British Army engineer joins US salvage efforts following Baltimore bridge collapse

A Royal Engineers captain has joined his US counterparts in the salvage operation following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.

The tragic collapse of the bridge was triggered after the Dali, a 948ft cargo ship, collided with one of its supports.

The crash caused the bridge to collapse in seconds, with six workers killed and the cargo ship left stuck.

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The cargo ship remains caught up among the mangled steel of the bridge, but US personnel are working to clear the remnants – with Captain Dan Hoban joining the efforts.

Capt Hoban is in the US as an exchange officer and has been working to clear the wreckage – no small feat when everything at the site poses a risk to the lives of the salvage crews.

He is not the only member of the military helping out, with the response effort including US Army engineers as well as the US Navy, Coast Guard, plus Maryland authorities and specialist private firms.

The personnel are working to unblock the shipping channel and refloat the Dali – as well as clearing what is left of the bridge from the Patapsco River.

Baltimore port, one of the busiest on the east coast of the United States, has turned into a hub for the recovery efforts.

US Navy sonar vessels are deployed alongside police boats, and have been joined by seven crane barges, including one that was used to build a ship tasked with recovering a Soviet submarine.

All personnel, military or otherwise, are working to remove the remnants of the bridge piece by piece.

A fourth body has been found following the collapse of the bridge, with the FBI now carrying out a criminal investigation into the incident – including a raid on the cargo ship.