Families of El Faro crew put up holiday decorations at park

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Families of the El Faro crew on Tuesday visited the El Faro Memorial at Dames Point Park on the Northside to put up holiday decorations.

The cargo ship sank near the Bahamas en route to Puerto Rico during Hurricane Joaquin in 2015, killing all 33 crew members on board.

In 2016, the Jacksonville City Council voted unanimously to pass a resolution keeping the memory of the crew of the El Faro alive by changing the name of Dames Point Park to El Faro Memorial at Dames Point Park.

The area was chosen because that’s where El Faro left on its final voyage.

A statue was also erected at the 9.1-acre park, which sits under the Dames Point Bridge on the north bank of the St. Johns River, and was dedicated to the people who died in the maritime tragedy.