Julio Cervantes Suarez recalled thinking of his own mortality as a 947-foot vessel slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge where he had been fixing potholes.

Seven construction workers, who were all Latino men, fell into the Patapsco River seconds after the Dali cargo ship hit the bridge in the early morning hours of March 26. Cervantes Suarez is the only person to fall into the river and survive.

In an exclusive interview with NBC News’ Tom Llamas published Wednesday, Cervantes Suarez described how he and a crew were on a rest break in the middle of the bridge as ship approached and lost steering. The interview marks the first time Cervantes Suarez has spoken publicly about the bridge collapse.

The story continues at The Baltimore Banner: Survivor of Key Bridge collapse: ‘I looked at the bridge and it was no longer there’

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