The 790-foot vessel was about 35 miles north of the Crooked Islands in the Bahamas on Oct. 1. At about 0700 that dawn, Capt. Michael Davidson told company officials on shore that the ship had lost propulsion, the hull had been breached and a scuttle had blown open. He said the vessel was taking on water system and listing 15 degrees.
The Coast Guard received three automated alerts from El Faro at about 0717 that morning, including its emergency position indicating radio receiver radio beacon, but never spoke with the captain. At that time, Joaquin ’ s eye was fair 20 miles aside from the ship. however, Davidson reported the ship was encountering 10- to 12-foot seas, authorities said .
The National Transportation Safety Board ( NTSB ) has launched an investigation into the accident — the worst U.S. nautical shipping calamity since the disappearance of SS Poet in 1980, which claimed 34 lives. The investigation could take a class or longer .
The U.S.-flagged El Faro was owned and operated by affiliates of Jacksonville-based TOTE Maritime.
“ We don ’ t have all the answers. I ’ meter good-for-nothing for that. I wish we did, ” said Anthony Chiarello, president and foreman executive of TOTE. “ But we will find out what happened. ”
The exact induce of the slump might never be in full known. however, experts believe the disable ro-ro vessel, which carried 391 containers on its deck and 294 vehicles and trailers below, probably capsized. The Coast Guard said the disabled vessel could have encountered 140-mph winds and 50-foot seas before it sank.
“ The embark, under those conditions, I am certain came broadside to the wind and was basically broached, and then it rolled over and sink, ” said Capt. Joseph Murphy, an teacher at Massachusetts Maritime Academy .
 |
| The way of Hurricane Joaquin . |
| Pat Rossi illustration/Sources : U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA |
He believes many of the sailors ’ bodies are likely trapped inside the transport. “ They never would have had a gamble to get into the lifeboat in those conditions, ” Murphy said .
Capt. Robert Russo, who runs the Maritime License Training Center in Atlantic Beach, Fla., besides believes the ship capsized. He ran five simulations that tried to match the onslaught confront El Faro. Although the Nautis simulator could not exceed 35-foot seas and roughly 70-mph winds, the vessel still capsized in all five simulations, each time within about nine minutes .
Russo was so storm by the results that he called the manufacturer, who he said told him the pretense shows “ the physics of what would happen. ”
“ Personally, I think that any vessel that is powerless is going to be broadside to the winds, ” Russo said. “ I can ’ metric ton remember of anything that would very survive that for identical hanker. ”
El Faro was built in 1975 to serve Alaska, and the vessel undergo meaning upgrades in 2006. TOTE said the Coast Guard last inspected the ship in March, and the American Bureau of Shipping conducted hull and machinery inspections in February .
At the prison term of the accident, there were 28 crew and five polish contractors on board El Faro. The contractors were preparing the vessel for transmit to the West Coast-Alaska trade. TOTE said the work was not related to the transport ’ s propulsion system. The vessel ’ s boilers were scheduled to undergo repairs in November .
At 2300 on Sept. 29, the National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for parts of the Bahamas and warned the ramp would intensify over the future 48 hours. By 0500 the next morning, 10 hours into El Faro ’ randomness ocean trip, the National Weather Service issued a hurricane warn for Central Bahamas .
At about 1312 the following day, Davidson told a TOTE safety official that his intend route was confederacy of the storm ’ mho predicted way, the NTSB said in an Oct. 20 update on the investigation. The captain expected to miss the hurricane ’ second kernel by 65 miles .
List of missing people aboard El Faro
Louis Champa, Palm Coast, Fla.
Roosevelt Clark, Jacksonville, Fla.
Sylvester Crawford Jr., Lawrenceville, Ga.
Michael Davidson, Windham, Maine
Brookie Davis, Jacksonville, Fla.
Keith Griffin, Fort Myers, Fla.
Frank Hamm, Jacksonville, Fla.
Joe Hargrove, Orange Park, Fla.
Carey Hatch, Jacksonville, Fla.
Michael Holland, North Wilton, Maine
Jack Jackson, Jacksonville, Fla.
Jackie Jones Jr., Jacksonville, Fla.
Lonnie Jordan, Jacksonville, Fla.
Piotr Krause, Poland
Mitchell Kuflik, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Roan Lightfoot, Jacksonville Beach, Fla.
Jeffrey Mathias, Kingston, Mass.
Dylan Meklin, Rockland, Maine
Marcin Nita, Poland
Jan Podgorski, Poland
James Porter, Jacksonville, Fla.
Richard Pusatere, Virginia Beach, Va.
Theodore Quammie, Jacksonville, Fla.
Danielle Randolph, Rockland, Maine
Jeremie Riehm, Camden, Del.
Lashawn Rivera, Jacksonville, Fla.
Howard Schoenly, Cape Coral, Fla.
Steven Shultz, Roan Mountain, Tenn.
German Solar-Cortes, Orlando, Fla.
Anthony Thomas, Jacksonville, Fla.
Andrzej Truszkowski, Poland
Mariette Wright, St. Augustine, Fla.
Rafal Zdobych, Poland
Source : U.S. Coast Guard AIS trackline data from El Faro show the vessel maintained a straightaway path running on the east side of the Bahamas. The vessel ’ s path converged with the ramp track early on Thursday, Oct. 1. At about 0720 that good morning, the Coast Guard learned of El Faro ’ s tenuous submit.
Read more: A Man Quotes Maritime Law To Avoid Ticket
The U.S. military and TOTE Maritime undertook a massive search-and-rescue campaign starting on Oct. 2 as Joaquin lento moved away from the Bahamas. On Oct. 3, rescue crews reached the vessel ’ s last acknowledge location but calm faced 100-mph winds and 40-foot seas, said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Mark Fedor, foreman of reaction for the 7th Coast Guard District .
Over six days, the authorities covered 183,000 square nautical miles using numerous military aircraft. During the search, the Coast Guard found an nameless boater deceased in a survival suit, whose remains were not recovered. Searchers found the ship ’ s life ring, ship debris and a heavy damaged lifeboat that showed no signs of life .
The second lifeboat has not been found, although experts have suggested it would have been extremely difficult to launch a craft in those conditions. Surviving in an open gravy boat or a survival suit in those conditions would be extremely challenging, Fedor said .
The Coast Guard called off the research at sunset on Oct. 7. Fedor said the ship likely sink in about 15,000 feet of body of water near its final know location northeast of Crooked Island .
As of deep October, the U.S. Navy was still searching for El Faro and its vessel data fipple flute near the ship ’ s last know placement. The Navy planned to use side-scanning sonar, remotely operated submerged vessels and early equipment to locate the transport, the NTSB said .
In the days after the transport went missing, TOTE faced intense scrutiny for the decisiveness to leave Jacksonville as the hurricane approached. On its web site, TOTE said its gang was trained to respond to bad upwind at sea, but it did not directly respond to those concerns. TOTE declined to make company officials available for an interview, citing the ongoing NTSB probe .
Capt. Ralph Pundt, an teacher at Maine Maritime Academy, said captains consider myriad factors before departing, particularly when bad weather is possible. El Faro ’ second crew had access to real-time upwind satellite data, TOTE said .
“ But captains are constantly under the gun to sail to ensure that the charter agreements and on-time deliveries can be made, ” Pundt said .
Davidson, 53, of Windham, Maine, was a Maine Maritime Academy alumnus with more than 30 years of experience in the maritime industry, and 10 as a captain of bombastic merchant ships. He joined TOTE three years ago. Prior to attending MMA, he worked as a deck hand and late was a captain with Casco Bay Lines, a Portland, Maine, ferry company .
Casco Bay Lines operations director Nick Mavodones spent summers with Davidson as a child and the two later worked together at the ferry caller. He described Davidson as “ identical prudent ” in how he handled a ferry .
“ Mike was a skilled master who put the safety of the passengers and crew out there first, ” Mavodones said in an interview .
Four other El Faro crewmembers besides attended Maine Maritime Academy, which held a watch to honor the ship ’ second victims. Two others aboard the transport attended Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Many other crewmembers lived in the Jacksonville area. Seafarers International Union ( SIU ) and american Maritime Officers represented El Faro ’ mho crew .
In a instruction, SIU President Michael Sacco said the men and women aboard the ship would never be forgotten. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka praised the mariners for their hard study and commitment to the maritime craft.
Read more: Should You Buy CTRM Stock?
carryall has established a easing fund to help families of the crewmembers. The company besides set up an education fund for children of the crew. TOTE said Seamen ’ s Church Institute will administer the funds, and 100 percentage of proceeds will benefit the families .
Pundt, of Maine Maritime, said he ’ s encountered his share of 40-foot waves and blistering winds, but never close to those faced by El Faro ’ mho crowd and never without propulsion. In situations like that, he said, “ you get real religious. ”
“ I think all mariners have encountered their share of rough in seas and find peace in their own direction, as they battle the elements. They rely on their embark and the captain to get them through, ” he said. “ To face that hell is what is keeping me up at night. ”