A United States cargo shipped called the El Faro departed from Jacksonville last Tuesday the 29th, when Hurricane Joaquin was still a tropical storm off of the coast. The cargo ship, which had 33 crew members- 28 from the United States and 5 from Poland,- was heading to Puerto Rico on a regular run when they ran into trouble.
The cargo ship was being hit by winds of more than 130 miles per hour, and by waves up to 30 feet. The cargos ships last communication was Thursday morning saying that the ship had lost power and was taking on water. Since this communication, the ship has not been heard from.
On Saturday an orange life boat found 120 miles Northeast of Crooked Island was the first sign of the ship. Early that afternoon, aircrews said that they had found “life jackets, life rings, containers, and an oil sheen” that was in the search area.
The owner of the cargo ship says that a contracted tugboat along with another ship found a container that seems to belong to the El Faro, but the still the missing ship, or life boats have yet to be seen.
The company says that the voyage was authorized and that the crew members were equipped to handle the changing weather. Parents of those crew members lost at sea say they had faith in the cargo ships captain. They said he is a top- notch well- educated captain who would not have put his crew or his self in danger if he knew what was out there and how quickly it would get to them.