>> TIME MOMENTS OF EL FARO.
>> NEWLY RELEASED TRANSCRIPTS
PAINT A FRIGHTENING PICTURE OF
WHAT THE CREW EXPERIENCED AS
THE JACKSONVILLE BASE CARGO
SHIP SANK IN HURRICANE JOAQUIN.
THE FAMILIES STRUGGLING TO TAKE
IT ALL IN.
>> MY LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO HOPE
THAT WE CAN SEE THAT NO OTHER
MARITIME FAMILY EVER
EXPERIENCES THIS KIND OF
UNEXPECTED LOSS.
>> 33 MEN AND WOMEN WERE ABOARD
EL FARO WHEN IT WEPT DOWN OFF
THE COAST OF THE BAHAMAS IN
OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR. NO ONE
SURVIVED.
WE KNOW THE CAPTAIN REJECTED
TWO SEPARATE SUGGESTION FROM
HIS HIS SECOND AND THIRD MATE
TO CHANGE COURSE IN THE HOURS
BEFORE EL FARO SANK.
>> THAT IS JUST ONE OF THE
STUNNING NEW PIECES OF
INFORMATION TO COME FROM THIS.
MORE THAN 500 PAGES OF
TRANSCRIPTS FROM THE SHIP DATA
RECORDER.
WE HAVE COMPLETE COVERAGE
STARTING WITH CHRIS WHO IS LIVE
IN WASHINGTON FOR FEDERAL
SAFETY INVESTIGATORS DETAIL THE
FINDINGS TOD.
CHRIS.
>>Reporter: 510 PAGE DOCUMENT
PAINT A VERY GRIM AND VERY
FRANTIC PICTURE OF THE FINAL
MOMENTS INSIDE OF THE BRIDGE OF
EL FARO AS CAPTAIN MICHAEL
DAVIDSON SOUNDED THE ALARM AND
CALLED FOR THE AND SHIP THEN
TRIED TO GET EVERYBODY ELSE OUT
OF THE BRIDGE ALONG WITH HIM.
BUT WHAT INVESTIGATORS SAY IS
STILL UNCLEAR IS WHETHER OR NOT
ANYBODY ELSE THAT WAS ON BOARD
THE SHIP WAS ABLE TO GET OFF.
IN THE 500 PLUS PAGES OF
TRANSCRIPT FROM THE DATA
RECORDER OF EL FARO FINAL
MOMENTS WE LEARNED CAPTAIN
MICHAEL DAVIDSON KEPT EL FARO
ON COURSE AFTER BEING TOLD CREW
MEMBERS TWICE SUGGESTED THAT HE
CHANGE COURSE.
BUT THE SHIP LOSES PROPULSIO
ON THE MORNING OF OCTOBER 1ST,
2015.
THE CAPTAIN IS AT THE MERCY OF
THE OCEAN.
AT 6:54 AM DAVIDSON SAYS QUOTE
THERE'S NO NEED TO RING THE
GENERAL ALARM YET.
WE ARE NOT ABANDONING SHIP.
AT 7:01 HE RADIO IN MARINE
EMERGENCY.
SEVEN MINUTES LATER HE SAYS THE
CREW IS SAFE.
TRYING TO SAVE THE SHIP.
>> I'M SURE THE CREW MEMBER
WERE FRANTIC.
I WOULD BE RUNNING AROUND ALL
OVER THE SHIP.
>>Reporter: AT 7:28 CALL OVER
THE UHF RADIO SAYS CAPTAIN ARE
YOU GETTING READY TO AND SHIP?
DAVIDSON RESPOND YES WHAT I
WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE
EVERYBODY HAS IS THEIR IMMERSE
SUIT AND STANDBY.
GATE GOOD HEAD COUNT.
GET A GOOD HEAD COUNT THIS
MORNING I ASKED INVESTIGATORS
IF THERE WAS ANY WAY TO KNOW
FROM THE RECORDINGS IF ANY ONE
GOT THE IMMERSE SUITS ON.
THEY SAY AT THIS POINT NO.
AT 7:29 THAT MORNING FROM
CAPTAIN DAVIDSON QUOTE ALREADY
ALL RIGHT.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND RING IT.
RING THE ABANDONED SHIP.
7:30 ABOUT 15 SECONDS LATER BOW
IS DOWN.
BOW IS DOWN.
THE CAPTAIN TELLS EVERYONE ON
THE BRIDGE THEY HAVE TO GET TO
SAFETY.
AT 7:34 LISTED ONLY AS AB 1 FOR
ABLE BODY SEAMAN NO. 1.
2 CALLS OF HELP ME.
FOLLOWED BY DAVIDSON TELLING
HIM QUOTE DON'T PANIC.
DON'T PANIC.
WORK YOUR WAY UP HERE.
ONE OF THE LAST DISTINGUISHABLE
THING CAME AT 7:38.
AB 1 SAYS YOU GONNA LEAVE ME.
DAVIDSON SAYS I'M NOT LEAVING
YOU.
LET'S GO.
THROUGHOUT THE FINAL MINUTE
MOSTLY YELLING BEFORE CAPTAIN
DAVIDSON YELLING WAS CUT OFF BY
THE END OF THE RECORDING.
THE TIME INVESTIGATORS SAY THE
SHIP WENT UNDER.
THE NTSB INVESTIGATORS SAY THE
FACTUAL FINDINGS THAT THEY
RELEASED TODAY DON'T CONCLUDE
THEIR CASE.
THEY WILL STILL HAVE FULL
FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
THAT WILL COME OUT AT A LATER
DATE.
LIVE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. I'M
CHRIS, CHANNEL 4, THE LOCAL
STATION.
>>> MORE THAN 510 PAGES OF
TRANSCRIPTS.
26 HOURS OF AUDIO.
DID INVESTIGATORS SAY IF ANY OF
THE RECORDINGS WERE COMPROMISED
BY SIT SOMETHING FAR DOWN IN
THE OCEAN FOR ALMOST A YEAR?
WILL THEY BE RELEASING THE
AUDIO FILE?
>>Reporter: THEY DIDN'T SAY
WHETHER ALL OF IT WAS
COMPROMISED.
THEY WERE ABLE TO GET A LOT OF
AUDIO OFF IT.
THEY SAID THIS IS THE LARGEST
TRANSCRIPT THAT THEY HAVE EVER
RELEASED AS AN ORGANIZATION.
THEY WERE ABLE TO GET MORE THAN
26 HOURS BUT THEY ONLY
RELEASEDED WHAT IS PERTINENT TO
THIS INVESTIGATION.
THEY SAID THERE WERE CERTAIN
POINTS THAT THEY WEREN'T ABLE
TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS BEING
SAID.
THEY SAID THAT IS OFTEN COMMON
WITH VDR RECORDINGS.
THEY ALSO SAID THEY WILL NOT BE
RELEASING THE VDR AUDIO AT ANY
TIME.
THEY SAY THEY DON'T DO THAT
WITH ANY INVESTIGATION.
>> CHRIS REPORTING TO US LIVE
FROM WASHINGTON.
THANK YOU.
>>> EL FARO TRAGEDY HAS LEFT
MANY IN JACKSONVILLE GRIEF
STRICKEN.
FAMILY OF THE CREW HAVE BEEN
ASKING FOR MORE THAN A YEAR WHO
WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS
DISASTER
>> THE JIM PICKET SPOKE WITH
ONE FAMILY TODAY WHO READ THE
TRANSCRIPTS AND LEARNED DETAILS
OF THE LAST MOMENT OF THE LOVED
ONES LIFE.
IM JIM IS AT THE MEMORIAL AT
THE JAMES POINT BRIDGE.
JIM
>>Reporter: THE 33 THAT DIED,
THEY ARE REMEMBERED OUT HERE AT
THIS MEMORIAL UNDERNEATH THE
JAMES POINT BRIDGE.
TODAY WHEN THEY WERE HEARING
THE DETAILS OF FAMILY MEMBERS
HEARING THE DETAILS OF HOW
LOVED ONES MAY HAVE DIED IT WAS
HEART BREAKING.
JACK, JACKSON LOVED THE SEA.
30 YEARS OF HIS LIFE SPENT ON
SHIPS AROUND THE WORLD.
TODAY HIS FAMILY WAS TELLING US
ABOUT HIM AND TODAY THEY
LEARNED THAT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
JACK ON THE BRIDGE WITH THE
CAPTAIN DURING THE LAST MINUTES
BEFORE THE EL FARO WENT DOWN.
THOSE WORDS POSSIBLY FROM HIM
IN THE TRANSCRIPT WILL LAWNT
THEM FOR SOME TIME.
I'M GONE.
I'M A GORAN.
>> WE HAVEN'T READ THE
TRANSCRIPT UNFORTUNATELY WHAT
YOU JUST BROUGHT UP IS THE
FIRST I HAVE READ THAT WAS AS
BAD AS POSSIBLE.
MAY VERY WELL HAVE BEEN MY
BROTHER ON THE BRIDGE WITH THE
CAPTAIN.
>>Reporter: GLEN JACKSON AND
SISTER JILL ONE OF 8 FAMILIAR
RI NOT CELTSED A WRONGFUL DEATH
CLAIM AGAINST TOTE MARITIME IN
TEARS JILL EXPLAINS WHY NOT.
>> MY LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO HOPE
THAT WE CAP SEE THAT NO OTHER
MARITIME FAMILY EVER
EXPERIENCES THIS KIND OF
UNEXPECTED LOSS.
>>Reporter: THEIR ATTORNEY BOB
SUPERIOR ALSO POINTED OUT MORE
PROBLEMS WITH THE EL FARO.
LIFE BOAT THAT WAS RECOVERED
SHOWED THAT THE ROPES USED TO
LOWER IT APPEARED TO HAVE NEVER
WORKED AND WERE JAMMED.
ALSO SAYS OUT OF DATE WEATHER
INFORMATION AND THE CAPTAIN'S
REFUSAL TO CHANGE COURSE AS
URGE BY CREW MEMBERS
CONTRIBUTED TO THE TRAGEDY.
>> THEY WANT TO USE THE LEGAL
PROCESS AS WELL AS THE OFFICIAL
INVESTIGATION TO GET TO THE
BOTTOM OF WHAT HAPPENED.
FIND OUT WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE.
WHO IS LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE.
AND THEN AS I SAID TO TRY TO
MAKE SURE THAT STEPS ARE TAKEN
SO THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN TO
ANY OTHER FAMILIES.
>>Reporter: SO FOR THE JACKSO
>>Reporter: SO FOR THE
JACKSONS, THE COURT DATE IS NOW
SET FOR MAY OF 2018.
BUT UP UNTIL THAT TIME THEY
PLAN TO CONTINUE GOING TO THESE
HEARINGS AND CONTINUING TO
LEARN MORE BECAUSE THEY WANT TO
MAKE SOME SENSE OF THIS.
AS THEY SAID THEY WANT TO MAKE
SURE SOMETHING LIKE THIS WON'T
HAPPEN AGAIN.
WE ARE LIVE AT THE EL FARO
MEMORIAL UNDERNEATH THE JAMES
POINT BRIDGE, CHANNEL 4, THE
LOCAL STATION.
>>> THANK YOU JIM.
NOW THE FAMILY OF 25 CREW
MEMBERS SETTLED CLAIMS AGAINST
THE SHIP OWNERS.
AGREEMENT AWARDS EACH FAMILY
HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR PAIN
AND SUFFERING AND SEPARATE
PRIVATE AMOUNT FOR ECONOMIC
DAMAGES.
ATTORNEYS FOR THE 8 FAMILY NOT
INCLUDED IN THE SETTLEMENT WILL
THE IN TO FIGHT FOR THEIR
CLIENTS.
>>> NOW JOY HAS LOOK BACK AT EL
FARO PATH AND WHERE THE SUNKEN
SHIP WAS LOCATED AFTER
EXTENSIVE SEARCH.
JOY.
>>Reporter: WELL, THIS IS A
PICTURE OF EL FARO HERE.
IT LEFT JACKSONVILLE THERE YOU
SEE FLORIDA.
HERE'S JACKSONVILLE.
AND IT LEFT BOUND FOR PUERTO
RICO WHICH IS WAY OVER HERE IN
THE CARIBBEAN.
NOW THIS HAPPENED EARLY IN THE
MORNING SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 BUT
KEEP IN MIND THIS IS WHEN
TROPICAL STORM JOAQUIN WAS
SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES TO THE
EAST OF FLORIDA.
THE NEXT MORNING IT BECAME A
HURRICANE.
THE LAST REPORTED LOCATION FROM
EL FARO CAME IN JUST AFTER 4
A.M. ON OCTOBER 1ST. I'LL
SHOW YOU WHERE THAT WAS NEAR.
THAT WAS ACTUALLY NEAR THE
CROOKED ISLAN
THAT IS RIGHT HERE IN THE
BAHAMAS.
THIS LITTLE ISLAND YOU SEE HER
THIS LITTLE ISLAND YOU SEE
HERE.
AT THE TIME THE SHIP WOULD HAVE
BEEN PASSING RIGHT NEAR THE EYE
OF HURRICANE JOAQUIN.
DAY LATER THE SHIP WAS DECLARED
MISSING.
THE SEARCH BEGAN.
AND DURING THAT SEARCH THE A
LIFE RING WAS FOUND FROM EL
FARO ABOUT 120 MILES NORTHEAST
OF CROOKED ISLAND.
THEY ALSO RECOVERED DEBRIS AND
DAMAGE LIFE BOAT AS YOU SEE IN
THE PREVIOUS REPORT.
WEEKS LATER THE NAVY SENT
APACHE TO SEARCH UNDER WATER
FOR THE SHIP.
I'M GOING SHOW YOU SOME VIDEO
THIS THEY FOUND SO YOU CAN SEE
TWHAM VIDEO LOOKED LIKE.
YOU MAY RECALL THE AS THEY WENT
IN NOVEMBER OF 2015 THE NAVY
ANNOUNCED SUBMERSIBLE HAD
RETURNED IMAGES NEAR THE
BAHAMAS IDENTIFYING THE WRECK
OF EL FARO.
ALSO GOING TO TAKE THIS AWAY.
WE WANT TO MENTION IN AUGUST
THEN OF THIS YEAR INVESTIGATORS
RECOVERED THE DATA RECORDER.
THIS IS VIDEO OF THAT DATA
RECORDER BEING RECOVERED FROM
THE WRECKAGE GIVING
INVESTIGATORS A LOOK INTO THE