According to First Coast News, family members of El Faro victims have been allowed to view photos and video taken during the search for the missing vessel.

Additionally, it was announced last week that CBS News would air a report on 60 Minutes, going behind the scenes of the El Faro search, showing video from the sunken cargo ship. If aired, it would be the first time that the public has been able to view video and photos from the investigation.

The family members were allowed to see the photos and video prior to the report, through a webinar established by the National Transportation Safety Board. The vessel, which went missing this fall during Hurricane Joaquin, currently sits 15,000 feet below the sea.

All 33 crewmembers aboard the vessel are believed to have died. Investigators were not able to recover the ship’s data recording unit. According to First Coast News, one picture shown to family members includes a bridge separated a half mile apart from the ship’s deck. Other pictures include images of cargo. The ship was hauling more than 400 containers before it sunk and just four remain on the vessel, showing the force of the storm it encountered.

“Our families have often wondered, and it flashes in your mind, what it might have been like. That is certainly one of the most troubling of things as we try to find closure,” one family member told First Coast News.

We hope that the video and photos bring some closure to El Faro family members, who have suffered a tremendous tragedy. Maritime disasters are often difficult for family members, as there are many questions left unanswered. This is especially true when bodies are not recovered following an incident.

The Next Fight for El Faro Family Members

At this time, many El Faro family members are probably weighing settlement offers and how to move forward with litigation, as deadlines have been extended.

As we have reported in previous blogs, El Faro’s operator, TOTE Maritime, has filed a Petition for Limitation of Liability in an attempt to limit the amount of money it may have to pay to family members, who should speak to maritime attorneys about how to best move forward with a claim.

Continue to follow our blog for more news about the El Faro maritime disaster.