Moisés Díaz was set to fill potholes on the Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday morning, but a last-minute shift change may have saved his life.
"Every day we give thanks to God for life," Díaz told CBS News.
But while he's thankful, Díaz is grieving the loss of the six fellow construction workers — men he calls brothers — who died when the bridge collapsed.
"I saw my friends as family members," he said. "The ones that died in this tragedy."
Díaz met with one of the surviving workers and his family on Wednesday. He said the crew had finished filling potholes and were sitting in their cars waiting for the concrete to dry so the lane could be reopened when the Dali, a massive cargo ship, struck one of the Key Bridge's support columns.
Julio Cervantes, one of the two workers who survived the collapse, managed to crawl out the window of his sinking truck, Díaz told CBS News.
"He thought, 'I'm going to die here,'" Díaz said. "And even though he can't swim, he survived."
Díaz reveals that Cervantes suffered a crushed chest during the escape, but his condition was reported as stable as of Thursday. The emotional impact of the collapse lingers, with Cervantes unable to shake off the memories of the tragedy replaying in his mind.
Following the collapse, the search for victims utilized thermal imaging technology during the early hours of the morning.
"Our primary focus around 4 a.m. that night was to use thermal imaging to locate any survivors," stated Jordan Olszewski from the Baltimore County Police Department.
Maryland State Police recovered the bodies of Alejandro Hernández Fuentes and Dorlian Castillo Cabrera from the Patapsco River on Wednesday. Divers are facing challenges in reaching the remaining four individuals still missing due to hazardous debris from the bridge.
Among the missing victims is Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, whose brother expressed regret over not being able to prevent him from going to work that fateful morning.
