Members of American Maritime Officers across the nation observed the 10-year anniversary of the loss of the SS El Faro, paying tribute to the 33 lives lost at sea on October 1, 2015.
Eleven AMO members, 17 members of Seafarers International Union and five members of a riding crew died when the SS El Faro, which was sailing from Jacksonville to Puerto Rico, was sunk by Hurricane Joaquin as the storm ravaged the Caribbean.
At STAR Center in Dania Beach, Florida, AMO held a memorial service at the El Faro Monument erected in the butterfly garden on campus. AMO National President Willie Barrere addressed the gathering and talked about how the union and the maritime industry has continued to honor the legacy of the El Faro crew.
“The loss of these mariners was not in vain. The tragedy of the El Faro forced the industry, regulators, and all of us to take a harder look at safety, training, and accountability. Changes have been made. Lives have been protected,” he said. “And while no reform can ever ease the grief of the families, the legacy of the El Faro is carried forward in every mariner who now sails under stronger protections, and in every life saved, because of what was learned, from this tragic loss.”
Observances were also held in Jacksonville, Florida, where TOTE Services Inc. and Seafarers International Union held memorial services celebrating the lives of the crewmembers. Many of the lost SIU members sailed out of the Jacksonville union hall and lived in the community and TOTE owned and operated the SS El Faro. Representatives of AMO attended all services.
The community in Rockland, Maine assembled at the “El Faro Salute” Monument overlooking the north Atlantic on September 27. Five of the AMO members lost in the El Faro tragedy were graduates of Maine Maritime Academy and lived in the area. AMO East Coast Representative Marissa Cap, who had sailed with one of the lost mariners, addressed the crowd at the ceremony and delivered a promise that holds true for all AMO members.
“To the families, I want to say this. Your loved ones are not forgotten. They live on in our memories, in the lessons we carry, and in the community that’s gathered here today,” she said. “And I promise that we will remain united and will work toward a safer future for all mariners.”
AMO National President Willie Barrere addresses a gathering of union members at the El Faro memorial on October 1.
AMO members join in a solemn prayer during the El Faro memorial service at STAR Center.
AMO East Coast Representative Marissa Cap gives remarks at the El Faro memorial service in Rockland, Maine on September 27.
Marissa Cap at the “El Faro Salute” sculpture created in honor of the 33 lives lost in the El Faro tragedy.
A moment of silence is held at an SIU memorial service in Jacksonville.