Like every morning for 16 years, Larry Desantis crossed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on his way to work, without imagining that March 26 would mark a before and following in his life.
The city of Baltimore woke up to the news that the bridge they had known all their lives had disappeared, as a cargo ship had collided with it, causing it to collapse into the Patapsco River.
Desantis, head of a team at a Maryland bakery, will not forget that he had crossed the bridge minutes before this tragedy occurred.
According to the baker, he crossed the bridge around 1:26 a.m. just minutes before the tragic incident. “One more minute and I wouldn’t be here,” Desantis shared in an interview with the American media. ABC News.
Desantis says he noticed the absence of vehicles behind him following crossing the bridge, something that is unusual at a time when there would normally be a line of trucks passing through the area due to the proximity of an Amazon distribution center.
Despite the magnitude of the bridge collapse and the loss of life, Desantis did not hear the roar of the collapse, as he had his vehicle’s radio on. It was only following receiving a concerned call from a colleague that he learned of the disaster that had occurred minutes following he crossed the bridge.
For Desantis, the reality of how close he came to tragedy only gradually set in. Although he has continued to work at the bakery since the incident, his alternative route now takes him almost an hour, compared to the 20 minutes it used to take him to cross the bridge.
The incident has left a deep mark on him, as well as on all the people at the bakery he works for, as the experience has left them with a sense of gratitude and renewed awareness regarding the fragility of life and the importance of every minute. .
Desantis’ story also impacted his family and close friends, as Deborah Allen, a friend of Larry Desantis, remembers the moment she found out regarding the bridge collapse. He woke up in panic at 4 in the morning upon hearing the words the news. One of the first people she thought of was his friend, since she remembered his routine and how he traveled over the bridge every day.
Allen recounts how he called several people to get news of what had happened and following several calls he was able to confirm that Desantis was safe in the bakery.
This experience left Deborah Allen reflecting on her own fear of bridges, vowing to avoid them in the future.
Meanwhile, Desantis carries on, overwhelmed by the reality of how close he came to tragedy and grateful for each passing day. Although the bridge has collapsed, his determination and resilient spirit remain an inspiration to all who know him.
The Baltimore bridge tragedy marked many families since six Hispanic workers lost their lives, including two Guatemalans.
Baltimore authorities are still working to locate the bodies of four of the six victims.
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