The National Transportation Safety Board late Saturday said a U.S. Navy search team discovered the wreckage at a depth of about 15,000 feet, in the vicinity of the ship's last known position after it disappeared during Hurricane Joaquin..
WASHINGTON--The wreckage of a sunken ship believed to be the El Faro, the cargo vessel owned by a New Jersey-based shipping firm that went missing in the Bermuda Triangle during Hurricane Joaquin, may have been found.
The National Transportation Safety Board late Saturday said a U.S. Navy search team discovered the wreckage at a depth of about 15,000 feet, in the vicinity of the ship's last known position.
Officials said sonar equipment on board the USNS Apache detected what they believed to be images of the vessel using a side-scanning sonar system, during the fifth of 13 planned search line surveys.
El Faro, a 735-foot cargo ship with 33 crew members aboard, was owned by TOTE Inc. of Princeton.
The Coast Guard said vessel went missing on Oct. 1 as it was battered by high winds and seas up to 50-feet, while on a regular weekly cargo run between Jacksonville, Florida, and Puerto Rico. Before communication with the ship was lost, its captain reported that it had lost propulsion, was taking on water and was listing.
NTSB officials said specialists on Apache will use a deep ocean, remotely operated robot to survey and confirm the identity of the wreckage. According the investigators, the sonar images are consistent with a 790-foot cargo ship.
The wreck was found in an upright position and in one piece.
Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
An undated photo provided by TOTE Maritime shows the cargo ship, El Faro, which departed Jacksonville, Fla., on Sept. 29, 2015 when Joaquin was still a tropical storm. The ship had 33 crew members. (TOTE Maritime via AP)