Moment Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott reveals strain of tragic rescue mission of dozens who may be trapped in the water as he snaps at a question on rebuilding the bridge

Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott kept his cool when he was asked by a reporter how long it would take to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge as the rescue efforts to save those who were still in the water were ongoing. 

Scott, 39, took questions along with other Baltimore officials around 6:30am, five hours after the containership the Dali collided with the iconic bridge, completely destroying it. 

Multiple people were thrown into the frigid waters as a result of the collision. Among those still missing are members of a construction crew who were working on the bridge at the time. 

Towards the end of the media briefing, Scott was asked about the rebuild. 

'The discussion right now should be about the people, the souls, the lives, that we're trying to save. There will be a time to discuss about a bridge and how to get a bridge back up but right now there are people in the water that we have to get out,' he replied.

Bizarrely after the interaction went viral, the mayor retweeted a message that read: 'I know @MayorBMScott wanted to go off on this reporter.' Another tweeter noted that 'Mayor Brandon Scott seems to have matured.' 

Bizarrely, Mayor Scott retweeted a message in which someone remarked on how the Democrat wanted to 'go off on this reporter'

'There will be a time to discuss about a bridge and how to get a bridge back up but right now there are people in the water that we have to get out,' Scott said in response to the reporter

Rescue workers are still working tirelessly to find any victims that may still be alive after the collapse 

Rescuers pulled two people from the water by mid-morning and searched for more. One was unhurt, the other suffered injuries, officials said

While another said: 'It's a question that needs answering at some point, but the mayor's answer was on-point. There are still people unaccounted for…' 

It still remains unclear as to why the cargo ship crashed into the Key Bridge long before the morning commute, or how many people might be in the waters of the busy harbor near a key port. 

There have been numerous reports that have pointed to a loss of propulsion or power on board just prior to the collision.  

Rescuers pulled two people from the water by mid-morning and searched for more. One was unhurt, the other suffered injuries, officials said. 

One official called it a 'developing mass casualty event.'

The ship smashed into one of the bridge's supports, causing the structure to break apart like a toy. 

It tumbled into the water almost instantly — a shocking spectacle that was captured on video and posted on social media. The vessel caught fire, and thick, black smoke billowed out of it.

'Never would you think that you would see, physically see, the Key Bridge tumble down like that. It looked like something out of an action movie,' Mayor Scott said said earlier, calling it 'an unthinkable tragedy.' 

The collapse is almost sure to create a logistical nightmare for months, if not years, along the East Coast, shutting down ship traffic at the Port of Baltimore and snarling cargo and commuter traffic.

'Losing this bridge will devastate the entire area, as well as the entire East Coast,' state Sen. Johnny Ray Salling said.

Highway signs as far south as Virginia warned drivers of delays associated with the closure of the bridge.

Fire Chief James Wallace said authorities 'may be looking for upwards of seven people' but said that number could change. 

Other officials declined to give figures. It was not clear if the two people who were reported rescued were included in the seven cited by the fire chief.

Authorities said a crew of unknown size was working on the bridge at the time of the collapse and that sonar had detected cars in the water, which is about 50 feet deep. 

The water temperature was about 47 degrees Fahrenheit before dawn Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

Scott poses for a photo during the 2021 Preakness horse racing festival 

President Joe Biden being greeted by Scott at an event in 2021

Scott effectively won Baltimore's mayoral election in June 2020 when he the Democratic nomination for the role. In the city, Democrats outnumber Republicans ten to one. 

He ran a campaign focused on youthful energy, progressive ideas and experience. Scott pledged to tackle longstanding challenges in the city such as gun violence and substance abuse. 

Scott has been a city councilman since 2011 and became council president in 2019. He emerged victorious from a field that included more than 20 Democrats, including incumbent Mayor Bernard C. 'Jack' Young and former Mayor Sheila Dixon. 

At 36, Scott was the youngest of the mayoral Democratic front-runners. He was once mentored by the late U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings and was tabbed for lieutenant governor by an unsuccessful candidate in 2018. 

The Dali was headed from Baltimore to Colombo, Sri Lanka, and flying under a Singapore flag, according to data from Marine Traffic. 

The container ship is about 985 feet (300 meters) long and about 157 feet wide, according to the website.

Hours before the collision, Mayor Scott delivered his state of the city address in which he reiterated plans to tackle crime and homelessness as well as need to clean up Baltimore's harbor.  

Gov. Wes Moore declared a state of emergency and said he was working to get federal resources deployed. The FBI was on the scene, but said there was no credible information to suggest terrorism. President Joe Biden was briefed. 

Danish shipping giant Maersk said it had chartered the vessel. No Maersk crew and personnel were on board. The collapse caused Maersk share at the Nasdaq Copenhagen to plummet two percent in early Tuesday trading. 

Last year, the Port of Baltimore handled a record 52.3 million tons of foreign cargo worth $80 billion, according to the state. In addition to cargo, more than than 444,000 passengers cruised out of the port in 2023.