The missing cargo ship El Faro probably sank after it was caught in the path of hurricane Joaquin, a US coast guard spokesman said on Monday. One body has been discovered, with 32 crew members still missing.
The 790ft container vessel had 33 people aboard – 28 Americans and five Polish nationals. It had left the Florida port of Jacksonville on Tuesday on a regular supply run bound for San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico.
The last contact with the ship was a distress call sent on Thursday morning, according to the coast guard.
Searchers have found life rafts and survival suits, said Capt Mark Fedor of the coast guard.
“In one of the survival suits we did identify human remains,” Fedor said. “We lowered a rescue swimmer to confirm that the person was deceased and it was basically unidentifiable.”
“For our search planning efforts, we are assuming the vessel has sunk,” Fedor said. “We believe it sank in the last known position that we recorded on Thursday. So what that means, though, we just change our search planning efforts. We are still looking for survivors, for any signs of life.”
The coast guard has scoured more than 70,000 square nautical miles of the Atlantic ocean by air, and on Sunday found debris including wood and cargo near the ship’s last known position. Previously an oil sheen and a life ring confirmed as belonging to El Faro had been discovered. A heavily damaged, empty lifeboat from El Faro has also been recovered.
The boat’s owner, Tote Maritime Puerto Rico, said that on Thursday the ship reported losing propulsion, listing and taking on water as it sailed into winds of more than 130mph and waves of up to 30ft near Crooked Island in the Bahamas, but said the situation was “manageable”.
Family members of the crew gathered at the Seafarer’s International Union hall in Jacksonville on Sunday to await news.
“This is torture,” said Mary Shevory, mother of a crew member, Mariette Wright. “I’m just praying to God they find the ship and bring my daughter and everyone on it home.”
#BreakingNews @USCGSoutheast VIDEO Release: Lifeboat found in #ElFaro search area. pic.twitter.com/wzdd0OHls4
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) October 5, 2015
Laurie Bobillot, whose daughter, Danielle Randolph, is a second mate, said: “We’ve got to stay positive. These kids are trained. Every week they have abandon-ship drills.”
In a statement, the company defended its decision to let the ship leave, saying the crew was well prepared to handle changing weather.
“She is a sturdy, rugged vessel that was well maintained and that the crew members were proud of,” said Phil Greene, president and CEO of Tote Services.
Seven of the sailors had ties to New England, according to the Boston Globe. Katie Griffin, who is pregnant with twins, told the Globe that her husband, Keith, is an engineer on the ship. She said that when they spoke last Wednesday, Keith said that conditions were worsening and he expected to work through the night but was confident that the ship and crew would cope with the storm.
Fedor said the ship was carrying 391 containers “so it had a lot of topside height to it where the wind and waves could hit it” and that there were 294 trailers and automobiles below deck. The part of the ocean where it sank is 15,000ft deep.
Joaquin became a Category 4 storm on Thursday afternoon and pounded the central Bahamas. It has since tracked to the north-east and weakened.
