Jacksonville's Dames Point Park will soon become an everlasting memorial to the El Faro crew members.
City Council voted to rename Dames Point Park to the “El Faro Memorial at Dames Point Park" on Tuesday.
TOTE, the shipping company that owned the El Faro cargo ship, is planning a private memorial service for family members of El Faro right here.
Nearly one year ago, El Faro sailed right under the Dames Point Bridge on its way to the Atlantic Ocean on what would be its final voyage. The cargo ship sunk last October near the Bahamas in the midst of Hurricane Joaquin.
Pastor Robert Green’s son, Lashawn Rivera, was on the ship.
“We are forever bound together in the El Faro 33,” Green said.
“It tells us that those men mattered that this situation matters,” Green said.
Since the El Faro crew’s remains were never recovered, Green said this memorial could be a place where people can pay their respects.
“Certainly their memories are not only etched in our hearts, they're gonna be etched in stone also,” Green said.
While the memorial won’t bring closure to everyone, Green said he is glad it will be here for years to come so people never forget.