Families react differently to end of hunt for ship’s crew

Federal investigators looking into the ill-…

The ship was crewed by 28 United States citizens, as well as five Polish nationals who were members of a so-called “riding gang” commonly hired to perform repairs and maintenance. It was lost at sea during a hurricane near the Bahamas last week.

An investigation is under way into what led the ship to lose propulsion, and why it found itself in the path of the storm.

“The decision to end a search is painful, and is based on the art and science of search and rescue”, said Lt. Cmdr. “So, we leave no stone unturned in our investigation and our analysis”.

Chiarello reiterated the company’s sorrow and also support for the affected families is “unwavering, unending and it will never, ever stop”.

“We hope for the best and that the ship will be recovered”. “We will find out what happened”.

The ship was 41 years old.

Among the questions that have been raised: What caused the ship to lose power?

The ship left Jacksonville, Florida on September 29.

Commissioner Doyle sailed as an engineer aboard the SS Mayaguez on the Philadelphia – Jacksonville – San Juan trade route in 2001. It did not have a history of engine problems.

“In this case, we were searching for fellow professional mariners, extended members of a family”, he said.

TOTE for the Alaskan market and Sea Star Line for the Puerto Rican market were rebranded TOTE Maritime in September, Parrott said.

Stephen Parker said crewman Theodore “Ted” Quammie, a friend and one-time shipmate, was a kind and gentle man. Parker served on about 80 different ships in his career as a steward.

“Time and money are an important thing” in the shipping industry, Nicoll said.

The captain reported the ship was listing and taking on water through an open hatch.

“We do think (the El Faro is) near that last-known position”, Fedor said. The 224-square nautical mile debris field contained pieces of cargo, styrofoam, life preservers, life vests, and one battered life boat created to hold 43 people. The Coast Guard has concluded the vessel sank near th…

Union president Mike Sacco is scheduled to be at the hall, his office in Camp Springs, MD, just outside Washington D.C. said. Officials have not identified it. There are reports that material from the ship has been found over a 225-square-mile area. “We want to find every bit of information that we possibly can”, Bella Dinh-Zarr, NTSB vice-chairman, said. The device begins sending signals when it becomes wet. Dinh-Zarr added that the recorder has battery power for 30 days, but its signal hadn’t been heard yet.

The El Faro and its equally aged sister vessel were being replaced on the Jacksonville-to-Puerto Rico run by two brand-new ships capable of carrying much more cargo and emitting less pollution. Twenty-eight crewmembers are from America and five are from Poland, the Coast Guard said. The VDR emits pings, but had not been found, she said.

The hurricane at that point was a Category 4, with winds in excess of 120 miles per hour churning 50-foot waves.

Officials from the company that owns the vessel, Tote Inc., say they don’t believe so.