East or West, home is always best — an adage nine seafarers from India and Sri Lanka can strongly relate to. They remain in Baltimore 19 months after their vessel, the Dali, struck and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six construction workers and severing a crucial transportation link.
The men are still cooperating with federal authorities, who have not yet said whether the companies that own and operate the cargo ship will face criminal charges. Their long stay has left them unable to sail, work, or renew critical maritime certifications.
“They're not putting any time towards promotion and so, they're falling behind. That's particularly frustrating,” said Reverend Joshua Messick, who leads the Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center. “And what's more frustrating is they're used to working constantly, that’s how they're wired.”
The nonprofit typically provides transportation, advocacy and hospitality to crews in port. Since the collapse, Messick has been helping the Dali crew navigate the unusual circumstances — and the isolation — so they feel a little less like fish out of water.
“It’s kind of like if you took a Baptist and dropped them into a Catholic church and said, ‘Here you go, worship,’” Messick said. “It doesn’t always translate.”
Earlier this week, the National Transportation Safety Board reported that a loose wire triggered the power failure that sent the Dali into the bridge. Messick said the finding offered the crew a significant emotional lift after months of worry over public blame.
“That was a huge boost to them,” he said. “They're keenly aware that people died in the accident. They know how much it's affected Baltimore and the country, and so they have just been sitting with this.”
Even with the NTSB findings, the men remain in Baltimore indefinitely. The shipping company, Grace Ocean, has not said when the men can finally voyage home or reclaim their travel documents.
A spokesperson for the DOJ said the agency “has no additional information to provide at this time.”
Meanwhile, Messick’s nonprofit and the Catholic ministry Apostleship of the Sea are accepting donations to assemble Christmas-at-Sea gift packs for the crew and stranded seafarers.
