Navy Finds Wreckage of Ship That Went Down in Hurricane

Sonar shows wreck consistent with cargo ship El Faro in 15K feet of water
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 1, 2015 6:55 AM CST
Updated Nov 1, 2015 7:25 AM CST
Navy Finds Wreckage of Ship That Went Down in Hurricane
In this Oct. 24, 2015, photo, contractors and Lt. Cmdr. Daniel Neverosky retrieve and secure the tow pinger locater aboard the USNS Apache.   (John Paul Kotara II/Navy via AP)

A US Navy search team Saturday found what is believed to be the wreckage of El Faro, the cargo ship that went missing Oct. 1 in the Bahamas after sailing into Hurricane Joaquin, reports CNN. "The target identified by Orion (side-scan radar) is consistent with a 790-foot cargo ship, which from sonar images appears to be in an upright position and in one piece," the National Transportation and Safety Board said in a statement.

The American-flagged El Faro, which went missing after reporting a marine emergency some 35 miles away from Crooked Island, was found in about 15,000 feet of water; the Navy plans to send a remote-controlled submersible Sunday to make a positive identification. The ship went down with 33 aboard; only one body has been recovered. The NTSB is investigating what caused the disaster. (More El Faro stories.)

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