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Former El Faro Crewmembers Question the Missing Cargo Ship’s Seaworthiness
Oct9
Posted by The Law Firm of Pajcic & Pajcic in Personal Injury
Many family members of those lost aboard the cargo ship El Faro are still holding out hope their loved ones will return. A candlelight vigil was held at Talleyrand to offer prayer and support for the families. The local group M.A.D.D.A.D.S organized a tribute to the 33 missing sailors. El Faro disappeared near the Bahamas in the middle of Hurricane Joaquin.
While so many questions continue about what went wrong, there are new allegations from former crew members who told CNN the 40 year old ship had leaks, holes and structural issues. The ex-crew members said El Faro had trouble taking on water and that the drainage did not work well on the ship. Seaman Chis Cash was quoted as saying the ship, “…needed a death certificate. It was a rust bucket.” Cash went on to say, “You don’t take a ship like that…that ship wasn’t supposed to be on the water.” He added they were bandaging the ship all the time with extra steel. Tote Maritime responded to the CNN report in an email saying the ship was well maintained and regularly inspected.
The former crew members were also critical of why the ship was allowed to sail into a storm. Authorities say El Faro lost power around the time it collided with the category 4 Hurricane with winds topping 130 miles an hour and waves approaching 50 feet.
A U.S. Navy salvage unit will soon begin searching for the wreckage of the El Faro. Coast Guard crews have located two debris fields. The National Transportation Safety Board is hopeful the ship can be recovered, but as part of their investigation they will also look at the sister ship of the El Faro. The El Yunque arrived at Blount Island where the NTSB will inspect the mechanics of the ship and how it was built to see if there are any clues that could help them determine why the El Faro sank.
Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to all of those who are suffering from this tragedy. The attorneys at Pajcic & Pajcic are already representing several individuals who had family members working on the ship. We have vowed to thoroughly investigate and uncover the truth about what caused this horrible disaster.
Many family members of those lost aboard the cargo ship El Faro are still holding out hope their loved ones will return. A candlelight vigil was held at Talleyrand to offer prayer and support for the families. The local group M.A.D.D.A.D.S organized a tribute to the 33 missing sailors. El Faro disappeared near the Bahamas in the middle of Hurricane Joaquin.
While so many questions continue about what went wrong, there are new allegations from former crew members who told CNN the 40 year old ship had leaks, holes and structural issues. The ex-crew members said El Faro had trouble taking on water and that the drainage did not work well on the ship. Seaman Chis Cash was quoted as saying the ship, “…needed a death certificate. It was a rust bucket.” Cash went on to say, “You don’t take a ship like that…that ship wasn’t supposed to be on the water.” He added they were bandaging the ship all the time with extra steel. Tote Maritime responded to the CNN report in an email saying the ship was well maintained and regularly inspected.
The former crew members were also critical of why the ship was allowed to sail into a storm. Authorities say El Faro lost power around the time it collided with the category 4 Hurricane with winds topping 130 miles an hour and waves approaching 50 feet.
A U.S. Navy salvage unit will soon begin searching for the wreckage of the El Faro. Coast Guard crews have located two debris fields. The National Transportation Safety Board is hopeful the ship can be recovered, but as part of their investigation they will also look at the sister ship of the El Faro. The El Yunque arrived at Blount Island where the NTSB will inspect the mechanics of the ship and how it was built to see if there are any clues that could help them determine why the El Faro sank.
Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to all of those who are suffering from this tragedy. The attorneys at Pajcic & Pajcic are already representing several individuals who had family members working on the ship. We have vowed to thoroughly investigate and uncover the truth about what caused this horrible disaster.