Nearly 20 months after the catastrophic Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, a portion of the Dali cargo ship's crew finds themselves anchored in an unforeseen predicament. Nine crew members are reportedly still stranded in the city amidst a flurry of legal proceedings, as reported by WBAL. According to Synergy Marine, the vessel's operator, four of the crew have been granted permission to visit their families back home, while the rest remain bound to Maryland, pending the resolution of the litigation.
Andrew Middleton of the Apostleship of the Sea, a Catholic organization extending its support to mariners in need, has been at the forefront providing guidance and comfort to the crew during their unexpected shore leave by arranging outings, social gatherings, even simple excursions like shopping, attending Orioles games, trips to Washington D.C., Gettysburg and inviting them to watch Ravens games at his house, according to the same WBAL report.
The conditions surrounding the crew's stay were brought into sharper focus this week with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) releasing a report that exonerated the crew's actions during the disaster, according to CBS News. The investigation found that a misplaced cable that led to a power outage was the primary catalyst for the chain of events that culminated in the ship's collision with the bridge, and not due to any negligence on the crew's part.
.jpg){kind=link}