Just an hour after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in Baltimore early Tuesday morning, a nearby Dundalk business owner was awoken and minutes later rushed to help. His mission: to make sure the boats looking for the missing construction workers had enough fuel and to ensure first responders were well cared for as they worked on the Patapsco River.
“We have been here nonstop since 3:15 in the morning Tuesday and have been working with first responders,” said Alex DelSordo in an interview with WTOP. DelSordo is the new owner of the Anchor Bay East Marina and Hard Yacht Cafe.
DelSordo is new on the job. Just 11 days ago, he and a partner bought the business.
Since then, they have hosted police and EMT boats from agencies including the Coast Guard, FBI and Army Corps of Engineers. They have been providing round-the-clock refueling for those boats as well as serving as an unofficial base of operations where first responders can even get a hot meal.
“We have a bathhouse with laundry, showers and bathrooms for all first responders open 24/7,” DelSordo said while standing in front of an Army Corps of Engineers boat.
The cafe also extended its hours to make sure the men and women on the river have enough to eat. Late Wednesday, when the restaurant would normally be closed, 15 members of the Army Corps of Engineers were being fed.
“The kitchen staff was fired up — they were so excited to be participating,” DelSordo said.
Dinner was on the house. There’s a long tradition at the Hard Yacht that first responders eat for free. The community also appreciates the work they’re doing. People from Dundalk and others in the area have donated thousands, enough to cover 50% of the tabs for the emergency crews working at the site. There have also been numerous donations of snack bars and soft drinks, so the crews can stay hydrated and nourished.
‘Every single boat that comes over for refueling, they’re getting Gatorade, snack bars, and we’re just, we’re forcing guys, ‘please like take all that you can eat and drink,” he said.
DelSordo said he is optimistic and his community is resilient.
“I think we’re going to be shocked actually how fast all of these organizations come together to do something spectacular,” he told WTOP. “I think it’s going to be something that’s going to bring us all together even more.”
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