
When everything goes
quiet and dark,

847
00:44:45,666 --> 00:44:49,100
it is the worst feeling because
at that moment you realize

848
00:44:49,100 --> 00:44:51,833
you don't have control
of the ship anymore.

849
00:44:53,366 --> 00:44:54,900
It is a nightmare,

850
00:44:54,900 --> 00:44:56,700
a nightmare scenario to be
up on a ship

851
00:44:56,700 --> 00:45:00,933
when it loses power
in close quarters.

852
00:45:01,933 --> 00:45:03,933
You have a very short
period of time in which

853
00:45:03,933 --> 00:45:05,666
to try to restore power.

854
00:45:05,666 --> 00:45:08,233
From the time period
that Dali lost power

855
00:45:08,233 --> 00:45:10,766
till it hit the bridge
was four minutes.

856
00:45:10,766 --> 00:45:14,533
NARRATOR:
A small emergency generator
kicked in,

857
00:45:14,533 --> 00:45:18,000
and the crew closed
the tripped breakers.

858
00:45:18,000 --> 00:45:20,233
Lighting came back on,

859
00:45:20,233 --> 00:45:23,833
but the engine
was still offline.

860
00:45:23,833 --> 00:45:25,933
MERCOGLIANO:
When the ship goes dark,

861
00:45:25,933 --> 00:45:28,866
the main propulsion engine
of the ship also cuts off,

862
00:45:28,866 --> 00:45:31,900
it's not getting the fuel,
the lube oil, the water.

863
00:45:31,900 --> 00:45:34,000
You basically have
stalled that engine.

864
00:45:34,000 --> 00:45:36,500
NARRATOR:
But before the crew
had a chance

865
00:45:36,500 --> 00:45:39,966
to restart the engine,
there was a second blackout.

866
00:45:41,233 --> 00:45:43,400
Investigators discover

867
00:45:43,400 --> 00:45:46,300
that the generators
caused this outage.

868
00:45:46,300 --> 00:45:49,366
One lawsuit claims
that after the first blackout,

869
00:45:49,366 --> 00:45:53,566
the pump supplying the
generators with fuel shut down,

870
00:45:53,566 --> 00:45:56,566
and even when the power
came back on,

871
00:45:56,566 --> 00:46:00,266
this pump
did not restart automatically.

872
00:46:00,266 --> 00:46:03,100
The generators would then have
lacked fuel pressure,

873
00:46:03,100 --> 00:46:05,600
which could have caused them
to run erratically,

874
00:46:05,600 --> 00:46:09,333
creating power fluctuations
that trip the breakers

875
00:46:09,333 --> 00:46:13,166
and cause the ship
to go dark again.

876
00:46:14,833 --> 00:46:16,600
They never were able to
get propulsion going again.

877
00:46:18,566 --> 00:46:19,966
After the second blackout,

878
00:46:19,966 --> 00:46:22,633
the ship was
about 1.6 ship lengths

879
00:46:22,633 --> 00:46:24,366
away from the bridge.

880
00:46:24,366 --> 00:46:27,466
NARRATOR:
The timing of the blackout
was exceedingly unlucky,

881
00:46:27,466 --> 00:46:31,433
but the blackout itself
was far from unusual.

882
00:46:32,933 --> 00:46:35,466
Ship blackouts happen
surprisingly frequently.

883
00:46:37,033 --> 00:46:40,233
On average, over
five large vessels lose power

884
00:46:40,233 --> 00:46:43,566
every week in the U.S. alone.

885
00:46:43,566 --> 00:46:47,866
Fortunately, few of
these result in collisions.

886
00:46:47,866 --> 00:46:50,666
MERCOGLIANO:
Most of the time
these blackouts occur at sea,

887
00:46:50,666 --> 00:46:52,733
when the ship is
sailing out in the ocean.

888
00:46:54,266 --> 00:46:57,400
It takes a bit of time
to find the underlying cause

889
00:46:57,400 --> 00:47:00,766
that is creating the fault.

890
00:47:00,766 --> 00:47:03,666
 
And as Dali was approaching
the Francis Scott Key Bridge,

891
00:47:03,666 --> 00:47:07,000
the one thing that crew did not
have was time on their hands.

892
00:47:08,933 --> 00:47:12,600
NARRATOR:
The Dali's log reveals
that in a last ditch attempt,

893
00:47:12,600 --> 00:47:15,900
the crew tried to power up
the bow thrusters

894
00:47:15,900 --> 00:47:17,766
and drop an anchor.

895
00:47:17,766 --> 00:47:20,733
But the thrusters were offline.

896
00:47:20,733 --> 00:47:22,866
 
And the break to lock off
the anchor

897
00:47:22,866 --> 00:47:25,233
could not be applied.

898
00:47:26,533 --> 00:47:28,466
MERCOGLIANO:
By the time the anchor
was dropped,

899
00:47:28,466 --> 00:47:30,666
they were coming up on top of
the bridge,

900
00:47:30,666 --> 00:47:32,400
the crew member on the bow
had to evacuate

901
00:47:32,400 --> 00:47:34,566
before Dali hit the bridge.

902
00:47:35,900 --> 00:47:38,233
The ship slowly
drifted to starboard,

903
00:47:38,233 --> 00:47:41,233
and they contacted
pier 17 of the bridge.

904
00:47:41,233 --> 00:47:47,600
♪ ♪

905
00:47:55,433 --> 00:47:58,633
NARRATOR:
The NTSB's preliminary
report reveals

906
00:47:58,633 --> 00:48:00,366
the night of the accident

907
00:48:00,366 --> 00:48:02,133
was not the first time

908
00:48:02,133 --> 00:48:04,366
that the Dali had
experienced blackouts.

909
00:48:07,500 --> 00:48:10,666
The day before,
while still in port,

910
00:48:10,666 --> 00:48:13,666
the ship lost power twice.

911
00:48:16,766 --> 00:48:20,433
This resulted in power being
rerouted to a second circuit

912
00:48:20,433 --> 00:48:23,600
which had
not been used for months.

913
00:48:23,600 --> 00:48:26,633
This is the circuit with the
loose cable

914
00:48:26,633 --> 00:48:28,566
that's alleged to
have possibly caused

915
00:48:28,566 --> 00:48:31,200
the fateful blackout
the following morning.

916
00:48:31,200 --> 00:48:33,133
(electricity buzzing)

917
00:48:34,566 --> 00:48:36,333
This loss of electrical power

918
00:48:36,333 --> 00:48:38,366
triggered a cascade of disasters

919
00:48:38,366 --> 00:48:42,266
that affected
the lives of countless people.

920
00:48:42,266 --> 00:48:45,966
None more so than
the construction workers

921
00:48:45,966 --> 00:48:47,733
who were fixing potholes

922
00:48:47,733 --> 00:48:50,233
on the Key Bridge that night.

923
00:48:53,366 --> 00:48:56,366
♪ ♪

924
00:48:56,366 --> 00:48:58,700
MOORE:
I know the journey
of healing for Baltimore

925
00:48:58,700 --> 00:49:01,366
is gonna be a long road.

926
00:49:01,366 --> 00:49:05,533
Uh, I, I know that for those
families who lost individuals,

927
00:49:05,533 --> 00:49:08,100
this is a burden they will feel
for the rest of their lives.

928
00:49:10,700 --> 00:49:13,033
NARRATOR:
Six lives were
lost in the collapse

929
00:49:13,033 --> 00:49:15,566
of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

930
00:49:15,566 --> 00:49:18,833
But the accident
could have been far worse.

931
00:49:18,833 --> 00:49:20,266
MERCOGLIANO:
You have to remember,

932
00:49:20,266 --> 00:49:22,000
this didn't happen during rush
hour in Baltimore

933
00:49:22,000 --> 00:49:23,366
when that bridge

934
00:49:23,366 --> 00:49:25,966
has hundreds, if not thousands
of people going over it.

935
00:49:25,966 --> 00:49:28,200
♪ ♪

936
00:49:28,200 --> 00:49:29,833
NARRATOR:
When the Dali first
lost power,

937
00:49:29,833 --> 00:49:34,200
one of the ship's pilots put
out a distress call.

938
00:49:34,200 --> 00:49:37,100
Maryland Police were controlling
traffic around a lane

939
00:49:37,100 --> 00:49:39,433
closed off for the roadworkers,

940
00:49:39,433 --> 00:49:42,133
 
so quickly began to shut
down bridge traffic.

941
00:49:43,633 --> 00:49:47,700
Cars would have kept coming,
had they not stopped traffic

942
00:49:47,700 --> 00:49:49,966
and by the time the people
driving the vehicles

943
00:49:49,966 --> 00:49:51,433
would have realized the bridge
was gone

944
00:49:51,433 --> 00:49:52,866
it just would have been
too late.

945
00:49:55,033 --> 00:49:56,900
I can't tell you
how many lives they saved,

946
00:49:56,900 --> 00:49:58,933
because the answer's countless.

947
00:50:00,500 --> 00:50:03,133
NARRATOR:
The last moving vehicle
cleared the bridge

948
00:50:03,133 --> 00:50:07,366
just 40 seconds before the
Dali brought it crashing down.

949
00:50:09,366 --> 00:50:11,300
POLICE OFFICER:
We got a call,

950
00:50:11,300 --> 00:50:13,033
I mean, like, probably a minute

951
00:50:13,033 --> 00:50:15,966
if that, before it hit it.

952
00:50:15,966 --> 00:50:18,833
NARRATOR:
Unfortunately,
the police were unable

953
00:50:18,833 --> 00:50:20,433
to reach the
construction workers

954
00:50:20,433 --> 00:50:22,600
to warn them of the danger.

955
00:50:28,000 --> 00:50:29,500
♪ ♪

956
00:50:29,500 --> 00:50:31,300
NARRATOR:
The Francis Scott Key Bridge

957
00:50:31,300 --> 00:50:33,833
only stood for 47 years,

958
00:50:33,833 --> 00:50:37,433
but saw profound changes
to shipping.

959
00:50:37,433 --> 00:50:39,500
MERCOGLIANO:
In 1977,

960
00:50:39,500 --> 00:50:42,900
very few people foresaw a ship
the size of Dali.

961
00:50:42,900 --> 00:50:45,133
What we've seen is
kind of the exponential

962
00:50:45,133 --> 00:50:48,366
increase in the amount
of goods we move by sea.

963
00:50:48,366 --> 00:50:51,033
Bridges and safety
measures have to keep pace

964
00:50:51,033 --> 00:50:53,633
with the way
we're changing ocean shipping.

965
00:50:54,733 --> 00:50:57,733
NARRATOR:
An estimated 2,500 U.S. bridges

966
00:50:57,733 --> 00:51:00,766
remain at risk of ship strikes,

967
00:51:00,766 --> 00:51:03,366
including the 72-year-old
Chesapeake Bay Bridge,

968
00:51:03,366 --> 00:51:06,066
just 20 miles
south of Baltimore.

969
00:51:08,666 --> 00:51:12,600
AGHAYERE:
We can't let our old bridges
be sitting ducks.

970
00:51:12,600 --> 00:51:15,433
We can't just
leave them unprotected.

971
00:51:15,433 --> 00:51:17,833
Structural pier protection,

972
00:51:17,833 --> 00:51:20,900
having tug boats lead the ships,

973
00:51:20,900 --> 00:51:22,766
but doing something,

974
00:51:22,766 --> 00:51:24,500
not just sitting and waiting

975
00:51:24,500 --> 00:51:27,100
and hoping that nothing happens.

976
00:51:29,100 --> 00:51:31,633
NARRATOR:
The National Transportation
Safety Board

977
00:51:31,633 --> 00:51:33,700
has been calling
on the Coast Guard

978
00:51:33,700 --> 00:51:35,800
and the Federal Highway
Administration

979
00:51:35,800 --> 00:51:41,466
to review the adequacy of bridge
pier protection since 1988.

980
00:51:41,466 --> 00:51:43,400
♪ ♪

981
00:51:43,400 --> 00:51:47,266
Now, an urgent assessment
of ship collision risk

982
00:51:47,266 --> 00:51:49,600
is underway across the nation.

983
00:51:52,766 --> 00:51:54,800
It's possible that
recommendations will include

984
00:51:54,800 --> 00:51:58,266
vast investment to
safeguard the country's bridges.

985
00:51:59,566 --> 00:52:01,400
And in the end,

986
00:52:01,400 --> 00:52:03,633
many hope the lessons learned

987
00:52:03,633 --> 00:52:06,233
from the tragic loss
of the Key Bridge

988
00:52:06,233 --> 00:52:08,066
will not be forgotten.

989
00:52:08,066 --> 00:52:12,500
♪ ♪

990
00:52:33,100 --> 00:52:35,966
♪ ♪

991
00:52:36,900 --> 00:52:44,433
♪ ♪

992
00:52:48,266 --> 00:52:55,800
♪ ♪

993
00:52:59,633 --> 00:53:07,233
♪ ♪

994
00:53:08,866 --> 00:53:16,400
♪ ♪

995
00:53:18,033 --> 00:53:25,566
♪ ♪