Coast Guard To Resume Search For Missing Cargo Ship
NASSAU, Bahamas (CBS) -- Coast Guard ships will resume the search on Sunday for a huge cargo ship that went missing near the Bahamas with 33 people onboard, including some crew members from Maine.
Late Saturday night, search teams reported finding a life ring from the El Faro, a cargo carrier nearly 800 feet long. However, there was no sign of the ship itself.
According to multiple reports, there are four people from Maine on the ship, including the captain. The Coast Guard says that captain encountered ferocious conditions, with waves between 20-and-30 feet high. The ship was also reported to be taking on water and had lost power.
The 790-foot ship had left Jacksonville, Florida on Tuesday and was supposed to be in San Juan by Friday. Authorities lost contact with the ship on Thursday.
The ship's owner is Tote Maritime. A company spokesman said "The captain knew the conditions and communicated back to our headquarters. The conditions as he saw them then were very favorable...He was very confident the ship was doing well."