Underwater 3D Photos Show Key Bridge Wreckage At The Bottom Of River

New images released by the U.S. Navy's Naval Sea System Command Supervisor of Salvage and Diving show the mangled remains of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at the bottom of the Patapsco River.

The bridge collapsed on March 26 after it was struck by a massive cargo ship that lost power while leaving the Port of Baltimore. Six people were killed in the collapse. Crews recovered the bodies of two people from the water but have been unable to locate the other four victims.

The stunning 3D images were captured using an underwater sonar imaging tool named CODA Octopus. The imaging software helps divers survey the damage in the murky water, where visibility can be just one or two feet. Due to the lack of visibility, operators viewing the images must give divers verbal commands so they can safely navigate the wreckage.

"Divers are forced to work in virtual darkness, because when lit, their view is similar to driving through a heavy snowfall at night with high-beam headlights on. So murky is the water, divers must be guided via detailed verbal directions from operators in vessels topside who are viewing real-time CODA imagery," the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers explained.

While the collapsed bridge closed the port to commercial traffic, a temporary channel was opened on Tuesday (April 2) to allow some ships to enter and exit the port. Crews are working to create a third channel to allow more ships in and out.