A refrigeration unit from the cargo ship that sank with four Mainers on board has reportedly washed up on a beach in the Bahamas.

The El Faro sank Oct. 1 east of the Bahamas as it was hammered by Hurricane Joaquin. Some debris, including toiletries and part of a container, have washed up on shore. The refrigeration unit is the first piece from the El Faro to wash up on shore, WCSH-TV reported Thursday night.

A serial number from the equipment was matched with a tracking number on the customer portal of the website of the ship’s owner, TOTE Maritime, the station reported.

The Coast Guard and Navy have been searching for the ship since it disappeared along with its 33-member crew. The four Mainers on board were the captain, Michael Davidson, and crew members Danielle Randolph, Mike Holland and Dylan Meklin. All were Maine Maritime Academy graduates, as was crew member Mitchell Kuflik of Brooklyn, New York.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which called in the Navy to help locate the ship’s wreckage and its voyage data recorder, has been investigating the factors that led to the disaster. On Tuesday, it released the initial findings of its investigation, saying the ship’s captain reported a marine emergency about 7 a.m. on Oct. 1. In that satellite call, he reported the ship had lost propulsion and had water in one of its holds from a hull breach and a blown scuttle.

The ship transmitted several distress alerts before all contact was lost.

David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:

dhench@pressherald.com


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