JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board says in a statement a search team has found the wreckage of a vessel believed to be the cargo ship El Faro, which went missing with 33 crewmembers Oct. 1 during Hurricane Joaquin.
The federal agency says a search team aboard a U.S. Navy ship using sonar believes it found the ship at about 15,000 feet around its last known position.
It says the identity of the wreck still must be confirmed with a deep-ocean, remotely operated vehicle.
The statement says the sophisticated sonar system detected the wreckage at 1:36 p.m. Saturday.
The 790-foot-long El Faro's captain called in before the vessel disappeared, saying the ship had lost its engine power during its voyage from Jacksonville to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:
For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.