JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – Investigators trying to determine why a 790-foot cargo ship stalled and sank in the howling winds of Hurricane Joaquin will be searching for a brightly colored device bolted to the deck and pinging away in the blackness and pressure of the 15,000-foot-deep sea.
Authorities say the El Faro’s voyage data recorder, similar to the “black box” on an aircraft, would provide a wealth of data on what befell the ship and the 33 people aboard in the hours before it is believed to have gone down. The ship itself has not yet been located.
Recovering the recorder at such depths could be challenging. Assuming the device can be located, the National Transportation Safety Board will work with the Coast Guard, Navy and other agencies to devise a way to bring it up, likely using a robotic, remote-controlled submersible capable of diving great depths.
“We want to find every bit of information that we possibly can,” NTSB vice chair Bella Dinh-Zarr said. “We will be here as long as it takes.”
The El Faro lost power and went down in 15,000 feet of water east of the Bahamas last Thursday while attempting to outrun Hurricane Joaquin on its regular route from Jacksonville, Florida, to Puerto Rico, the Coast Guard and ship owner Tote Maritime have said.