Search Team May Have Found Wreckage Of El Faro

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WJZ) -- A search team on board the USNS Apache has found the wreckage of what they believe to be the cargo ship El Faro, the National Transportation Safety Board reports.

The ship went missing in the Bahamas on Oct. 1 during Hurricane Joaquin.

The wreckage was at a depth of about 15,000 feet, according to the NTSB.

"Sophisticated sonar equipment towed from Apache first detected what are believed to be images of the vessel using Orion, a side-scanning sonar system, at about 1:36 p.m. on October 31 during the fifth of 13 planned search line surveys," the NTSB reports. "To confirm the finding, specialists on Apache will use CURV 21, a deep ocean remotely operated vehicle, to survey and confirm the identity of the wreckage."

The survey could begin on Nov. 1.

The wreckage seems to be a 760-foot cargo ship, which from sonar images still looks to be in one piece in an upright position.

The NTSB contracted with the U.S. Navy to help locate the missing ship, document the wreckage and debris field and recover the data recorder.

The Apache left Little Creek, Va. on Oct. 19. Four days later, specialist placed a tower pinger locator or TPL into the water in hopes of picking up pings from the ship's data recorded.

After three days without any indication of the ship, the TPL was removed from the water and the Orion was placed in the water instead.

If the wreckage is identified as that of El Faro, video equipment will begin to document the shipwreck. It could take 15 days or more to complete the documentation process.