Could tugboats have helped avert the bridge collapse tragedy in Baltimore?

With the 95,000-ton cargo ship Dali powerless and hurtling helplessly toward the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the harbor pilot commanding the vessel had just minutes to make his last, desperate attempts to avoid disaster. “But if you’re going to go to sea, if you’re going to put yourself at risk, do whatever it takes to minimize risk.” FILE - This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the Francis Scott Key Bridge struck by the container ship Dali in Baltimore, Md., on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Baltimore’s port, operated by the state of Maryland, ordinarily uses tugboats to help maneuver big ships out of their docks and doesn’t require extended tugboat escorts into the port’s channel and broader Chesapeake Bay unless ordered by local harbor pilots or the U.S. Coast Guard over safety concerns tied to weather, traffic, cargo or mechanical issues. “And if Baltimore starts mandating it, you’re going to see ships go to Norfolk, Philadelphia, New York — wherever is cheapest.” McAllister Towing, which operates the tugboats that guided the Dali, can charge $15,000 or more for one or more of its ships to lead a large cargo vessel out of its berth, according to a recent rate sheet, with more charges for extended escorts. “So there’s always this push and pull.” FILE - In this image from video released by the National Transportation and Safety Board, the container ship Dali is stuck under part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the ship hit the bridge, Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Baltimore.