BALTIMORE — Search and rescue efforts are underway in Baltimore's Patapsco River after a cargo ship struck Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday causing it to collapse into the water.
Authorities are currently searching for six construction workers, who were said to be fixing pot holes at the time it was struck. Two people were rescued, one of whom received treatment for serious injuries while the other refused care.
The temperature in the river was about 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) in the early hours of Tuesday, according to a buoy that collects data for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
As every minute counts when it comes to rescue efforts, one topic many might be interested in is the river itself -- and how big it actually is. Here's what we know about the Patapsco River:
- Patapsco River is 39-mile long river in the central portion of the state that flows into Chesapeake Bay.
- At the mouth of the river is where Baltimore Harbor forms, the site of the Battle of Fort McHenry, where Francis Scott Key wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner."
- The river's entire main stem flows fewer then 40 miles from Mariottsville through Elkridge, Ellicott City, as well as other towns in the state. It draws from a watershed of 680 square miles.
- The river averages about 50 feet in width.
This information was gathered through the following resources:
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