MIAMI — The Coast Guard will suspend the search for possible survivors from the cargo ship El Faro at sunset Wednesday, which is believed to have sunk during Hurricane Joaquin.
Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, Air National Guard and tugboat crews searched more than 183,000 square nautical miles off the Bahamian coast in a joint effort to locate the El Faro crew.
“I have come to a very difficult decision to suspend the search for the crew of the El Faro at sunset tonight. My deepest condolences go to the families, loved ones, and friends of the El Faro crew,” said Rear Adm. Scott Buschman, commander, Coast Guard 7th District. “U.S. Coast Guard, U.S Navy, U.S. Air Force, and the Tote Maritime tug crews searched day and night, sometimes in perilous conditions with the hope of finding survivors in this tragic loss”
The El Faro, a 790-foot roll on, roll off cargo ship, was en route to San Juan, Puerto Rico, from Jacksonville, Florida. At approximately 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Coast Guard watchstanders were notified the El Faro was disabled in the path of Hurricane Joaquin, had lost propulsion and had a 15-degree list. The crew reported the ship had previously taken on water, but that all flooding had been contained.
The Coast Guard located a deceased person in a survival suit in the water Sunday night. A heavily damaged life boat with markings consistent with those on board the El Faro were also located Sunday. Additional items located by search crews since Thursday include a partially submerged life raft, a survival suit, life jackets, life rings, cargo containers, Styrofoam, packaged food and an oil sheen.
#BreakingNews: Search for ElFaro crew suspended. The decision to end a search, to suspend a search is painful.
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) October 7, 2015
Crew of the SS El Faro:
Louis Champa – Palm Coast, Florida
Roosevelt Clark – Jacksonville, Florida
Sylvester Crawford Jr. – Lawrenceville, Georgia
Michael Davidson -Windham, Maine
Brookie Davis – Jacksonville, Florida
Keith Griffin – Fort Myers, Florida
Frank Hamm – Jacksonville, Florida
Joe Hargrove – Orange Park, Florida
Carey Hatch – Jacksonville, Florida
Michael Holland – North Wilton, Maine
Jack Jackson – Jacksonville, Florida
Jackie Jones, Jr. – Jacksonville, Florida
Lonnie Jordan – Jacksonville, Florida
Piotr Krause – Poland
Mitchell Kuflik – Brooklyn, New York
Roan Lightfoot – Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Jeffrey Mathias – Kingston, Massachusetts
Dylan Meklin – Rockland, Maine
Marcin Nita – Poland
Jan Podgorski – Poland
James Porter – Jacksonville, Florida
Richard Pusater – Virginia Beach, Virginia
Theodore Quammie – Jacksonville, Florida
Danielle Randolph – Rockland, Massachusetts
Jeremie Riehm – Camden, Delaware
Lashawn Rivera – Jacksonville, Florida
Howard Schoenly – Cape Coral, Florida
Steven Shultz – Roan Mountain, Tennessee
German Solar-Cortes – Orlando, Florida
Anthony Thomas – Jacksonville, Florida
Andrzej Truszkowski – Poland
Mariette Wright – St. Augustine, Florida
Rafal Zdobych – Poland
