More than a day after the tragic collapse, little is still known about their deaths, why the ship crashed, why the bridge collapsed and what happened in their final moments when they became airborne. It wasn't. But their loss left a trail of international grief. Two of the victims were Mexican, the victims, ages 26 and 35, were Guatemalan, another victim was Honduran, and the sixth was Salvadoran. People who loved them brought stories about their lives.
Mainor Suazo Sandoval from Honduras was almost 39 years old. Miguel Luna, a native of El Salvador, was the father of three children. Both men were members of the immigrant group Casa. We both loved soccer. The identities of the other four victims had not been released as of Wednesday afternoon.
Hector Guardado saw the news that his uncle's search and rescue mission had been changed to a recovery effort. The chances of survival were slim. But he wasn't going to give up hope that Suazo Sandoval might be found alive.
“We're going to hope and pray that he's still alive until we find his body,” Guardado said by phone from Honduras, where Suazo Sandoval grew up before coming to the United States. “After all, the last word is the word of God.”
Suazo Sandoval left the small town of Askualpa in Honduras' Santa Barbara department about 20 years ago. He arrived in Baltimore after briefly working in construction and as a truck driver in Virginia and North Carolina. He met his wife, Berenice, who is also from Honduras, and they now have a 5-year-old daughter. He eventually brought his 17-year-old son with him.
Their life in Maryland was fueled by his grit and optimism. It was even harder to survive day-to-day, including night work on a bridge in the cold and harassment from past employers, but it also meant that he left his family in Maryland and Honduras behind. It also meant that they could better support their families. .
“He was always so happy to be able to share what little he had achieved in the United States,” Guardado said. “Others always came first.”
Guardado said his ties to his hometown were never severed.
He would call or video chat with her at each baptism or wedding, and was often seen crying tears of joy. On his birthday, he used to buy cakes for his distant relatives. When someone got sick, he helped pay for his medicine.
A lifelong fan of the soccer team FC Motagua, he wore the dark blue jersey and followed every match possible. He sent money to Azalcapua to support a youth soccer league, helped buy uniforms for his relatives as well as many others in town, and worked with Guardado to open a hotel in town.
“We are distraught. We are hurt. It's the most tragic death we can imagine,” he said. “When you live far away, there are only so many things you can do.”
Suazo Sandoval's mother, Emerita, an otherwise healthy 80-year-old, has been unconscious since first hearing the news Tuesday morning. The family in Maryland has contacted the Honduran consulate for the latest information.
Luna's family also continues to search for answers.
Son Marvin Luna said he knew his father had been on the Key Bridge all night, but he didn't know the bridge had collapsed until a friend called him and said, “The bridge…is gone.” said.
Marvin Luna then called his father, who worked for a construction company for about 15 years, but no one answered.
On Tuesday evening, shortly before authorities announced Miguel Luna was presumed dead, his family was at their home in Glen Burnie, Maryland, desperately waiting for news.
Marvin Luna said at the time, “I don't know anything about my father yet, so I'm okay now.'' “But we are still waiting.”
Gustavo Torres, executive director of the Latino immigrant group Casa, said at a press conference Wednesday that he has been in contact with the families of Luna and Suazo Sandoval.
“Maynor and Miguel are just two stories and concrete examples of the thousands of Baltimoreans who contribute to this beautiful country,” Torres said. “At a time when there is so much hatred against immigrant communities, we look to Mr. Maynor and Mr. Miguel for their quiet leadership and how they support our society so Americans can live comfortably. I am grateful.”
Guardado said his uncle, Suazo Sandoval, who was in the country illegally, was in contact with a lawyer and was working to eventually obtain citizenship and reunite with his family in Honduras.
“The kind of work he did is something no American-born person would do,” he said. “People like him travel there with dreams. They don't want to destroy anything or take anything away. It was his only chance.”
The United States “opened many doors for him,” he says, “but he always wanted to return to his homeland.”
Guardado said he was praying for that to happen, even if it was in a casket.
Jasmine Hilton, Maria Paul and Scott Dance contributed to this report.
