JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The U.S. Coast Guard began public hearings Tuesday into the sinking of El Faro.
The cargo ship sank in the Atlantic Ocean near the Bahamas in October. The 33 crew members on board are presumed dead.
Jason Itkin of Arnold and Itkin LLP, a lawyer representing three of the El Faro families, said a Marine Board Hearing is a relatively rare event.
The last Coast Guard investigation of this magnitude was after the Gulf oil rig explosion six years ago.
The Coast Guard will hear testimony from nearly everyone connected to El Faro during the hearings including experts, former crew members, family members of the crew and TOTE Maritime officials.
The hearings are expected to last 10 days. The Coast Guard hopes they will help determine the cause of the sinking, determine if there was human error, misconduct or negligence.
The National Transportation Safety Board plans to search for the voyage data recorder again in April. If it’s found, the Coast Guard may choose to question people again.
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