Wreckage was found East of the Bahamas, almost exactly one month after the ship went missing.
Wreckage that was found over the weekend at the bottom of the ocean. The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed Monday that the wreckage was the sunken ship El Faro.
CBS News reports that the wreckage was found East of the Bahamas, Saturday, under 15,000 feet of water. The ship went missing October 1st, amidst Hurricane Joaquin. El Faro was making a trip form Jacksonville, Florida to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
All 33 individuals on board were considered lost. The National Transportation Safety Board said Monday that the area will continue to be surveyed. The goal, authorities say, is to locate the ship’s black box, which is expected to offer clues as to what went wrong on the boat.
Hurricane Joaquin was a tropical storm when the El Faro hit the water September 29th. The storm quickly grew into a Category 4 storm.
The captain of the El Faro called in prior to the ship sinking, reporting that the boat had lost power. Rescue efforts from the Coast Guard spent days looking for El Faro and any bodies, before ultimately calling off the mission. The searches only found debris, a single survival suit, and the body of one crew member.
Two families of crew members have since filed lawsuits against the owners of the ship. One of the families claim that the ship historically lost power while traveling and during hurricanes.