pictures of sailboats on water

• AI Generator

Premium Access

Custom content, media manager.

Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internet’s creators.

122,056 Sailboat On Water Stock Photos and High-res Pictures

Browse 122,056 sailboat on water photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more photos and images..

• AI Generator

Premium Access

Custom content, media manager.

Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internet’s creators.

122,069 Sailboat On Water Stock Photos & High-Res Pictures

Browse 122,069 sailboat on water photos and images available, or search for house to find more great photos and pictures..

• AI Generator

Premium Access

Custom content, media manager.

Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internet’s creators.

sailboat sunset

Sailboat icon, sailboat race, sailboat illustration, sailboat storm, sailboat crew, sailboat silhouette, sailboat ocean, sailboat isolated, sailboat painting, family sailboat, catamaran sailboat, sailboat sail, luxury sailboat, old sailboat, racing sailboat, sailboat dock, sailboat wheel, sailboat team, toy sailboat, couple sailboat, paper sailboat, sailboat overhead, sailboat horizon, sailboat wind, sailboat aerial, beach sailboat, sailboat regatta, 166,839 sailboat stock photos & high-res pictures, browse 166,839  authentic sailboat  stock photos, high-res images, and pictures, or explore additional sailboat sunset  or  sailboat icon  stock images to find the right photo at the right size and resolution for your project..

• Images home
• Editorial home
• Editorial video
• Premium collections
• Entertainment
• Premium images
• AI generated images
• Curated collections
• Animals/Wildlife
• Backgrounds/Textures
• Beauty/Fashion
• Buildings/Landmarks
• Business/Finance
• Celebrities
• Food and Drink
• Healthcare/Medical
• Illustrations/Clip-Art
• Miscellaneous
• Parks/Outdoor
• Signs/Symbols
• Sports/Recreation
• Transportation
• All categories
• Shutterstock Select
• Shutterstock Elements
• Health Care

Browse Content

• Sound effects

PremiumBeat

• PixelSquid 3D objects
• Templates Home
• Instagram all
• Highlight covers
• Facebook all
• Carousel ads
• Cover photos
• Event covers
• Youtube all
• Channel Art
• Etsy big banner
• Etsy mini banner
• Etsy shop icon
• Pinterest all
• Pinterest pins
• Twitter All
• Twitter Banner
• Infographics
• Zoom backgrounds
• Announcements
• Certificates
• Gift Certificates
• Real Estate Flyer
• Travel Brochures
• Anniversary
• Baby Shower
• Mother's Day
• Thanksgiving
• All Invitations
• Party invitations
• Wedding invitations
• Book Covers
• About Creative Flow
• Start a design

AI image generator

• Photo editor
• Background remover
• Collage maker
• Resize image
• Color palettes

Color palette generator

• Image converter
• Creative AI
• Design tips
• Custom plans
• Request quote
• Shutterstock Studios

0 Credits Available

You currently have 0 credits

See all plans

Image plans

With access to 400M+ photos, vectors, illustrations, and more. Includes AI generated images!

Video plans

A library of 28 million high quality video clips. Choose between packs and subscription.

Music plans

Download tracks one at a time, or get a subscription with unlimited downloads.

Editorial plans

Instant access to over 50 million images and videos for news, sports, and entertainment.

Includes templates, design tools, AI-powered recommendations, and much more.

Search by image

Boats On Water royalty-free images

4,731,933 boats on water stock photos, vectors, and illustrations are available royalty-free for download., vintage wooden boat in coral sea. boat drone photo..

sailing into the sunset

Yacht Sailing against sunset.Sailboat.Sepia toned

Sailboat in the sea in the evening sunlight over beautiful big mountains background, luxury summer adventure, active vacation in Mediterranean sea, Turkey

luxury motor boat, rio yachts italian shipyard

boat floats near the shore. Luxury Lifestyle

Illustration of different kind of boats

Water Transport Icons, Monoline concept The icons were created on a 48x48 pixel aligned, perfect grid providing a clean and crisp appearance. Adjustable stroke weight.

blue ocean waves

Boat Loop on the sea

Women's rowing team on blue water, top view

Surface of the ocean at dusk motion blur

Sail boat gliding in open sea at sunset

Paper art of red boat and the sea, origami and travel concept, vector art and illustration.

Close up of a men's quadruple skulls rowing team, seconds after the start of their race

Couple enjoying sunset from the deck of the sailing boat moving in a sea

Sailing ship yachts with white sails in a row

Small fishing boat with fishing net and equipment

Speed boat at sea, view from above

Beautiful view from a bow of yacht at seaward.Copy space

Set of flat yacht, scooter, boat, cargo ship, steamship, ferry, fishing boat, tug, bulk carrier, vessel, pleasure boat, cruise ship with blue sea background concept. Vector design illustration

Travel .Luxury Yacht

Luxury yachts at Sailing regatta. Sailing in the wind through the waves at the Sea.

luxury yacht, aerial view italian shipyard

Aerial view of a fisherman's boat in Cefalù bay, Sicily, Italy.

Young man fishing on a lake from the boat at sunset

Yacht collage.Sailboat.Yachting concept

paper boat sailing on blue water surface

Sailing yacht boat on on ocean water at sunrise with flare and outdoor lifestyle

Motor boat and sail boat side view set vector icon. Ship, pleasure boat, speed boat, vessel, cruise ship, luxury yacht

Aerial view of a sail boat on the shallow water of the Berry Islands, the Bahamas.

feet on boat sailing at sunrise lifestyle

Man diving in the sea with friends sitting on yacht and inflatable toy. Group of friends enjoying a summer day on a inflatable toy and yacht.

origami paper sailboat sailing on blue water

amazing view to yacht, swimming woman and clear water caribbean paradise

motor boat, rio yachts, best italian yacht

mother sat happily with her kids on a boat enjoying summer in Sweden

Aerial view of a tiny boat, Sicily, Italy.

Water Sport Icons

beautiful sunlight seaview safari dive boat in tropical sea with deep blue underneath splitted by waterline. Design template

Big set of sea boats and little fishing ships. Sailboats flat vector icons. Illustration of water transport yacht and ship sailboat

Aerial view on the sea and boat. Beautiful natural seascape at the summer time

Sea boats and little fishing ships. Sailboats flat vector icons. Set of water transport boat and vessel, tugboat and motorboat illustration

Happy friends diving from sailing boat into the sea - Young people jumping inside ocean in summer excursion day - Vacation, youth and fun concept - Soft focus on left man - Fisheye lens distortion

Sailing Away (Boy)

beautiful girl riding her jet skis in the sea at sunset. spray

Fishing boat and fisherman in ocean at dawn

sailing regatta

Luxury yacht. Sardinia, Italy.

happy people having fun on banana boat

Blue fishing boat seen from above

summer wave, vector collection of stickers and labels

Sailboat in the storm sea.Yacht and beautiful seascape.Travel on a sailing boat.A hurricane in a stormy sea.

beautiful sailboat sailing sail blue Mediterranean sea ocean horizon

Tropical blue sea top view and a wooden boat vector background.

A wakeboard boat at a wooden dock in the Muskokas on a sunny day.

Rear view of a businessman on a boat in the sea

Yacht on the water surface from top view. Turquoise water background from top view. Summer seascape from air. Travel concept and idea

Ships at sea, shipping boats, ocean transport vector icons set

Fisherman in a boat silhouette

Motor boat. View from under the water.

Sunrise at sea on a tall ship classic sailboat. Close up of the wheel, boom and stern against a dramatic sky and gold sunlight reflections. Concepts: Serenity, prosperity, optimism, positive, future

Sailing boat in the sea against the backdrop of mountains

Silhouettes of children diving from the bow of a boat

Retro Filtered Photo Of A Luxury Yacht Tied To Pier

paper ship origami vector illustration isolated on white background

Wide angle shot of front of the yacht in summer time

a fishing boat lies at sundown in the fjord

beautiful woman enjoying luxurious yacht cruise, sea travel by luxury boat

Croatia. Yachts at the sea surface. Aerial view of luxury floating boat on blue Adriatic sea at sunny day. Travel - image

People on sailing boat on the sea

Speedboat cruising in the sea

Abandoned boat in stormy sea

Aerial view of ocean waves reaching the coastline. Beach, sand, sea shore with blue waves. Top view overhead seaside. Hand drawn Vector illustrations. Set of three isolated cards. Travel concept

Boats and ships icons

Paper boat, at night

Amazing view to Yacht sailing in open sea at windy day. Drone view - birds eye angle. Yachting theme.

Success leadership concept, Origami red paper boat floating in front of white paper boats on winding blue river, Paper art design banner background, Vector illustration

origami made colorful sailing boat.paper art and digital craft style.

Sail Boat on Lough Derg, Ireland

Over twenty peoples vector silhouettes on boats and kayaks.

A large private motor yacht under way out at sea

Paper cruise liner at night. Creative vector eps 10

fast motor yacht in navigation, sea view

origami boat sailing in blue ocean , paper art style

boat sailing in blue sea top aerieal view

Blue Mediterranean sea in morning.

Boat in sailing regatta. Luxury yachts.

Set of vintage nautical labels, icons and design elements

Young couple jumping in water from yacht

Boats from air. Aerial view on sea in Turkey. Summer seascape with clear water in sunny day. Top view of boats from drone. Summer seascape from air. Travel - image

Luxury yachts docked in sea port at sunset. Marine parking of modern motor boats and blue water. Tranquility, relaxation and fashionable vacation.

The image of an passenger motor boat

Boat and Sea Hand-drawn Doodles

Our company

Press/Media

Investor relations

Shutterstock Blog

Popular searches

Stock Photos and Videos

Stock photos

Stock videos

Stock vectors

Editorial images

Featured photo collections

Sell your content

Affiliate/Reseller

International reseller

Live assignments

Rights and clearance

Website Terms of Use

Terms of Service

Privacy policy

Modern Slavery Statement

Cookie Preferences

Shutterstock.AI

AI style types

Shutterstock mobile app

Android app

© 2003-2024 Shutterstock, Inc.

Bridge in US city of Baltimore collapses after ship hits it, sending vehicles into water

Six construction workers who were on a bridge in Baltimore remain missing after a container ship rammed into the bridge and sent it crashing into a river, authorities in the north-eastern US city say.

But they say more casualties were prevented after the ship sent a mayday call, prompting authorities to warn traffic not to drive onto the bridge.

Two construction workers were pulled from the water after the 2.6-kilometre Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed into the Patapsco River in the early hours of Tuesday (local time).

Earlier reports suggested sonar technology had also detected cars in the river. But when asked if authorities believed vehicles had fallen into the water when the bridge collapsed, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld indicated only the construction crew may have been on the bridge at the time.

Governor Wes Moore said: "We're thankful that between the mayday and the collapse, that we had officials who were able to to begin to stop the flow of traffic so more cars were not on the bridge."

Baltimore Fire Department Chief James Wallace said of the two people rescued so far, one is in a serious condition and the other is not seriously injured. 

"We are still very much in an active search and rescue posture at this point and we will continue to be for some time we have a large area to search," he said.

"This includes on the surface of the water ... as well as the deck of the ship."

The governor has declared a state of emergency. 

A live video posted on YouTube showed the ship ploughing into the bridge in darkness. What appeared to be the headlights of vehicles could be seen on the bridge as it crashed down into the water and the ship caught fire. Reuters could not immediately verify the videos.

Baltimore police said they had been notified of the incident at 1:35am local time (3.35pm AEST).

Baltimore Mayor Brandon M Scott told the media: "This is an unthinkable tragedy."

"Never would you think you could see the key bridge tumble like that, it looked like something out of an action movie and you just think about… nothing but those families and people impacted and people risking their lives right now to try to save lives," he said.

"We will continue to work in partnership with every part of government to do everything that we can to get us through the other side of this tragedy."

Data from marine tracking websites show the vessel involved is the Singaporean-flagged container ship Dali, which had left Baltimore's Point Breeze before the collision occurred.

Synergy Marine Group, which owns the Dali, confirmed the ship had collided with a pillar of the bridge.

"Whilst the exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined, the Dali has now mobilised its Qualified Individual Incident response service," it said, adding that all crew members, including the two pilots who were aboard, have been accounted for and there are no reports of any injuries.

The Dali was scheduled to sail on shipping company Maersk's route to Colombo in Sri Lanka, the Danish company's website showed.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge opened in 1977 and spans the Patapsco River, a vital artery that along with the Port of Baltimore is a hub for shipping on the East Coast.

The port's private and public terminals handled 847,158 cars and light trucks in 2023, the most of any US port. The port also handles farm and construction machinery, sugar, gypsum and coal, according to a Maryland government website.

The bridge is named after the writer of the US national anthem The Star-Spangled Banner.

ABC/AP/Reuters

• X (formerly Twitter)
• Accidents and Emergency Incidents
• Maritime Accidents and Incidents
• Road Accidents and Incidents
• United States

Watch CBS News

Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapses after being struck by cargo ship; 6 people presumed dead, officials say

By Brian Dakss , Kerry Breen , S. Dev

Updated on: March 27, 2024 / 12:13 AM EDT / CBS News

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday  after a support column was hit by a large container ship that had lost power, sending vehicles and people into the Patapsco River, authorities said.

Six people remain missing and are presumed dead, Rear Admiral Shannon Gilreath of the U.S. Coast Guard said at a news conference Tuesday evening. Two other people were rescued from the water. 

All eight people were part of a construction crew that was filling potholes on the bridge at the time, Wiedefeld said. Jennifer Homendy, the chair of the National Transportation Security Board, said Tuesday afternoon that the workers were employed by local company Brawner Builders. 

One of the rescued workers was unhurt. The other was treated at the University of Maryland Medical Center and has been discharged, CBS Baltimore station WJZ reported. 

At 7:30 p.m. ET, search and rescue operations were suspended as officials transitioned to recovery efforts.

"Based on the length of time that we've gone in this search, the extensive search efforts that we've put into it, the water temperature — that at this point we do not believe that we're going to find any of these individuals still alive," Gilreath said.

Col. Roland Butler Jr. with Maryland State Police said conditions in the water, including changing currents, low visibility and sharp metal objects, made it dangerous for divers and first responders. 

Divers will begin recovery operations at 6 a.m. ET Wednesday, Butler Jr. said, adding that officials currently do not know where the victims are located.

Guatemala's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said two of the missing workers were from Guatemala. One of the workers was 26 years old and the other was 35 years old, according to the ministry. The state's consul general was on site assisting the affected families. 

The nonprofit organization CASA identified another of the missing workers as Miguel Luna, from El Salvador. "He is a husband, a father of three, and has called Maryland his home for over 19 years," CASA executive director Gustavo Torres said in a statement Tuesday night.  

Some of the missing men, who are now presumed dead, were from Honduras and Mexico as well.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said at an earlier news conference   Tuesday afternoon, "There is not a single resource we will hold off on deploying ... to make sure that this search and rescue operation is carried out to its fullest intent."

"Our hearts are with the families and loved ones of the victims," Moore said in a Tuesday evening statement after the rescue efforts were called off. "We will continue to work in partnership with leaders at the local, state, and federal levels to ensure that we can provide all those affected with the closure they deserve."

Rep. David Trone of Maryland told CBS News that recovery efforts will likely be conducted by underwater drones . Trone said that the drones will be able to locate the cars, and that authorities have identified one car in particular that likely has casualties.

Jeffrey Pritzker, executive vice president of Brawner Builders, told The Associated Press that the construction crew was working in the middle of the bridge's span when the crash happened. 

"This was so completely unforeseen," Pritzker said. "We don't know what else to say."

"We take such great pride in safety, and we have cones and signs and lights and barriers and flaggers," he added. "But we never foresaw that the bridge would collapse."

Moore declared a state of emergency shortly after the collapse, saying in a statement that "we are working with an interagency team to quickly deploy federal resources from the Biden Administration. We are thankful for the brave men and women who are carrying out efforts to rescue those involved and pray for everyone's safety."

The ship — the Singapore-flagged Dali — was operated by charter vessel company Synergy Marine Group and was chartered by Maersk, carrying Maersk customers' cargo, the companies said. 

There were 22 crew members, including two pilots, aboard the ship, according to a statement from Synergy. All 22 crew members are Indian nationals. Synergy said it had activated its incident response team and is cooperating with state and federal officials. Homendy said that the NTSB is communicating with Singaporean officials as part of their investigation. 

Wiedefeld said that the FBI was on the scene "to see if there was any terrorism connection, which there is not." 

William DelBagno, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Baltimore field office, said at a subsequent news conference that "there is no specific or credible information to suggest that there are ties to terrorism in this incident." 

An FBI official told CBS News that FBI dive teams had joined in the search for the missing and that the FBI underwater search and evidence response team was actively in the water. The FBI has also sent a victim specialist to assist families impacted by the incident. 

The NTSB said Tuesday morning that it had dispatched a 24-person team to investigate the incident. At the time, the team was waiting to board the ship to allow search and rescue operations to continue, and it hoped to access recordings from the ship Tuesday night or Wednesday, Homendy said.  

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, said it will be providing some 1,100 specialists to help in the recovery. 

"In accordance with USACE's federal authorities, USACE will lead the effort to clear the Federal channel as part of the larger interagency recovery effort," the USACE said. "Together with local, state, and federal partners, they are working closely to determine the key actions required to remove the fallen bridge."

Ship had a "power issue" before the collision

Officials have confirmed that the ship lost power right before the collision. Moore said that the crew notified authorities of a "power issue." 

Two U.S. officials told CBS News that multiple alarms rang out on the ship, alerting pilots and crew to an issue on board. The crew ran several system tests to attempt to remedy the loss of propulsion from the motor, but the tests proved unsuccessful. At that point, the pilot alerted the Maryland Department of Transportation and the Maryland Transit Authority. 

Roughly two minutes elapsed between when the ship's pilot notified state authorities of an issue on board and when the bridge collapsed, Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski said.

Officials said in a news conference that the call allowed officials to order a mayday and stop traffic onto the bridge.

Moore said that the decision to stop traffic onto the bridge "saved lives last night." Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott told CBS News that the mayday call "saved many lives" and allowed emergency personnel to get to the scene quickly.  

Officials did not clarify how many vehicles were on the bridge at the time of the collapse. Infrared video showed that vehicles did enter the water, but it's not clear if those vehicles had occupants. Multiple vehicles remained in the river as of mid-morning. 

Homendy said it was too early in the investigation to clarify an exact timeline of events for the accident. 

The ship's crew made an effort to deploy the anchor, though it remains unclear how much progress was made, multiple officials said.

"If it lost steering and power, then basically it's a dead ship just being carried by the current or its own momentum," James Mercante, the president of the New York Board of Pilot Commissioners, told CBS News.

He said that video shows a "big, big puff of black, real dark black smoke" which might indicate that the vessel's power was "restored at the last minute" and that the pilot was "attempting to make an emergency maneuver" to prevent the collision. However, it would be difficult to stop the 900-foot-long vessel. 

"It would take quite a while — probably the length of five [or] six football fields — to bring that ship to a stop, even after dropping the anchors, because of its power and momentum. This is a behemoth," Mercante said. 

"An unthinkable tragedy"

The Baltimore mayor headed to the scene and told reporters at a morning briefing that  the collapse was "an unthinkable tragedy."

"We have to first and foremost pray for all of those who are impacted, those families, pray for our first responders and thank them," Scott said.

A witness  told CBS News Baltimore  the sound of the collapse was massive, shaking his home. 

"Earthquake — sounded like a big bash of thunder," the resident said. "And then just like I said it felt like an earthquake, the whole house vibrated. Like my house was falling down."

The man said he never thought in his "wildest dreams" he would see something like this happen. 

Shipping in and out of the Port of Baltimore has been halted. Moore said that it was too early to estimate how long it would take to rebuild the bridge or for shipping to resume. 

"Our exclusive focus is on saving lives. Our exclusive focus is on search and rescue," he said. 

Location of the Key Bridge in Baltimore

The Francis Scott Key Bridge spans the Patapsco River, a key waterway that serves with the Port of Baltimore as a hub for East Coast shipping. 

CBS News Baltimore reports that the 1.6-mile span was used by some 31,000 people per day and carried 11.5 million vehicles annually.

The Maryland Transportation Authority  said  all lanes were closed in both directions on I-695.  Traffic was being detoured to I-95 and I-895.

All ship traffic at the port, the second-largest seaport in the mid-Atlantic region, has been halted. According to Census data, the Port of Baltimore handled more than $80 billion in imports and exports in 2023, marking a 20-year record. 

The bridge, which opened in 1977, is named after the writer of "The Star-Spangled Banner." 

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on social media that he's "spoken with Gov. Moore and Mayor Scott to offer USDOT's support following the vessel strike and collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge. Rescue efforts remain underway and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow local responder guidance on detours and response."

—Pat Milton, Nicole Sganga and other CBS News and CBS News Baltimore staff members contributed reporting.

More from CBS News

Maps and video show site of bridge collapse in Baltimore

What to know about the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore

How to see the penumbral lunar eclipse, March's full moon

Supreme Court seems poised to reject abortion pill challenge

Six presumed dead after cargo ship crash levels Baltimore bridge

BALTIMORE — A major Baltimore bridge collapsed like a house of cards early Tuesday after it was struck by a container ship, sending six people to their deaths in the dark waters below and closing one of the country’s busiest ports.

By Tuesday evening, search-and-rescue efforts for six people who were working on the bridge when it collapsed had transitioned into a recovery mission, Coast Guard Rear Admiral Shannon N. Gilreath said.

“We do not believe that we’re going to find any of these individuals still alive,” he said, noting the water temperature and the amount of time that had passed since the ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge and caused it to collapse around 1:30 a.m.

Jeffrey Pritzker, executive vice president of Brawner Builders, earlier said that one person had survived. Their names were not released.

Earlier Tuesday as an extensive search was ongoing, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore held out hope that the missing people might be found and expressed heartbreak after officials suspended the active search for survivors.

"Our heart goes out to the families," he said after the active search was suspended. "I can’t imagine how painful today has been for these families, how painful these hours have been have been for these families."

It was a crushing blow to the loved ones of the missing men, who had waited for hours at a Royal Farms convenience store near the entrance of the bridge for word of their fate. 

Follow live updates here

The tragic chain of events began early Tuesday when the cargo ship Dali notified authorities that it had lost power and issued a mayday moments before the 984-foot vessel slammed into a bridge support at a speed of 8 knots, which is about 9 mph.

Moore declared a state of emergency while rescue crews using sonar detected at least five vehicles in the frigid 50-foot-deep water: three passenger cars, a cement truck and another vehicle of some kind. Authorities do not believe anyone was inside the vehicles.

Investigators quickly concluded that it was an accident and not an act of terrorism.

Ship was involved in another collision

Earlier, two people were rescued from the water, Baltimore Fire Chief James Wallace said. One was in good condition and refused treatment, he said. The other was seriously injured and was being treated in a trauma center.

Moore said other drivers might have been in the water had it not been for those who, upon hearing the mayday, blocked off the bridge and kept other vehicles from crossing.

“These people are heroes,” Moore said. “They saved lives.”

Nearly eight years ago, the Dali was involved in an accident. In July 2016, it struck a quay at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium, damaging the quay.

The nautical commission investigated the accident, but the details of the inquiry were not immediately clear Tuesday.

The Dali is operated and managed by Synergy Group. In a statement, the company said that two port pilots were at the helm at the time of Tuesday's crash and that all 22 crew members onboard were accounted for.

The Dali was chartered by the Danish shipping giant Maersk, which said it will have no choice but to send its ships to other nearby ports with the Port of Baltimore closed.

The bridge, which is about a mile and a half long and carries Interstate 695 over the Patapsco River southeast of Baltimore, was "fully up to code," Moore said.

National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said that her agency will lead the investigation and that a data recorder on the ship could provide more information.

"But right now we're focusing on the people, on the families," she said. "The rest can wait."

President Joe Biden vowed to rebuild the bridge and send federal funds.

"This is going to take some time," the president warned. "The people of Baltimore can count on us though to stick with them, at every step of the way, till the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt."

Speaking in Baltimore, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg echoed the president's promise.

"This is no ordinary bridge," he said. "This is one of the cathedrals of American infrastructure."

But Buttigieg warned that replacing the bridge and reopening the port will take time and money and that it could affect supply chains.

The Port of Baltimore, the 11th largest in the U.S., is the busiest port for car imports and exports, handling more than 750,000 vehicles in 2023 alone, according to data from the Maryland Port Administration.

Writer David Simon, a champion of Baltimore who set his TV crime drama "The Wire" on the streets of the city he once covered as a reporter, warned online that the people who will suffer the most are those whose livelihoods depend on the port.

"Thinking first of the people on the bridge," Simon posted on X . "But the mind wanders to a port city strangling. All the people who rely on ships in and out."

Timeline of crash

Dramatic video captured the moment at 1:28 a.m. Tuesday when the Dali struck a support and sent the bridge tumbling into the water. A livestream showed cars and trucks on the bridge just before the strike. The ship did not sink, and its lights remained on.

Investigators said in a timeline that the Dali's lights suddenly shut off four minutes earlier before they came back on and that then, at 1:25 a.m. dark black smoke began billowing from the ship's chimney.

A minute later, at 1:26 a.m., the ship appeared to turn. And in the minutes before it slammed into the support, the lights flickered again.

Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld said the workers on the bridge were repairing concrete ducts when the ship crashed into the structure.

At least seven workers were pouring concrete to fix potholes on the roadway on the bridge directly above where the ship hit, said James Krutzfeldt, a foreman.

Earlier, the Coast Guard said it had received a report that a “motor vessel made impact with the bridge” and confirmed it was the Dali, a containership sailing under a Singaporean flag that was heading for Sri Lanka.

Bobby Haines, who lives in Dundalk in Baltimore County, said he felt the impact of the bridge collapse from his house nearby.

"I woke up at 1:30 this morning and my house shook, and I was freaking out," he said. "I thought it was an earthquake, and to find out it was a bridge is really, really scary."

Families of bridge workers wait for updates

Earlier in the day, relatives of the construction crew waited for updates on their loved ones.

Marian Del Carmen Castellon told Telemundo her husband, Miguel Luna, 49, was working on the bridge.

“They only tell us that we have to wait and that they can’t give us information,” she said.

Castellon said she was "devastated, devastated because our heart is broken, because we don’t know how they have been rescued yet. We are just waiting for the news."

Luna's co-worker Jesús Campos said he felt crushed, too.

“It hurts my heart to see what is happening. We are human beings, and they are my folks,” he said.

Campos told The Baltimore Banner that the missing men are from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico.

Active search and rescue ends

The Coast Guard said it was suspending the active search-and-rescue effort at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"Coast Guard’s not going away, none of our partners are going away, but we’re just going to transition into a different phase," Gilreath said at a news conference.

Maryland State Police Superintendent Roland L. Butler, Jr., said it was moving to a recovery operation. Changing conditions have made it dangerous for divers, he said. 

Butler pledged to "do our very best to recover those six missing people," but the conditions are difficult.

"If we look at how challenging it is at a simple motor vehicle crash to extract an individual, I'm sure we can all imagine how much harder it is to do it in inclement weather, when it's cold, under the water, with very limited to no visibility," he said.

"There's a tremendous amount of debris in the water," which can include sharp metal and other hazards, and that could take time, Butler said.

'A long road in front of us'

Built in 1977 and referred to locally as the Key Bridge, the structure was later named after the author of the American national anthem.

The bridge is more than 8,500 feet long, or 1.6 miles. Its main section spans 1,200 feet, and it was one of the longest continuous truss bridges in the world upon its completion, according to the National Steel Bridge Alliance .

About 31,000 vehicles a day use the bridge, which equals 11.3 million vehicles per year, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority.

The river and the Port of Baltimore are both key to the shipping industry on the East Coast, generating more than $3.3 billion a year and directly employing more than 15,000 people.

Asked what people in Baltimore can expect going forward, the state's transportation secretary said it is too early to tell.

"Obviously we reached out to a number of engineering companies, so obviously we have a long road in front of us," Wiedefeld said.

Julia Jester reported from Baltimore, Patrick Smith from London and Corky Siemaszko from New York City.

Julia Jester is a producer for NBC News based in Washington, D.C.

Patrick Smith is a London-based editor and reporter for NBC News Digital.

Corky Siemaszko is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital.

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

Six people presumed dead after Baltimore Key Bridge collapses, Coast Guard says

A major bridge in Baltimore collapsed after being hit by a freighter about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, sending at least eight people from a construction crew into the water as a large section of the bridge crashed into the Patapsco River. Six people were presumed dead Tuesday evening, authorities announced as they shifted from a search and rescue operation to a recovery effort. The container ship lost power moments before it struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said at a news conference.

• Ship’s pilot tried to slow the vessel as it veered toward bridge, trade association says
• Rescue operation ends with six presumed dead
• Baltimore community gathers for vigil honoring bridge collapse victims

Here's what to know:

Here's what to know, live coverage contributors 50.

7 min ago 7 min ago

1 hour ago 1 hour ago

2 hours ago 2 hours ago

9:03 p.m. EDT Reporting from Baltimore 9:03 p.m. EDT

9:00 p.m. EDT Bullet Key update 9:00 p.m. EDT

8:25 p.m. EDT Bullet Key update 8:25 p.m. EDT

8:01 p.m. EDT Bullet Key update 8:01 p.m. EDT

7:49 p.m. EDT 7:49 p.m. EDT

7:31 p.m. EDT 7:31 p.m. EDT

6:56 p.m. EDT 6:56 p.m. EDT

6:45 p.m. EDT 6:45 p.m. EDT

6:16 p.m. EDT 6:16 p.m. EDT

6:14 p.m. EDT 6:14 p.m. EDT

6:00 p.m. EDT 6:00 p.m. EDT

5:58 p.m. EDT 5:58 p.m. EDT

5:16 p.m. EDT 5:16 p.m. EDT

5:06 p.m. EDT 5:06 p.m. EDT

4:58 p.m. EDT Bullet Key update 4:58 p.m. EDT

4:31 p.m. EDT 4:31 p.m. EDT

4:29 p.m. EDT 4:29 p.m. EDT

4:24 p.m. EDT 4:24 p.m. EDT

4:21 p.m. EDT 4:21 p.m. EDT

4:17 p.m. EDT 4:17 p.m. EDT

4:16 p.m. EDT 4:16 p.m. EDT

4:11 p.m. EDT 4:11 p.m. EDT

4:09 p.m. EDT 4:09 p.m. EDT

3:35 p.m. EDT 3:35 p.m. EDT

3:34 p.m. EDT 3:34 p.m. EDT

3:12 p.m. EDT 3:12 p.m. EDT

3:10 p.m. EDT 3:10 p.m. EDT

3:09 p.m. EDT 3:09 p.m. EDT

2:58 p.m. EDT 2:58 p.m. EDT

2:56 p.m. EDT 2:56 p.m. EDT

2:22 p.m. EDT 2:22 p.m. EDT

2:19 p.m. EDT 2:19 p.m. EDT

2:11 p.m. EDT 2:11 p.m. EDT

1:31 p.m. EDT 1:31 p.m. EDT

1:23 p.m. EDT 1:23 p.m. EDT

1:14 p.m. EDT 1:14 p.m. EDT

12:47 p.m. EDT 12:47 p.m. EDT

12:38 p.m. EDT 12:38 p.m. EDT

12:27 p.m. EDT 12:27 p.m. EDT

11:58 a.m. EDT 11:58 a.m. EDT

11:56 a.m. EDT 11:56 a.m. EDT

11:55 a.m. EDT 11:55 a.m. EDT

11:49 a.m. EDT 11:49 a.m. EDT

11:45 a.m. EDT 11:45 a.m. EDT

11:36 a.m. EDT 11:36 a.m. EDT

11:32 a.m. EDT 11:32 a.m. EDT

11:17 a.m. EDT 11:17 a.m. EDT

11:15 a.m. EDT 11:15 a.m. EDT

11:02 a.m. EDT 11:02 a.m. EDT

10:58 a.m. EDT 10:58 a.m. EDT

10:53 a.m. EDT 10:53 a.m. EDT

10:47 a.m. EDT Bullet Key update 10:47 a.m. EDT

10:35 a.m. EDT 10:35 a.m. EDT

10:34 a.m. EDT 10:34 a.m. EDT

10:24 a.m. EDT 10:24 a.m. EDT

10:19 a.m. EDT Bullet Key update 10:19 a.m. EDT

10:14 a.m. EDT 10:14 a.m. EDT

10:10 a.m. EDT 10:10 a.m. EDT

10:05 a.m. EDT 10:05 a.m. EDT

10:02 a.m. EDT 10:02 a.m. EDT

9:44 a.m. EDT 9:44 a.m. EDT

9:32 a.m. EDT 9:32 a.m. EDT

9:30 a.m. EDT Bullet Key update 9:30 a.m. EDT

9:22 a.m. EDT 9:22 a.m. EDT

9:18 a.m. EDT 9:18 a.m. EDT

9:17 a.m. EDT 9:17 a.m. EDT

9:09 a.m. EDT Bullet Key update 9:09 a.m. EDT

9:00 a.m. EDT 9:00 a.m. EDT

8:51 a.m. EDT 8:51 a.m. EDT

8:35 a.m. EDT Bullet Key update 8:35 a.m. EDT

8:29 a.m. EDT Bullet Key update 8:29 a.m. EDT

8:19 a.m. EDT 8:19 a.m. EDT

8:15 a.m. EDT 8:15 a.m. EDT

7:59 a.m. EDT 7:59 a.m. EDT

7:46 a.m. EDT Bullet Key update 7:46 a.m. EDT

7:21 a.m. EDT 7:21 a.m. EDT

7:18 a.m. EDT 7:18 a.m. EDT

6:52 a.m. EDT 6:52 a.m. EDT

6:49 a.m. EDT Bullet Key update 6:49 a.m. EDT

6:18 a.m. EDT 6:18 a.m. EDT

5:51 a.m. EDT Bullet Key update 5:51 a.m. EDT

5:31 a.m. EDT 5:31 a.m. EDT

5:27 a.m. EDT 5:27 a.m. EDT

5:19 a.m. EDT 5:19 a.m. EDT

5:13 a.m. EDT 5:13 a.m. EDT

5:00 a.m. EDT Reporting on the scene from Baltimore 5:00 a.m. EDT

4:41 a.m. EDT 4:41 a.m. EDT

4:40 a.m. EDT 4:40 a.m. EDT

4:24 a.m. EDT Bullet Key update 4:24 a.m. EDT

4:18 a.m. EDT Bullet Key update 4:18 a.m. EDT

4:12 a.m. EDT 4:12 a.m. EDT

Six workers presumed dead after crippled cargo ship knocks down Baltimore bridge

• LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
• Six workers presumed dead
• Search and rescue operations suspended

BIGGER DISASTER AVERTED

'SHOCKING SIGHT'

Get weekly news and analysis on the U.S. elections and how it matters to the world with the newsletter On the Campaign Trail. Sign up here.

Reporting by Joseph Campbell, Andy Sullivan, Andrea Shalal, David Shephardson, Steve Holland, Christian Schmollinger, Rich McKay, David Shepardson, Gabriela Borter, Shubham Kalia, Harshita Meenaktshi, Shreya Biswas, Jyoti Narayan, Kat Jackson, Jonathan Saul; Writing by Doina Chiacu and Ros Russell; Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Josie Kao, Howard Goller and Stephen Coates

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab

Thomson Reuters

Andy covers politics and policy in Washington. His work has been cited in Supreme Court briefs, political attack ads and at least one Saturday Night Live skit.

Gabriella Borter is a reporter on the U.S. National Affairs team, covering cultural and political issues as well as breaking news. She has won two Front Page Awards from the Newswomen’s Club of New York - in 2020 for her beat reporting on healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2019 for her spot story on the firing of the police officer who killed Eric Garner. The latter was also a Deadline Club Awards finalist. She holds a B.A. in English from Yale University and joined Reuters in 2017.

Most rescue efforts suspended at Russian gold mine due to collapse risk -TASS

Most rescue efforts have been suspended at a gold mine in Russia's far east, where 13 miners were trapped by a rock fall on Monday, due to the risk of another collapse, state news agency TASS reported on Wednesday.

Lebanon's Hezbollah said it launched dozens of rockets at Kiryet Shmona, an Israeli town over the border, early on Wednesday in response to deadly Israeli strikes on the village of Hebbariyeh in southern Lebanon a day earlier.

Ukraine's air force chief said on Wednesday that Russia launched 13 Shahed drones at Ukraine overnight, 10 of which were downed in Kharkiv, Sumy and Kyiv regions.

Aerial photos show the catastrophic aftermath of the Baltimore bridge collapse

• A container ship hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse.
• Aerial photos show pieces of the bridge remaining in the water after the crash.
• Highway signs alerted drivers to road closures and instructed them to use alternate routes.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency after a cargo ship struck Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday, causing it to collapse.

The collapse sent people and vehicles plunging into the icy, 50-foot-deep waters below. Six people who were on the bridge remain missing.

With the bridge and the surrounding harbor now closed, the catastrophe is also likely to have a major economic impact on Baltimore businesses .

Photos show the aftermath of the Baltimore bridge's collapse.

In the early hours of March 26, the cargo ship Dali struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse.

Livestream video showed the ship striking a support beam at 1:28 a.m. Less than 10 seconds later, the bridge had completely collapsed.

Aerial photos taken hours later show pieces of the bridge sticking out of the water with twisted pieces of metal on top of the ship.

The ship lost power and broadcast a "mayday" distress call before striking the bridge. At a press conference Tuesday, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said Dali's distress signal enabled authorities to close the bridge ahead of the crash, saving lives.

Search-and-rescue boats surrounded the site of the crash, searching for survivors.

Six people remain missing since the collapse, Maryland transportation secretary Paul Wiedefeld said at a news conference Tuesday.

The ship sustained damage in the crash, as well.

The Dali cargo ship was involved in another crash in the Port of Antwerp in Belgium in 2016.

Authorities directed traffic on I-695 away from the wreckage.

The bridge spanned 10.9 miles and cost $60.3 million to build when it was completed in 1977, according to the Maryland Transportation Authority .

Local traffic signs instructed drivers to use alternate routes.

Around 34,000 vehicles crossed the bridge every day, according to a 2023 report by the Maryland Transportation Authority.

Maryland residents stopped to look at the scene of the crash.

The ship was visible from Riviera Beach, Maryland, about 13 miles from the bridge.