On May 2, 2024, the body of Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez, a construction worker and father of three from El Salvador who had lived in Maryland for over 19 years, was recovered from a red truck at the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore. Mr. Gonzalez was one of six workers who went missing after the bridge collapsed when it was struck by a cargo ship named Dali on March 26, 2024. One more worker remains unaccounted for.
Mr. Gonzalez's body was identified through a joint effort by the Maryland State Police, Maryland Transportation Authority Police, and the FBI. The recovery was made by salvage teams working to clear debris from the site of the collapse and reopen Baltimore's deepwater shipping channel.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, which carries over 30,000 daily commuters across the Patapsco River in Maryland, had been undergoing repairs when it was struck by the Dali. The bridge's design did not account for a direct hit from a cargo ship of that size.
The six construction workers who went missing were immigrants from Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, and Guatemala. Two victims were recovered in the immediate aftermath of the collapse, and two more were found in April. The bodies of three victims have been identified: Dorlian Castillo Cabrera from Guatemala; Maynor Suazo Sandoval from Honduras; and Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes from Mexico.
The Dali was carrying 4,700 shipping containers and was headed for Sri Lanka when it crashed. The incident is the deadliest bridge collapse in the United States in over a decade, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Investigations into the cause of the collision are ongoing by both federal and local authorities, including the FBI and US Coast Guard.
Mr. Gonzalez was described by friends as a joyful man who shared food from their respective cultures at job sites. He worked as a welder and operated a pink-and-white food truck named Pupuseria Y Antojitos Carmencita Luna with his wife, Carmen.
The recovery of Mr. Gonzalez's body brings some closure to his family and friends, but the search for the remaining missing worker continues.
