Local merchant marine not ready to give up hope on finding El Faro crew

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CAPE CORAL, Fla.- The U.S. Coast Guard called off its search for survivors of El Faro on Wednesday, but local merchant mariner Manny Torres isn’t ready to give up on finding his friend Rich Pusatere, one of the ship’s crew members lost at sea.

“We have to hold out hope. People have survived longer at sea than just six days,” Torres said.

Pusatere was a chief engineer and Torres’ classmate at SUNY Maritime College in New York, where he said the two went over life saving drills constantly.

“You learn CPR, first aid, how to launch a lifeboat and a life raft. You learn what to do in certain scenarios, such as if your life raft flips over,” Torres said.

When WINK News asked him about allegations that the El Faro needed major repairs, Torres couldn’t elaborate.

“It does happen on vessels, but whether the company felt the need to get it repaired or their plan was to get it done the next day, I don’t know,” Torres said.

Torres and his wife said they’ve signed an online petition, asking the Coast Guard to extend the search.

“I would be so upset if they gave up on my husband after six days. I don’t know what I would do,” Sarah Torres said.

If you’d like to donate to the GoFundMe account for Richard Pusatere’s family, click here.

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