JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Crew member’s families sat in and listened during the fourth day of the second set of hearings into the sinking of the cargo ship El Faro. The Coast Guard Marine Board questioned a surveyor Thursday morning.
The surveyor was only given a one day notice to survey El Faro in June. The surveys are important because their recommendations can keep a ship from leaving port or at least postpone their departure.
The American Bureau of Surveyors (ABS) revealed in February that El Faro’s lifeboat winches were replaced, but never reviewed properly by ABS. If ABS would have reviewed these winches El Faro would have stayed in Jacksonville longer, possibly avoiding Hurricane Joaquin.
Questions were raised Thursday to ABS about their procedures in surveying ships like El Faro. We learned in June 2015 an El Faro survey was completed by ABS, but TOTE Maritime asked about it just 24 hours prior.
The Marine Board said there should be at least a two week notice so surveyors can prepare. The surveyor, Mark Larose, was asked what his work load was like when El Faro was surveyed.
About five years of El Faro’s surveys were discussed during the hearing.
Trending on ActionNewsJax.com:
- Retired MMA fighter charged with assaulting girlfriend
- Social-media users are hitting a brick wall when it comes to this viral optical illusion
- Mom claims child was left bleeding from injury at Starke day care
- Oops! Congressional candidate accidentally posts screenshot with NSFW tabs
- Columbia County organizes prom for handicapped students