By Nicole Hensley From New York Daily News

Naval crews believe they have found the wreckage of the El Faro, a cargo ship that sank to a depth of about 15,000 feet during Hurricane Joaquin on its route to Puerto Rico.

Sonar equipment aboard the Apache detected what searchers believe is the sunken cargo ship Saturday at 1:36 p.m., National Transportation Safety Board officials said in a statement.

An unmanned deep ocean vessel equipped with a video camera will confirm the ship’s identity in an underwater survey, but as of now, unreleased sonar images show an upright ship consistent with its 790-foot-long description. The wreckage appears to be in one piece.

The Navy will submerge the vessel known as CURV 21 in a survey that could begin as early as Sunday, NTSB investigators added.

The El Faro capsized in the Atlantic Ocean, 35 miles off of Crooked Island on Oct. 1, shortly after its captain reported a hull breach and loss of propulsion during the Category 4 storm.

All 33 passengers on board the car-toting container vessel died.

The Apache had been searching for the missing ship at its last known location, pinging for the data recorder’s signal without success. Its crews then switched to high-tech sonar technology last week.

The cargo ship capsized during its route through Hurricane Joaquin, killing all 33 crew members on board.
The 41-year-old ship’s disappearance sparked a massive search for any survivors among the 28 Americans and five Polish sailors on board after the storm cleared Bermuda waters.

The family of one drowned sailor then sued the ship’s owner, Tote Maritime, alleging negligence because its captain sailed the aging ship through the storm’s rough waters.

The El Faro and its sister ship was slated for retirement from Caribbean duty. The two ships would have been replaced and then transferred to the Pacific Ocean for routes between the West Coast and Alaska.

IMAGES:
The wreckage believed to be the El Faro, a container ship, has been found at a depth of 15,000 feet. TOTE MARITIME / HANDOUT/EPA
The cargo ship capsized during its route through Hurricane Joaquin, killing all 33 crew members on board. FACEBOOK, WJXT

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