Seven months after the ship sank, officials say El Faro's voyage data recorder has been located.
El Faro sank during Hurricane Joaquin on Oct. 1 with 33 crew members aboard.
The main mast of El Faro, where the data recorder was attached, was not located during the first search of the wreckage in November.
Investigators began a second search April 18 and located the data recorder in 15,000 feet of water, near the ship's final resting place.
Officials expect the data recorder to contain critical information for NTSB and U.S. Coast Guard investigators, including basic navigational data and voice data from El Faro’s navigation bridge in the hours before the ship sank in more than 15,000 feet of water.
Florida Senator Bill Nelson said in a statement:
Thank goodness the NTSB went back a second time to find the missing data recorder. This could be a big break for investigators as they try to understand what caused the El Faro to sink. The information stored on this device could be the key to determining not only what happened, but also what can be done to ensure that it never happens again."
Tote Maritime, owner of the El Faro, released the following statement on the discovery of the voyage data recorder:
TOTE wishes to thank the crew of the research vessel Atlantis and the team from the NTSB for their persistence and success in finding the El Faro's VDR. We hope that the information contained will help with the goal to learn everything possible about the loss of our crew and vessel. We look forward to the NTSB report and welcome safety related recommendations that benefit our seafarers; there is no more important legacy for our employees and their families.
NTSB posted video footage of the voyage data recorder.
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