Mass. Maritime Honors El Faro Crew As Search Continues

BOURNE (CBS/AP) -- A moment of silence was held at Massachusetts Maritime Academy Tuesday morning for crew members on board the El Faro container ship that sank during Hurricane Joaquin.

Two of the ship's crew members, Jeffrey Mathias and Keith Griffin, are graduates of the Academy.

"While there is still a search and rescue mission going on, I ask for your optimism, for your hope, for your support," president of Mass. Maritime Academy Capt. Francis McDonald said at Tuesday's ceremony.

Mathias' wife Jenn issued this statement afterwards:

The Mathias Family would like to thank everyone for their love and support during this difficult time. Jeffrey is our beloved son, brother, loving husband and father. He is the center of our world. All of his friends, family, nieces, nephews, as well as his three children ages 3, 5, and 7, his wife, brother, and parents ask for your continued prayers as well as continued respect for our privacy during this difficult time. Please continue to pray with us for all members of the El Faro and for their families.

On Monday, four days after the ship vanished, the Coast Guard concluded it sank near the Bahamas in about 15,000 feet of water. One unidentified body in a survival suit was spotted, and the search went on for any trace of the other crew members. The search resumed Tuesday.

A team from the National Transportation Safety Board in Washington was on its way to Jacksonville to study the El Faro debris, conduct interviews, and look at documents to find out what went wrong and how to prevent such incidents in the future.

Investigators say the El Faro went adrift because of mechanical issues. The captain tried to reroute but was unsuccessful because of the hurricane.

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