The Coast Guard released its final report on the sinking of a cargo ship two years ago that killed all 33 aboard.
The Coast Guard says the primary cause of the 2015 sinking of the cargo ship El Faro, which killed all 33 aboard, was the captain misreading both the strength of a hurricane and his overestimation of the ship's strength.
The Coast Guard report made public at a news conference Sunday makes recommendations stemming from the Oct. 1, 2015, sinking of the 790-foot (240-meter) vessel, which went down near the Bahamas when Capt. Michael Davidson tried to cut through Hurricane Joaquin. The Jacksonville, Florida-based ship was headed to Puerto Rico.
“The most important thing to remember is that 33 people lost their lives in this tragedy. If adopted, we believe the safety recommendations in our report will improve safety of life at sea” said Capt. Jason Neubauer, chairman, El Faro Marine Board of Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard.
Voice recordings recovered from the ship show an increasingly panicked and stressed crew fighting to save the ship after it lost propulsion as they battled wind, shifting cargo and waves.
Davidson ordered the ship abandoned shortly before it sank.
