CASTINE, Maine — The Maine Maritime Academy Student Government Association is inviting the entire coastal community to a Vigil of Hope for the crew of the missing cargo ship El Faro, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Leavitt Lawn.
“All are welcome to attend,” Jennifer DeJoy, the maritime academy’s spokeswoman, said Tuesday in an email.
The U.S. Coast Guard continues to search for crew members of the El Faro, including at least four MMA graduates.
The ship was captained by Michael Davidson of Windham, a 1988 graduate of Maine Maritime. Missing crew members include Danielle Randolph, 34, of Rockland, a 2005 graduate; Michael Holland, 25, of Wilton, a 2012 graduate; and Dylan Meklin, 23, a 2010 graduate of Rockland High School, who graduated from Maine Maritime just in May of this year, the Bangor Daily News has confirmed.
The last communication between the 790-foot steamship and the mainland was made at 7:20 a.m. Thursday while en route from Jacksonville to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The cargo carrier lost propulsion and was listing after encountering Hurricane Joaquin north of San Salvador Island in the Bahamas, the captain said in his request for help.
The Federated Church of Thomaston also will hold a candlelight vigil Wednesday evening. The church, located at 8 Hyler St. in Thomaston, will be open from 5 to 7 p.m., and the vigil will begin at 5:30 p.m.
“Join us as we gather to light candles and pray for all those missing from the El Faro, which disappeared during Hurricane Joaquin. Help us to support their friends and families, especially those right here in Knox County,” the church stated in a news release.
BDN writer Stephen Betts contributed to this report.