By Reverend Joshua Messick
How Mission to Seafarers Stood with the Dali Crew
Early in the morning on March 26th, the container ship Dali struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The bridge collapsed in a matter of seconds, killing six construction workers, blocking the access channel to the Port of Baltimore, and stranding seven vessels and their crews. The port remained closed for almost three months.
During that time, the Baltimore International Seafarers Center (Mission to Seafarers) was kept busy caring for the needs of the stranded seafarers, advocating for their rights, and working to provide whatever comfort they could. They facilitated transportation daily early on, but after a month, those seafarers who had shore passes saw their passes expire. Appeals were made to renew them, but unfortunately, that never happened. BISC chaplains, staff, and volunteers visited each ship regularly, delivered packages, and shopped for the crews. It was an excellent opportunity to spend quality time with seafarers and learned more about their lives, hopes, and needs to a degree that they had never been afforded before.
They celebrated birthdays with crew members, helped them stay in touch with their loved ones, and arranged whatever entertainment they could. Their role was, in great part, breaking up the inevitable tedium that had set in.
They also contacted the Dali crew while the ship remained trapped under the bridge and began building relationships with them even before the vessel was freed and brought back to port. The experience obviously shook the crew, so pastoral care and emotional support were provided from the start.
Once they boarded the vessel, they were able to assist in more direct ways. The FBI confiscated all of the crew’s cellphones and electronic devices, which had still not been returned. In partnership with the ITF and other unions representing the crew, they helped each seafarer purchase a new cellphone so they could stay in touch with their families. They also organized a party onboard to watch a T20 cricket match between India and Pakistan.
About half of the crew remained in Baltimore. They were not detained, but they could not go home. Their days were tedious, and their mental health was strained. The case progressed very slowly, and their presence as witnesses rather than defendants had no end in sight.
The center continued working with the crew—hosting them, organizing events and get-togethers, taking them to shop for groceries, and providing pastoral care and emotional support. They remained committed to providing whatever care was needed, while continuing to advocate for the seafarers’ return home.
The Rev. Joshua Messick
Executive Director
Baltimore International Seafarers’ Center
Baltimore, MD
