The U.S. Coast Guard will conduct a public Marine Board of Investigation hearing into the loss of the United States-flagged steam ship EL FARO, and its 33 crewmembers. The first hearing session will focus on the pre-accident historical events relating to the loss, the regulatory compliance record of the EL FARO, crewmember duties and qualifications, past operations of the vessel and the Coast Guard’s Search and Rescue operations. During a later hearing session (date to be determined) the accident voyage, including cargo loading, weather conditions and navigation will be examined in detail. The National Transportation Safety Board, which conducted its own investigation, will fully participate in the Marine Board of Investigation hearings.
What: Marine Casualty Board of Investigation
When: Daily 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. ET Tuesday, February 16th – Friday, February 26th (excluding 21 Feb.)
Where: Prime F. Osborn Convention Center, 1000 Water Street, Jacksonville, FL 32204
How: There are several ways interested parties may stay up to date with the MBOI proceedings.
The Coast Guard will be tweeting live hearing updates from @uscoastguard with the following hashtags: #cgmbi #elfaro.
An e-mail has been set up for interested parties to ask questions or make comments. This e-mail will be checked regularly. The e-mail is: ELFARO@uscg.mil
The Coast Guard is also hosting a live stream of the proceedings. The web address for the live stream is: livestream.com/ElFaro
The full contents of the media kit, including a complete hearing schedule, can be found at:
http://www.uscgnews.com/go/doctype/4007/286370/
The schedule is subject to change based on factors including, but not limited to witness and board availability, time and weather. Please follow @uscoastguard on Twitter or the Coast Guard Maritime Commons blog for the most up to date changes.
Media coverage: Reporters must register to attend the hearing by emailing: alana.l.ingram@uscg.mil. Media must register no later than 4 p.m Friday, February 12.
Contacts:Alana Ingram, Public Affairs Office, alana.l.ingram@uscg.mil, 202-372-4632