it was exactly one year ago tonight that the EL FARO took departure on its fatal voyage.
will we ever know what happened to the plant and why? will time simply allow the memory of the lost crew to fade away and that business as usual will continue its steady march for profits over people?
a shame to have to die for some failure but a horrible shame to one’s death to bring about no progress for change or betterment for the people who serve the industry
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Local Portland Maine station WGME will broadcast a 30 minute special tonight at 6:30 pm
I am truly surprised no one besides KC wants to add anything to this anniversary remembrance…the loss of the EL FARO still remains the only loss of a US flagged merchant ship in more than three decades and a seminal event in our community
Prayers to the victims, families, and friends. This was a very sad event. I hope something like this never happens again.
Well, always been partial to this bit of Byron,
[I]Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean-roll!
Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain;
Man marks the earth with ruin-his control
Stops with the shore;-upon the watery plain
The wrecks are all thy deed, nor doth remain
A shadow of man’s ravage, save his own,
When for a moment, like a drop of rain,
He sinks into thy depths with bubbling groan,
Without a grave, unknell’d, uncoffin’d, and unknown.[/I]
Indeed mans control stops at the shore.
I have no words to explain the feelings that the tragedy brings up.
To know one faces imminent, certain, violent death inside a terrifying oceanic storm is about the worst thing I can think of, personally.
God bless their souls. I can’t think on it much because it is just too damaging.
I am acquaintanced with one of the immediate family members. It has been a very, very hard year for her and her children. She is going through more terror as she watches Hurricane Matthew approach. Matthew is making everything real and immediate for her, all over again.
If you know any of the family members, reach out and let them know you have their back. And…we in the business must not take our eye off what the NTSB, USCG, class society and the other entities do in regards to this investigation. It’s easy enough to call and write your Congress Critter and make them get off their asses. It’s also cathartic. By the way, the life you may help save one day…just might be your own.
The families, as far as I can tell, want to be able to hear the voice recordings. There is precedent set with aircraft casualties. I support them in this. It may be time to go to Whitehouse.gov and begin a petition but I’d rather one of the families begin such a thing. I will gladly sign.
We must not allow this to be swept under the rug and forgotten.
My Thought and Prayers are with All of the Families of The El Faro.
When the next round of hearing come in January (I believe) I will be attending as much as possible. I’m hoping to hear them recall several people and to see how they change their testimony since the Data Recorder has been recovered.
As for me, I still have sleepless nights thinking about those lost. Anyone that has sailed has had those feelings of dread and wondered if a trip might just be the last one for them. This is part of what we all choose to do for a career. When Mother Nature Calls we are at Her Mercy!
It was a fretting and nervous time a year ago checking-in and hoping for good news/updates on here. I just hope future lives are saved by learning from the mistakes by Tote on this one.
RIP El Faro crew
