Groton Graduate Dies When Cargo Ship Sinks Near Bahamas

The cargo ship El Faro was situated near the Bahamas when Hurricane Joaquin blew through the area.

The entire crew of the ship died, including 26-year-old Mitchell Kuflik, a Fitch High School graduate, FoxCT reported. Kuflik reportedly always had an interest in marine matters and wanted to own his own tugboat company.

On Wednesday, Oct. 7, a search was called off. One body had been found.

“I have come to a very difficult decision to suspend the search for the crew of the El Faro at sunset tonight [Oct. 7],” said Rear Adm. Scott Buschman, commander, Coast Guard 7th District in a press release. “My deepest condolences go to the families, loved ones, and friends of the El Faro crew. U.S. Coast Guard, U.S Navy, U.S. Air Force, and the Tote Maritime tug crews searched day and night, sometimes in perilous conditions with the hope of finding survivors in this tragic loss.”

A search for the voyage data recorder will take place, according to the New York Post. The cargo ship reportedly lost power while trying to avoid the path of the hurricane, the Sun Journal reported.

President Obama Releases Statement

“The captain and crew of the El Faro were Americans and Poles, men and women, experienced mariners and young seamen,” Obama said in a press release. “They were beloved sons and daughters and loving husbands and fathers. They were dedicated engineers, technicians and a cook. And these 33 sailors were united by a bond that has linked our merchant mariners for more than two centuries–a love of the sea. As their ship battled the storm, they were no doubt working as they lived– together, as one crew. This tragedy also reminds us that most of the goods and products we rely on every day still move by sea. As Americans, our economic prosperity and quality of life depend upon men and women who serve aboard ships like the El Faro.”

The Timeline

Coast Guard watchstanders were informed that the El Faro had lost power and was in Hurricane Joaquin’s path. TOTE released the following timeline of the El Faro incident:

• Sept. 29 – El Faro departs Jacksonville at 8:10 p.m. for Puerto Rico with 33 people aboard
• Oct. 1 – 7:20 a.m. – El Faro’s last communication. The Captain reported: Vessel had lost propulsion

1. Vessel experienced water ingress into a cargo hold through a scuttle (small opening to allow crew access into a hold)
2. Crew had secured the scuttle and was successfully pumping out the water from the hold
3. Vessel was experiencing a 15-degree list but it was unknown whether it was a result of water ingress or the weather conditions

• Oct. 2 – U.S. Coast Guard deploys the cutter Northland, an MH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter crew based in Great Inagua, Bahamas and HC-130 Hercules airplanes from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Florida, to search for the El Faro. They find no trace of the ship.
• Oct. 3 – The US Coast Guard finds a life ring from the El Faro.
• Oct. 4 – The Coast Guard finds a large debris field that includes materials they believe came from the ship. TOTE assets find a container that came from the ship.
• Oct. 5 – The Coast Guard reports finding the remains of a seafarer wearing a survival suit. The Coast Guard determines the El Faro sank.
• Oct. 6 – National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) begins an investigation into the sinking.

A Commitment to the Investigation

Anthony Chiarello, the president & CEO of TOTE Maritime, the company who owns the ship, released a statement on Oct. 7:

“Since Thursday, every individual in the TOTE organization has held out hope that the crew of the El Faro would be found safe. It is with heavy hearts this afternoon that we learn the Coast Guard has suspended their search for survivors.

Our focus has been on supporting and caring for the family members, loved ones, and friends of those aboard the El Faro. The Coast Guard’s announcement will not change the support that TOTE extends to those affected by this tragic event: though the search may be over, their grief, and ours, is not.

We appreciate there are many rumors and speculations surrounding this tragic event, as there are with any accident. For the sake of the families and loved ones, we ask that you continue to respect their privacy and wait for the investigation results.

We at TOTE can never truly know the pain the families and loved ones have gone through, but we do know how deeply this event has affected every employee of TOTE. A company is made up of people, and this tragedy has touched every individual across our organization.

We have no doubt that these are the darkest days of TOTE’s years as an organization, and indeed, the darkest days in the memory of most seafarers. A legacy of this painful event must be an understanding that serves all who go to sea.

Out of respect for our seafarers, and for every seafarer here and around the world, it is critical that we understand what contributed to this accident. We are appreciative of the active participation into that effort by the NTSB. To every woman and man in the Merchant Marine, we promise our full and open participation into the investigation of this tragic accident.”

Click here to access TOTE’s information on the El Faro incident.

(Photo Mitchell Kuflik via TOTE)