National Transportation Safety Board Confirms El Faro Cargo Ship Wreckage Found
The U.S. Navy, using a remotely controlled submersible operating almost 3 miles below the ocean's surface, has identified the cargo ship El Faro.
The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed Monday that investigators had found the wreckage of El Faro, a cargo ship that sank off the Bahamas last month.
El Faro sank with 33 crew on board after losing propulsion near the center of Hurricane Joaquin on Oct. 1.
The U.S. Coast Guard found debris but no survivors in a weeklong search.
The USNS Apache, a tug loaded with sonar equipment, found wreckage on Saturday near El Faro’s last known location.
Investigators are now using a remotely operated vehicle to survey the site and attempt to locate the ship’s voyage data recorder.
That process is expected to take up to 15 days, the NTSB said.
It was the worst disaster involving a U.S. flagged cargo ship since 1983, notes Reuters.
The Seamen’s Church Institute has established the El Faro Relief Fund to provide financial assistance to the families and dependents of the seafarers lost at sea from the El Faro.
