The Catastrophic Loss of SS El Faro

In 2015 a cargo ship set out on a routine voyage - and then vanished without a trace with its full complement of 33 crew members. The El Faro was a veteran ship with a veteran skipper - so how was she so suddenly and violently lost? Today we'll revisit the events and learn about El Faro's final voyage - and how the whole disaster could have been prevented.

Some sources for this video include:

Oceanliner Designs explores the design, construction, engineering and operation of history’s greatest vessels– from Titanic to Queen Mary and from the Empress of Ireland to the Lusitania. Join maritime researcher and illustrator Michael Brady as he tells the stories behind some of history's most famous ocean liners and machines!

#ships #sinking #disaster #titanic #wrecks #exploration #history #adventure #design #engineering #mairitime #safety #vessels #sailing #documentary #story #oceanlinerdesigns

[bradlevantis]

I’m in the Coast Guard myself. Reading the report and the Bridge recorder transcript is chilling. There was a days worth of voice recordings and you can hear the crew and captain were taking about different information.

The information the master was using was outdated. But the crew had the updated weather.

As for safety gear, if you work on a ship don’t count on the company to provide anything other than the basic requirements. I can’t stress enough the need to get in to immersion suits early. The need to update safety gear. The need to protect yourself. One of the best purchases anyone (even an outdoorsy person) can invest in is a PLB. Works exactly like a ships EPIRB and it can fit in your pocket. I purchased one for a couple hundred dollars and use it at work, on hikes, when I travel internationally. Works worldwide and no subscription required

[jasonatkin]

If you want the full measure of the terror in the sinking, read the NTSB report available online. It's gut-wrenching reading the crew speaking to one-another, captured from the VDR, and just knowing it doesn't end well for them. The helmsman, Fred Hamm, unable to make his way out of the wheelhouse, begging...pleading for help, then finally accepting his fate and saying "I'm a goner" is something that will haunt me until the day I die. I can't imagine how tough it must've been to have actually had to listen to the audio of that. Tragedies like this are always regrettable, but AVOIDABLE tragedies are inexcusable.

[Matt-vszz]

A high school friend of mine was on the El Yunque when El Faro was lost. They went to the wreck site shortly after the sinking, recovered a life ring, and dropped some flowers. Really moving stuff. What a horrible tragedy.

[SarothCyngus]

No better duo exists on YouTube than Oceanliner Designs and Brick Immortar.

[Deadbuck]

I lost a good friend from my youth on this one. I’ll always remember his family and what a great man he was.

[lescook]

I enjoy Mike's videos.
Brick Immortar made a great 1.5 hour documentary on this disaster. Goes into great detail on everything.

[jackmcfann]

The fact that it is resting perfectly upright, not even dug into the sand, is a haunting image.

[connorredshaw]

I can't begin to imagine the horror those poor crew members went through in their final moments.

Especially in the weather conditions they were facing.

May they all rest in peace. 😔

[wayneroyal]

I live in Jacksonville, my company uses this company to ship containers to PR. This was a devastating event. Fantastic breakdown of the sinking. Thank you for your efforts!

[kriscook]

As always, top notch work. Those radio calls make my stomach clench. As a fan of both you and Brick Immortar, I don't know why I'm ever surprised when we learn that another poorly maintained vessel is lost.

[human]

19:00 BrickImmortar's El Faro video is actually what got me interested in ship videos on youtube.

[rverro]

How many times have I heard " One more time, before hitting the dry docks. Just one more trip ".

[beepseatsfindingfoodtreasu]

What a tragedy. Ive listened to the radio calls and it still is shocking how fast she went down. Thanks Mike, you bring so much detail to each story.

[AndreWehrle]

One of the most fascinating shipwrecks since the _Titanic_, IMO. Glad you finally did a video on this. Always boggled my mind how the captain consistently failed to use the most up-to-date weather information to plot a safe (or at least safer) course around the storm rather than sailing right into the core of it.

[stephenrickstrew]

Truly a senseless tragedy…. I was on an Aircraft Carrier and we responded to a Bulk Carrier that sank in the Atlantic.. Only half of the crew survived.. We steamed by a barely inflated life raft to check for survivors.. but it was empty..

[dr.adam_bright]

Richard Pusatere, the chief engineer was a graduate of my college. We still honor the crew on the anniversary of the sinking and the family usually comes for the ceremony. My metrology professor still talks about what it was like having Rich in class, as do many of the engine side professors I’m sure.

I've listened to the stories of most of the high profile sinkings and this one still captivates me the most. I think it is because is it so recent and so well documented with the crew's communications and such. My heart goes out to all who suffered loss because of this tragedy.

[sanyfalkenberg]

Thank you Mike for taking on the El Faro. Since she sank I'm obsessed with her story and how she sank. This story and her crew never really let me go. So thank you so much for telling her story.

[Kaidhicksii]

Wasn't expecting you to do a video on the El Faro, but it's great to see you give this story the good ol' Mike Brady touch. It was an accident that, like many others, absolutely did not need to happen, if only the vessel was properly maintained and kept up to date. Even with the captain's errors, I'm almost willing to put money on the fact that if El Faro was in tip top shape - no corrosion; proper damage control; preferably a stronger engine, etc. - she would have lived. I still remember back in 2015 when a young 6th grader met the remnants of Joaquin up here in MA. I was in absolute awe and excitement at the storm, but couldn't have known that several thousand miles away, that same storm caused a massive ship to go down with all hands.

[ianrobertson]

Recently boarded this community as an aviation guy
Loving this