Crew members trapped on plane that crashed in Baltimore saved their lives

(CNN) — When the Rev. Mark Nesselhut boarded the cargo ship Dali a week after it hit the Baltimore bridge, agonizing questions arose among the 21 crew members: “When will I get off the ship? When can I come home?”

More than a month later, crew members still don’t know the answer.

They are confined to the endangered branch after six construction workers died on March 26 after losing power, going off course and colliding with the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Since then, the 20 Indians and one Sri Lankan aboard the ship have mourned the dead, had their mobile phones confiscated by the FBI, and a series of controlled explosions were used to break a large section of the bridge structure stuck in the bow of the ship. The series has endured. ,

“It has been tough for seafarers, especially because they know lives have been lost,” said Gwe Guo Duan, deputy secretary-general of the Singapore Maritime Officers Union, one of the unions representing the crew of Singapore-flagged ships. “

“It’s hard for them, being on the ship and seeing the crash site every day.”

But due to a number of complications, including US visas that expired while they were stuck, it may take weeks or even months for them to leave. Here’s why they’re still stuck on board and how they’re facing unimaginable stress.

Maritime regulations state that a ship must be staffed

A ship as large as Dali, at 106,000 tons and 984 feet long, requires constant care, even when she is not moving. And a ship stranded in the river still faces many potential dangers, says Philip C. Shifflin Jr., director of the Center for Mariner Advocacy, an organization that advocates for seafarers’ rights.

“It can leak. There’s machinery going on…anytime there’s machinery going on, there’s a particular risk that something will fail and cause a fire or something like that,” says Shifflin. “So boaters have to be prepared to respond to those different threats. And that’s by law.”

According to the Office of the Federal Register, the United States has “minimum ship management requirements”, and similar international regulations have been widely adopted.

“Under international maritime regulations, certain crew members are required to remain on board,” says Nestlehut, president and CEO of The Seamen’s Church Institute, which promotes the safety and well-being of seafarers.

The non-profit organization responds to seafarers in distress around the world, including those affected by hurricanes, piracy incidents or deaths at sea.

When Nesselhut visited the Dali crew on 1 April, he immediately observed “a sense of great loss and sadness” over the deaths of the construction workers, and the sailors “wanted to tell their relatives that they were safe.”

But a few days later, when the FBI seized the crew’s cell phones on April 15 as part of their ongoing investigation of the crash, the crew lost contact with their families.

“Unfounded fear” among the crew.

There was a wave of concern on the ship after the FBI boarded the cast and seized sailors’ mobile phones, according to a joint statement from the Maritime Officers Association, which represents the ship’s officers, and the Seafarers Organization of Singapore, which represents other crew members. Does.

Duane told CNN on Thursday that the sailors have received new mobile phones. But the FBI has returned the SIM cards of only a few crew members, he said.

Although investigators have not blamed anyone for the power outage that led to the fatal accident, sailors feel “unfounded fear of personal criminal liability,” said two unions representing crew members.

“No matter how long the investigation lasts, the rights and well-being of the crew must not be violated during it,” Dave Heindel, president of the International Seafarers Union, said in a statement.

He said, “We call on the authorities to take into account that seafarers are able to make personal transactions, pay bills and, most importantly, transfer money to their home country to support their families. use mobile devices.” “Crew members are becoming demoralized without the basic equipment we all take for granted.”

“The prolonged detention of sailors aboard the MV Dali and the failure of authorities to return their personal communications devices is unjustified,” Don Marcus, president of the International Organization of Captains, Midshipmen and Pilots, said in a statement last weekend. “Our hearts go out to the captain, officers and crew of M/V Dali, who not only endured a terrible and tragic experience with the loss of six lives, but also remained isolated from their loved ones.”

steady, but not motionless

While waiting for news of their fate, crew members remain busy not only with their duties on board the ship, but also assisting investigators and rescue teams.

“Obviously, this is not a normal environment for them. But they’re all professional sailors, so they do what they have to do,” says Darrell Wilson, a spokesman for Synergy Marine Group, the company that manages the Dali ship. “Their days are full. They have the usual responsibilities on the boat. They have to take care of the boat, the equipment, make sure everything is running smoothly. They also help the lifeguards.”

Sailors play a vital role in helping rescue teams because “they know every corridor. They know where everything is on the ship,” Wilson said.

“So if anyone has a question about where we can plug in to get running water,” Sailors can help, Wilson said. “The crew is basically assisting in any way possible.”

Synergy Marine immediately dispatched representatives to help crew members with food, toiletries and other daily needs… ensuring they have everything they need, on board Helping to bring additional supplies or arranging for additional supplies to be brought. Board,” Wilson said.

In addition, “They have coordinated the visits of some seafarers’ organizations. Some ministries of seafarers have been present. Both the respective embassies have been in touch with the crew and have also visited the ship,” he said.

Synergy has also provided mental health services to the crew, which Duan – an official of the Maritime Officers Association of Singapore – described as helping a traumatized sailor after trying to search for survivors on the night of the fatal accident. Credit has been given.

“One of them ran to the bow, that is, to the front of the ship, to look for survivors of the accident,” Duan said, “despite the pile of debris from the bridge, which could collapse at any time.”

On Monday, after six weeks moored in the bow of the Dalí, a large section of the Key Bridge was blown off in a series of controlled explosions while the crew was still on board.

Many hoped that the removal would mean that the crew would be able to leave or at least get off the ship sooner. But there are more obstacles ahead.

Their visas expired while they were stranded

In addition to personnel regulations, ongoing investigations, and questions about whether Dali is fit to sail, crew members are not even allowed to set foot on American soil. According to Duan, his one-month visa expired while he was stuck in Dali for almost two months.

Even the ship management company does not know when the crew will be able to leave.

“They will be there for the foreseeable future,” Wilson told CNN on Wednesday. “We’re working to refloat the ship in a few days and move it to a local terminal here. And then at some point in the future — and I don’t have that date — the company will seek guidance from officials on the next move. Step with the team.”

Duane, who visited the crew on April 24 and communicates regularly with the captain, says he does not expect the ship to leave the Baltimore area until authorities complete their investigation.

The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report on the crash earlier this week, which did not include a probable cause. Those findings will form part of a final report that could take researchers up to two years.

“Without a final report, I don’t think the ship is going anywhere far from Baltimore,” Duane said.

In the meantime, he hopes that non-essential crew members will be allowed to leave the ship and live on dry land temporarily “to relieve their mental stress.”

Crew unions have publicly demanded the extension or renewal of seafarers’ visas. Duan also hopes US officials will reevaluate who should stay on the ship and who should go home.

“We take their sacrifices lightly”

The plight of the Dali crew highlights the personal sacrifices of workers, who often leave their families for months at a time to supply goods used daily by many consumers.

Shifflin, director of the Center for Mariner Advocacy, said, “I think most of us think that the items we use every day show up on Amazon or Walmart, etc. The reality is that 90% of the world’s goods move by ships. Is taken.”

“Ships are manned by sailors. And to most of us – the vast majority – they are invisible. We don’t even know they’re there. And I think we often take their sacrifices for granted.”

(CNN’s Gloria Pazmino contributed to this report)