Third Lawsuit Filed By Family Of Crew On Missing Cargo Ship

JACKSONVILLE (CBSMiami/AP) — The family of a sailor who was aboard a cargo ship that sank off the Bahamas when it crossed paths with Hurricane Joaquin has sued the vessel's owner.

The family of 19-year-old Jackie Jones Jr. filed the suit in federal court in Jacksonville on Monday, claiming the aging freighter "El Faro" was unsafe. It is the third suit filed by crew members' families.

The family's attorney Elizabeth Kagan says she has information the ship had corrosion problems and may have been overloaded.

The owner, Tote Maritime, has said it will not comment on individual lawsuits.

The El Faro, with 33 crew members aboard, is believed to have gone down in about 15,000 feet of water near Crooked Island in the southeastern Bahamas at the height of the storm on October 1st. It was carrying cars and retail goods from Jacksonville to San Juan, Puerto Rico.

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