The U.S. Coast Guard is calling off its search for survivors from the cargo ship El Faro at sunset Thursday.
The El Faro was on its way from Jacksonville to Puerto Rico last week when it lost power near the eye of Hurricane Joaquin, a Category 4 storm with 40 to 50 foot waves and 140 mph winds.
All 33 crew members on board the container ship are now believed to have drowned.
Searchers will continue to look for the ship and for the voyage data recorder which contains a record of the 12 hours prior to the ship’s sinking.
The device was supposed to start pinging its location as soon as it touched the water but so far no one’s heard it. Searchers say they plan to ask the Navy for special deep sea sonar equipment.
The El Faro is believed to be nearly 3 miles below the surface of the Atlantic.
