COAST GUARD SUSPEND SEARCH FOR EL FARO CREW AFTER 7-DAY SEARCH

MIAMI — The Coast Guard has suspended the search for possible survivors from the cargo ship El Faro at sunset Wednesday, which is believed to have sunk during Hurricane Joaquin.

Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, Air National Guard and tugboat crews searched more than 183,000 square nautical miles off the Bahamian coast in a joint effort to locate the El Faro crew.

"I have come to a very difficult decision to suspend the search for the crew of the El Faro at sunset tonight. My deepest condolences go to the families, loved ones, and friends of the El Faro crew," said Rear Adm. Scott Buschman, commander, Coast Guard 7th District. "U.S. Coast Guard, U.S Navy, U.S. Air Force, and the Tote Maritime tug crews searched day and night, sometimes in perilous conditions with the hope of finding survivors in this tragic loss"

The El Faro, a 790-foot roll on, roll off cargo ship, was en route to San Juan, Puerto Rico, from Jacksonville, Florida. At approximately 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Coast Guard watchstanders were notified the El Faro was disabled in the path of Hurricane Joaquin, had lost propulsion and had a 15-degree list. The crew reported the ship had previously taken on water, but that all flooding had been contained.

The Coast Guard located a deceased person in a survival suit in the water Sunday night. A heavily damaged life boat with markings consistent with those on board the El Faro were also located Sunday. Additional items located by search crews since Thursday include a partially submerged life raft, a survival suit, life jackets, life rings, cargo containers, Styrofoam, packaged food and an oil sheen.

Crew of the SS El Faro as provided by Tote Maritime:

Louis Champa	Palm Coast, Florida
Roosevelt Clark	Jacksonville, Florida
Sylvester Crawford Jr.	Lawrenceville, Georgia
Michael Davidson	Windham, Maine
Brookie Davis	Jacksonville, Florida
Keith Griffin	Fort Myers, Florida
Frank Hamm	Jacksonville, Florida
Joe Hargrove	Orange Park, Florida
Carey Hatch	Jacksonville, Florida
Michael Holland	North Wilton, Maine
Jack Jackson	Jacksonville, Florida
Jackie Jones, Jr.	Jacksonville, Florida
Lonnie Jordan	Jacksonville, Florida
Piotr Krause	Poland
Mitchell Kuflik	Brooklyn, New York
Roan Lightfoot	Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Jeffrey Mathias	Kingston, Massachusetts
Dylan Meklin	Rockland, Maine
Marcin Nita	Poland
Jan Podgorski	Poland
James Porter	Jacksonville, Florida
Richard Pusatere	Virginia Beach, Virginia
Theodore Quammie	Jacksonville, Florida
Danielle Randolph	Rockland, Massachusetts
Jeremie Riehm	Camden, Delaware
Lashawn Rivera	Jacksonville, Florida
Howard Schoenly	Cape Coral, Florida
Steven Shultz	Roan Mountain, Tennessee
German Solar-Cortes	Orlando, Florida
Anthony Thomas	Jacksonville, Florida
Andrzej Truszkowski	Poland
Mariette Wright	St. Augustine, Florida
Rafal Zdobych	Poland

The following search-and-rescue units and crews assisted with the search:

• Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Florida HC-130 Hercules airplane crews
• Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Florida MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews
• Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina HC-130 Hercules airplane crews
• Coast Guard Cutter Northland, a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth, Virginia
• Coast Guard Cutter Resolute a 210-foot medium endurance cutter, homeported in St. Petersburg, Florida
• Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton, homeported in Key West, Florida
• Air Force Rescue Coordination Center
• Air National Guard HC-130 airplane crews from the 106th Rescue Wing, Westhampton Beach, New York
• Air Force WC-130 Super Hercules crews from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, 403rd Wing, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi
• Navy P-8 Poseidon airplane crews from Naval Air Station Jacksonville
• Air Force E-8C Joint Stars crews from the 116th Air Control Wing, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia
• Three commercial tugboats

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Mariner Safe and Continuing Journey After Surviving Pacific Storm

HONOLULU — A mariner aboard a 24-foot sailboat 944 miles from the main Hawaiian Islands is safe and continuing his voyage to San Francisco after surviving a gale-force storm in the Pacific.

The Coast Guard suspended the search Thursday for the sailing vessel Pier Pressure after communication was established with the owner, Rimas Meleshyus.

At 5:15 p.m., Meleshyus updated his coordinates and sent a text message via satellite device stating he was ok and did not need any assistance.

Watchstanders at the Joint Rescue Coordination Center received notification Thursday morning from a concerned friend that Meleshyus transmitted a text via satellite stating, “I lost my life raft, in danger now.”

Meleshyus departed Hilo, Hawaii, Feb. 9 on a solo voyage to San Francisco aboard his sailboat.

After unsuccessful attempts were made to establish communications with Meleshyus via cell phone, computer and satellite device, the Coast Guard launched a rescue mission in search of the distressed mariner.

An HC-130 Hercules aircraft crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, the Coast Guard Cutter Kukui, homeported in Honolulu, and two Good Samaritan vessels were enroute to the sailboat’s last known position when Meleshyus established communication.

The Coast Guard advises all mariners to ensure they have all necessary safety equipment aboard and that it is in working condition before heading out on the water. This includes having appropriate safety and communications equipment such as lifejackets and a working VHF radio, checking local weather conditions and ensuring the vessel is seaworthy.

Mariners who want to ensure their vessel is safe and compliant with current regulations can request a free safety check by visiting www.vesselsafetycheck.org. For more information on boating safety, visit www.uscgboating.org.

Man and boy located adrift after being swept out to sea in South Pacific

APRA HARBOR, Guam — A man and a young boy are safe after their 14-foot skiff was swept out to sea near an atoll in the South Pacific Sunday.

At 9:41 a.m. Monday, watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Guam Command Center received a report from Pan-Pacific Education and Communication Experiments by Satellite of a skiff that had been swept out to sea due to high tide and poor weather near Namoluk Atoll, Chuuk. They reportedly had paddles, no motor and minimal food aboard the vessel.

Sector Guam made notifications to Federated States of Micronesia Maritime Surveillance Advisor, FSM National Search and Rescue Coordinator, Chuuk Search and Rescue Liaison, U.S. Embassy in Pohnpei and the 14th Coast Guard District Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Honolulu.

Sector Guam identified and diverted two Automated-Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System vessels in the area.

A Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Air Station Barbers Point on Oahu and a Navy P-8A Poseidon fixed-wing aircraft from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, were also launched to assist in the search.

The Ocean Pegasus, a 656-foot freight ship, and the 575-foot freight ship Verdant Island responded to the call for help and diverted at the request of the Coast Guard to assist in the search.

Tuesday morning the Ocean Pegasus located and safely rescued the 44-year-old man and nine-year-old boy. They remain aboard the Ocean Pagasus.

AMVER, sponsored by the United States Coast Guard, is a unique, computer-based, and voluntary global ship reporting system used worldwide by search and rescue authorities to arrange for assistance to persons in distress at sea.

The 14th Coast Guard District encompasses an area of 12.2 million square miles of the Central and South Pacific. Coast Guard aircraft based in Hawaii frequently travel thousands of miles in response to search and rescue and other calls for assistance.The Hercules is scheduled to be replaced by the HC-130J, which will bring increased capabilities to Coast Guard response across the Pacific.