JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (WTXL) - The cargo ship that sank in a hurricane last year was on a Coast Guard list of vessels with the most "potential for risk," a designation that would have triggered more safety inspections.
In testimony Monday at an investigative hearing in Jacksonville looking into El Faro's Oct. 1 sinking, U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Kyle McAvoy said the El Faro's name was among 10 percent of ships considered at risk.
McAvoy said staff was preparing to release the list when they learned the El Faro had gone missing.
The 40-year-old El Faro sank in 15,000 feet of water after losing propulsion and getting caught in Hurricane Joaquin. All 33 people aboard died.
McAvoy said the Coast Guard released the list with El Faro's name still on it even after learning that it sank.
