Navy And FBI Work Together To Help Minnesota Recovery Effort
The country was shocked last week when the news reported to us that a bridge in Minnesota had collapsed during ruch hour traffic. Things like this aren’t supposed to happen and when they do it leaves us all in shock.
When you hear about something that attacked it makes it more easier to hear because than there is a reason for it. With this kind of disaster we aren’t sure what caused it - making us more fearful of what can happen all around us at any moment.
Navy divers are still studying the wreckage dumped into the Mississippi River, planning their search for bodies believed hidden in the debris and murky water. Navy Senior Chief David Nagle said the presence of the 15 divers and a five-member command team is able to provide greater experience and more sophisticated technology than local emergency dive squads. Searchers have been unable to find at least eight people missing since the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed into the water near downtown Minneapolis last week.
“Right now we’re here to assess, and we’re standing by to support as requested,” Nagle said. “Now it’s time to start going through the debris,” Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek had said earlier of the Navy divers. “My folks are not salvage experts, and that’s why I brought in the ones that are, the Navy.” FBI dive teams had also arrived, with equipment that includes a small submarine equipped with a robotic arm.
On land, workers have begun moving heavy construction equipment into position to eventually hoist away the tons of concrete and steel bridge wreckage. In addition to the missing, there are five known dead. Five people remained hospitalized; four were upgraded Tuesday to serious condition, leaving only one person still in critical condition. The city asked residents to observe a moment of silence Tuesday evening at the minute the bridge fell, and bells at churches and City Hall were to toll immediately after.