The lone survivor of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is speaking out for the first time about the harrowing tragedy. In an emotional interview with NBC News three months after the incident, 37-year-old Julio Cervantes Suarez sat down with Tom Llamas and recalled what happened on March 26, 2024.
He shares the guilt that he now carries around watching his family and friends die.
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Julio was one of seven construction workers who'd been present on the bridge, fixing potholes minutes before the 947-foot-long Dali cargo ship crashed into it. The workers, along with the bridge, fell into the Patapsco River. He recalls his nephew, brother-in-law, and longtime friends being in their cars on a break.
In that moment, the father started to pray. "I thanked God for family he gave me," he said in the interview. "I asked him to take care of my wife and kids. And I asked for forgiveness for everything I’ve done."
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The construction worker's truck fell roughly 18 stories into the river. Thankfully, he had manual windows and was able to roll one down and escape. Though he didn't know how to swim, he was able to make his way to a piece of the bridge that was floating in the river, which kept him afloat until he was later rescued.
His coworkers, including his nephew, all died. "I started to call out to each one of them by name; no one answered me," he emotionally recalled. At that point, he knew that they were gone.
The survivor was then asked why he believes he made it out alive. "I don't know," Julio said, adding that he believes there's a bigger plan for him. "I think maybe there is still a goal for me."
Despite being thankful to be alive, it doesn't help him escape being haunted by what happened. "I relive it all the time," Julio shared. "The minutes before the fall and when I’m falling."
Julio also carries the guilt of his nephew's death, especially because he told his loved one to rest in his own car during their break. "If I had told him to come with me [in my truck], maybe it would have been different," he told NBC News. "Maybe he would be here with us."
Julio and the families of the workers who died will be taking legal action against the companies involved with the cargo ship. "The boat was not seaworthy," his attorney, L. Chris Stewart, told NBC News. "Everybody that was involved with this boat is responsible for destroying these eight families’ lives. It’s an American tragedy."
