Cargo Ship Search in Bahamas Suspended by Coast Guard

The search for the cargo ship El Faro, which has been missing for a week after wandering into the path of Hurricane Joaquin in the Bahamas, has been suspended by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The 790-foot vessel loaded with cargo departed from Jacksonville on its way to Puerto Rico when authorities believe it sank Oct. 1 after losing power and taking on water while being battered by the Category 4 hurricane, according to the Florida Times-Union.

Several families expressed surprise that the Coast Guard ended the search.

"It's only been a couple of days," said Marlena Porter, whose husband, James Porter and his cousin Jackie Jones, were on the ship. "How could you let it go just after a couple of days? I feel like someone is still out there."

The Coast Guard, along with crews from the Navy, Air Force and Air National Guard, searched more than 183,000 nautical square miles off the Bahama coast in an effort to find surviving members of the El Faro crew, reported First Coast News.

"I have come to a very difficult decision to suspend the search for the crew of the El Faro at sunset tonight," said Rear Adm. Scott Buschman, commander, Coast Guard 7th District.

"My deepest condolences go to the families, loved ones, and friends of the El Faro crew. 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." 

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board flew to Jacksonville on Tuesday to begin the search for the ship's black box and learn more about the fate of the ship.

"The investigation now underway will have the full support of the U.S. government, because the grieving families of the El Faro deserve answers and because we have to do everything in our power to ensure the safety of our people, including those who work at sea," President Barack Obama said in a White House statement Wednesday.

"Today, 28 American families – from Florida to Maine – and five Polish families are heartbroken. May they be comforted, in some small way, in knowing that they have the love and support of their neighbors, the merchant mariner community and the American people." 


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