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Some Dali crew members are worried about paying bills in the FBI case

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Some Dali crew members are concerned about when they will be allowed to go home, and senior members expect to remain in Baltimore after the ship is relocated while the federal investigation continues, 11 News Investigates has learned. Video above: Crew shelter in place as explosives clear bridge wreckage. Mark Nestlehutt, the executive director of the New York-based nonprofit Seamen’s Church Institute, told 11 News Investigates that he boarded the cargo ship Dali with chaplains within a week of the Francis Scott collapse of the Key Bridge on March 26 Conversation with the 21 crew members. He said his organization sent chaplains aboard the ship again in April to visit the crew. The Dali’s crew members – 20 from India and one from Sri Lanka – remained aboard the ship to answer questions from FBI and National Transportation Safety Board investigators and conduct necessary ship operations. Nestlehutt told 11 News Investigates that the FBI seized crew members’ phones, computers and other electronic devices. He said the nonprofit is now trying to work with the FBI to get the phones returned to the crew because some members are having trouble accessing their bank accounts to pay bills at home without their devices. As the FBI searched the ship, some crew members became concerned about when they would be allowed to return home, Nestlehutt told 11 News Investigates. Still, many crew members remain optimistic that they will be allowed to abandon the ship once it is refloated and leaves Baltimore for repairs. On Tuesday, 11 News Investigates broke the news that Unified Command plans to remove part of the bridge structure containing explosives from the Dali and that crew members will remain aboard during the detonation. Alex Giles, a maritime law attorney in Baltimore, told 11 News Investigates he was shocked to learn that the ship’s crew members would remain aboard during the detonation. Giles told 11 News Investigates that after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, a federal law passed makes it more difficult for crew members who are not U.S. citizens to go ashore under certain circumstances. While he was quick to point out that he was not an expert in salvage operations or the use of explosives, he said there was no legal reason to prevent the ship’s crew from being loaded onto another ship while the explosives were being detonated – to ensure their safety. Video below: Unified Command releases simulation video to explain precision cut demolition. Unified Command has stated that it has determined that crew members can safely shelter on board. Giles said there is always a chance – no matter how small – that something could go wrong with the explosives. “They are the experts, they have determined that the use of explosives will accelerate this process.” What worries me, and probably a lot of people, is what happens when the tiniest thing happens, and God forbid, the ship in its place exploded, with 21 people on board and all the workers nearby?” said Giles, a partner at Tydings and Rosenberg LLP. According to Unified Command, the small loads – a standard controlled demolition tool – will split the large section of the truss in certain locations to create multiple smaller sections, allowing salvagers to use cranes and barges to remove the pieces and ultimately remove the Dali from the channel. The exact timing of the precision cut demolition work will depend on several environmental and operational factors, according to Unified Command. This is a developing story and will be updated.

BALTIMORE –

Some Dali crew members are concerned about when they will be allowed to go home, and senior members expect to remain in Baltimore after the ship is relocated while the federal investigation continues, 11 News Investigates has learned.

Video above: Crew seeks shelter as explosives clear bridge wreckage

Mark Nestlehutt, the executive director of the New York-based nonprofit Seamen’s Church Institute, told 11 News Investigates that within a week of the March 26 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, he boarded the Dali cargo ship with chaplains and was with the 21 crew members spoke. He said his organization sent chaplains aboard the ship again in April to visit the crew.

The Dali’s crew members – 20 from India and one from Sri Lanka – have remained aboard the ship to answer questions from FBI and National Transportation Safety Board investigators and conduct necessary ship operations.

Nestlehutt told 11 News Investigates that the FBI seized crew members’ phones, computers and other electronic devices. He said the nonprofit is now trying to work with the FBI to get the phones returned to the crew because some members are having trouble accessing their bank accounts to pay bills at home without their devices.

As the FBI searched the ship, some crew members became concerned about when they would be allowed to return home, Nestlehutt told 11 News Investigates. Still, many crew members remain optimistic that they will be allowed to abandon the ship once it is refloated and leaves Baltimore for repairs.

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On Tuesday, 11 News Investigates broke the news that Unified Command plans to remove part of the bridge structure containing explosives from the Dali and that crew members will remain aboard during the detonation.

Alex Giles, a maritime lawyer in Baltimore, told 11 News Investigates he was shocked to learn that the ship’s crew members would remain aboard during the detonation.

Giles told 11 News Investigates that a federal law passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks makes it more difficult for crew members who are not U.S. citizens to take shore leave under certain circumstances.

While he is quick to point out that he is not an expert in salvage operations or the use of explosives, Giles said there is no legal reason to prevent the ship’s crew from loading onto another ship while the explosives are being detonated – for their safety to ensure.

vIdea below: Unified Command releases simulation video to explain precision cut demolition

While Unified Command said it had determined that crew members could safely shelter on board, Giles said there was always the possibility, however small, that something could go wrong with the explosives.

“They are the experts, they have determined that the use of explosives will accelerate this process. What worries me, and probably a lot of people, is the question of what would happen if the tiniest thing happened and God forbid the ship exploded in its place. “21 people on board and all the workers around?” said Giles, partner at Tydings and Rosenberg LLP.

According to Unified Command, the small loads – a standard controlled demolition tool – will split the large section of the truss in specific locations to create multiple smaller sections, allowing salvagers to use cranes and barges to remove the pieces and ultimately the Dali the building to remove canal.

The exact timing of precision cut demolition operations will depend on several environmental and operational factors, according to Unified Command.

This is a developing story and will be updated.


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