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| U.S.-Based Cargo Ship With Crew of 33 Sank in Storm, Officials Say | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| MIAMI — The cargo ship that disappeared Thursday near the Bahamas is believed to have sunk during Hurricane Joaquin, the Coast Guard said Monday, but the search for survivors continued in an area where debris from the ship has been spotted. | MIAMI — The cargo ship that disappeared Thursday near the Bahamas is believed to have sunk during Hurricane Joaquin, the Coast Guard said Monday, but the search for survivors continued in an area where debris from the ship has been spotted. |
| “We believe it sank in the last known position that we recorded on Thursday,” about 35 miles northeast of Crooked Islands, the Bahamas, said Capt. Mark Fedor of the Coast Guard. “We are still looking for survivors or any signs of life or any signs of that vessel.” | “We believe it sank in the last known position that we recorded on Thursday,” about 35 miles northeast of Crooked Islands, the Bahamas, said Capt. Mark Fedor of the Coast Guard. “We are still looking for survivors or any signs of life or any signs of that vessel.” |
| Early Thursday, the crew of the cargo ship, El Faro, sent out a distress signal, reported that it had lost propulsion and was taking on water, and then all contact was lost. The ship was carrying a crew of 33 people, including 28 Americans and five Polish citizens. | Early Thursday, the crew of the cargo ship, El Faro, sent out a distress signal, reported that it had lost propulsion and was taking on water, and then all contact was lost. The ship was carrying a crew of 33 people, including 28 Americans and five Polish citizens. |
| Search planes have spotted a handful of survival suits in the water, including one with an unidentifiable human body in it, Captain Fedor said. “We also recovered a lifeboat with El Faro markings on it,” but no one in it, he said. “It was heavily damaged.” | Search planes have spotted a handful of survival suits in the water, including one with an unidentifiable human body in it, Captain Fedor said. “We also recovered a lifeboat with El Faro markings on it,” but no one in it, he said. “It was heavily damaged.” |
| If crew members were able to get into one of the lifeboats and launch it, “they would have been abandoning ship into a Category 4 hurricane,” Captain Fedor said. “You’re talking about 140-mile-an-hour winds, seas upwards of 50 feet, basically zero visibility. Those are challenging conditions to survive in.” | If crew members were able to get into one of the lifeboats and launch it, “they would have been abandoning ship into a Category 4 hurricane,” Captain Fedor said. “You’re talking about 140-mile-an-hour winds, seas upwards of 50 feet, basically zero visibility. Those are challenging conditions to survive in.” |
| When asked if the ship should have gone ahead with the voyage, Captain Fedor said, “That was the ship captain’s decision to make.” He said both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Coast Guard would investigate the incident. | When asked if the ship should have gone ahead with the voyage, Captain Fedor said, “That was the ship captain’s decision to make.” He said both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Coast Guard would investigate the incident. |
| But a Coast Guard spokesman, David Schuhlein, said the Coast Guard’s own vessels would not risk hitting such extreme weather. | But a Coast Guard spokesman, David Schuhlein, said the Coast Guard’s own vessels would not risk hitting such extreme weather. |
| “We put our ships in port and try to get them out of the way,” he said. | “We put our ships in port and try to get them out of the way,” he said. |
| Aircraft from the Coast Guard and the Navy are searching two distinct debris fields, Captain Fedor said, one covering about 300 square nautical miles, and the other, about 60 miles to the north, covering about 70 square nautical miles. Spotters have located life vests, life rafts, a cargo door, an oil slick and a lot of Styrofoam, among other signs of the ship. | Aircraft from the Coast Guard and the Navy are searching two distinct debris fields, Captain Fedor said, one covering about 300 square nautical miles, and the other, about 60 miles to the north, covering about 70 square nautical miles. Spotters have located life vests, life rafts, a cargo door, an oil slick and a lot of Styrofoam, among other signs of the ship. |
| The Coast Guard said its aircraft had so far searched an area of 70,000 square miles, and it sent HC-130 search planes back to the area Monday morning. | The Coast Guard said its aircraft had so far searched an area of 70,000 square miles, and it sent HC-130 search planes back to the area Monday morning. |
| TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico, the owner of the 790-foot-long ship, reported that it lost contact with El Faro at 7:20 a.m. Thursday. | TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico, the owner of the 790-foot-long ship, reported that it lost contact with El Faro at 7:20 a.m. Thursday. |
| Without propulsion, Captain Fedor said, the ship would have turned sideways to the force of the storm, struck broadside by waves and wind — a very dangerous condition. In addition, he said, it was already listing about 15 degrees from the water it had taken on. | Without propulsion, Captain Fedor said, the ship would have turned sideways to the force of the storm, struck broadside by waves and wind — a very dangerous condition. In addition, he said, it was already listing about 15 degrees from the water it had taken on. |
| Relatives of crew members had gathered at a union hall in Jacksonville, Fla., in recent days to await news of the American-flagged ship’s status. | Relatives of crew members had gathered at a union hall in Jacksonville, Fla., in recent days to await news of the American-flagged ship’s status. |
| Before Saturday, the Coast Guard planes and helicopters were hampered in their search of the area, because “Hurricane Joaquin was essentially sitting right over it,” Captain Fedor said. | Before Saturday, the Coast Guard planes and helicopters were hampered in their search of the area, because “Hurricane Joaquin was essentially sitting right over it,” Captain Fedor said. |
| Coast Guard pilots said they flew in winds sometimes in excess of 115 miles an hour, and they reported swells of more than 40 feet. In a video released by the Coast Guard, a lieutenant who flew one of the search planes said Saturday produced “the most challenging weather conditions anyone on our crew had ever flown in.” | Coast Guard pilots said they flew in winds sometimes in excess of 115 miles an hour, and they reported swells of more than 40 feet. In a video released by the Coast Guard, a lieutenant who flew one of the search planes said Saturday produced “the most challenging weather conditions anyone on our crew had ever flown in.” |
| Mr. Schuhlein said the search aircraft, which fly very low, were severely battered on Thursday, even losing exterior panels, and were forced to turn back. | Mr. Schuhlein said the search aircraft, which fly very low, were severely battered on Thursday, even losing exterior panels, and were forced to turn back. |
| On Saturday, the first sign of the ship was found, a life ring with El Faro’s name on it, and much more debris was seen on Sunday. | On Saturday, the first sign of the ship was found, a life ring with El Faro’s name on it, and much more debris was seen on Sunday. |
| El Faro’s owner said the ship left Jacksonville for San Juan, P.R., on Sept. 29, when Joaquin was still a tropical storm. But the storm soon became more intense, and by Thursday morning, when El Faro lost contact with the shore, it was a Category 3 hurricane, with winds of up to 120 m.p.h. | El Faro’s owner said the ship left Jacksonville for San Juan, P.R., on Sept. 29, when Joaquin was still a tropical storm. But the storm soon became more intense, and by Thursday morning, when El Faro lost contact with the shore, it was a Category 3 hurricane, with winds of up to 120 m.p.h. |
| El Faro’s cargo included 391 shipping containers and about 294 trailers and cars, the Coast Guard said. | El Faro’s cargo included 391 shipping containers and about 294 trailers and cars, the Coast Guard said. |