Recovery efforts underway for 6 construction workers presumed dead

investigators boarded the massive container ship that crashed into the francis scott key bridge in baltimore yesterday .

they're reviewing damage and collecting evidence on what caused the impact to cause the bridge to come crashing down .

they've also recovered the ship's black box containing details on the function of the ship in the moments before the disaster struck .

six construction workers who were on that bridge at the time are now presumed dead , and the coast guard is working to recover their bodies .

abc's christiane cordero , live in baltimore with more .

christiane ?

yeah , guys , the search and rescue teams worked for 18 hours yesterday in the end saying they don't believe the six construction workers who were on that bridge and presumably fell into the water during the collapse are alive , citing hazardous conditions , unpredictable currents and frigid temperatures .

crews went back out again today in the rain with the recovery mission .

today , local , state and federal leaders are mapping out the long road of recovery after the collapse of baltimore's francis scott key bridge .

rebuilding will not be quick or easy or cheap , but we will get it done .

ntsb investigators boarded cargo ship dolly , collecting evidence and surveying damage .

we do have a download from the voyage data recorder that we've sent back to our lab to evaluate the data and begin to construct a timeline of events .

video from moments before the collision show the ship's lights flicker off twice .

witnesses capture the moment of impact .

yo !

after having just driven across the bridge for what they didn't realize would be their last time .

i was in a lot of shock .

i just was in a lot of disbelief .

it was unfathomable .

abc news has obtained records showing the dolly built in 2015 has had at least two documented incidents in the past .

a june 2023 inspection found a deficiency for steering and auxiliary machinery concerning gauges , thermometers , etc .

and in 2016 , after it was involved in a previous crash in belgium , inspectors issued a deficiency for structural conditions concerning hull damage impairing seaworthiness .

this image , taken in belgium , shows the moment in 2016 that ship hit a wall .

tuesday overnight , when it hit baltimore's key bridge , eight construction workers were on it fixing potholes .

out of all of them who officials say went into the water .

six are now presumed dead .

work is undergoing to recover their remains and our thoughts and prayers are with their loved ones whose lives are never going to be the same .

the coast guard is launching its own investigation in coordination with the ntsb .

they also say that they are preparing for the process of removing the ship and reopening the waterway .