Wednesday, March 27, saw the start of recovery operations in Maryland as searchers continued to look for the six people who were thought to have died following the terrible fall of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge.
A 985-foot-long tanker collided with the bridge early on Tuesday, sending parts of it tumbling into the Patapsco River. Six construction workers from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador were listed as missing, according to CNN.
The US Coast Guard, however, has now said that it will halt its extensive search and rescue operation after coming to the conclusion that the men have passed away.
Miguel Luna, 49, a husband and father of three who was born in El Salvador and has lived in Maryland for almost 20 years, was one of the people identified. When the bridge collapsed, Luna was among the workers assigned to fix its potholes, as the BBC reported.
While ongoing recovery attempts continued, Miguel Luna’s wife, María del Carmen Castellón, voiced her sadness and the family eagerly awaited news.
They merely advise us to wait and that they are unable to provide us any information at this time. We are inconsolable because we don’t know if they have already saved them and our hearts are torn. In an interview with Telemundo 44, Maria bemoaned, “We’re just waiting to hear any news.”
Among the workers who went missing was Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, 38, who was also identified as a victim. Maynor, a married father of an 18-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter, was originally from Honduras. His brother Martin Suazo stated that he had lived in the United States for almost eighteen years.
The fall occurred early on Tuesday morning while the six workers—including Maynor—were working on fixing potholes on the bridge. They worked for a nearby firm called Brawner Builders, which maintains bridges in Maryland.
Senior executive Jeffrey Pritzker of Brawner Builders emphasized the company’s dedication to safety while expressing deep dismay at the incident’s unexpected nature.
Jeffrey said, “This was so completely unforeseen.” “We’re at a loss for words. We have cones, signs, lighting, barriers, and flaggers because we take such great interest in maintaining safety. However, we never anticipated that the bridge would fall.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who are missing and thought to be deceased.
Newly-unveiled statue of Queen Elizabeth II includes her beloved pet Corgis
A great deal of people felt sorrow upon Queen Elizabeth II’s passing in 2022. She was adored by the public and the longest-reigning monarch in British history, having ruled for 70 years.
The late queen is now being honored with a monument that was recently unveiled, honoring her affection for her pet corgis!
The Queen’s new statue, together with her dogs
On Sunday, a 7-foot-tall bronze statue of Queen Elizabeth was unveiled in observance of the monarch’s 98th birthday.
In Oakham, England, the sculpture was made by artist Hywel Pratley and is situated close to the Oakham Library. It is Queen Elizabeth’s first ever permanent memorial.
Rutland City Council said that hundreds attended the unveiling. There was music from local school bands and bagpipers.
The most priceless feature of this new memorial is that the queen’s cherished Corgis pet is also depicted, immortalized in bronze by the monarch’s feet:
The city authority claims that local schoolchildren created the designs for the Corgi monuments.
In contrast to the many stern and imposing monuments of queens like Queen Victoria, Pratley stated he wanted the statue to portray the idea of Queen Elizabeth as “an almost motherly figure,” according to the New York Times.
During the unveiling, local dignitary Sarah Furness remarked, “What most of us remember about Queen Elizabeth is her warmth.” “We demonstrate Queen Elizabeth’s humanity by showcasing her affection for dogs.”
The statue’s creator claims that he intended it to be hospitable to onlookers. Pratley said, “We designed it with a bench you can sit on.” “And there’s a corgi you can pet, and I do believe that this will eventually become a selfie-encouraging statue.”
The Times reports that a number of Corgi owners brought their dogs to the unveiling, indicating that a large number of people have already visited the statue.
The history of Queen Elizabeth’s Corgis pet
For many years, the Queen’s corgis were an iconic aspect of her life and a solace during tough political and personal times. Fans all throughout the world were likewise pleased by the cute pets.
The first Corgi was acquired by the royal family in 1933 when Dookie, a dog owned by Elizabeth’s father and predecessor George VI (who was then the Duke of York), was brought home.
Dookie was reportedly extremely cantankerous, yet Elizabeth and him appeared to have a unique relationship.
Then, on her eighteenth birthday, the Queen received a Pembroke Welsh corgi of her own, named Susan.
Susan reportedly slipped under a rug in the royal carriage to disrupt the wedding of the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, according to the BBC.
1959 saw Susan’s death at the age of almost fifteen. Her epitaph referred to her as “the faithful companion of the Queen,” and she was laid to rest at the royal estate of Sandringham House.
The Queen stated, “I had always feared losing her, but I am ever so thankful that her suffering was so mercifully brief.”
But Susan left quite the legacy; during the ensuing few decades, the Queen accumulated over thirty corgis, all descended from her original canine companion.
The Queen always had at least one corgi, and often had several at once, from 1933 until 2018. She traveled with the dogs in tow, and they resided in a designated “Corgi room” at Buckingham Palace with wicker beds. It is said that the Queen took care of them personally and baked them biscuits over the holiday season.
These canines undoubtedly received royal treatment and grew to represent the Queen throughout her life.
While Elizabeth valued the dogs greatly, Prince Philip apparently didn’t feel the same way. Like many others, she took great solace from the dogs, who served as a link to the simpler times in her early years due to their relationship with her late father and her upbringing.
According to Penny Junor, a royal biographer, “her corgis are hugely important to her.” Over time, they have become more intimate with her than any human has ever been. She has never been let down by the incredibly affectionate and devoted corgis.
It also makes sense that the Queen, who represents both Britain and the United Kingdom, would have a strong bond with a quintessential British dog. Wales, a member of the UK and a neighbor of England, is where corgis first originated. When corgis were adopted as royal dogs, the breed was rare in England; yet, the Queen had a major role in the globalization of the breed.
The Queen owned several “dorgis,” or corgis bred with daschshunds, in addition to purebred Pembroke Welsh Corgis.
When the corgis and dorgis appeared alongside Queen Elizabeth on the cover of Vanity Fair in 2016, they became well-known worldwide because to Annie Leibovitz’s photography. At the time, the dogs were Candy, Vulcan, Willow, and Holly.
A notable aspect of Queen Elizabeth’s reign and a significant aspect of her life were her corgis. Their inclusion in this first memorial statue of her seems so fitting.
Please tell this tale!
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