Michael Ng from Belmont, Ca survived the sinking of the Erik out of San Felipe, Baja, California. On July 4 of this year, the Erik, a Mexican sportfishing vessel operating out of San Felipe, Mexico sank in approximately 300 feet of water about 60 miles south of the resort town.
Ng was on Fish Talk Radio with Philip Friedman Thursday night on AM 830 Radio and told of the harrowing ordeal. “We were thrown into a sea of fire. We were being burned by chemicals in the diesel fuel for hours after the ship sank,” he said.
Ng described 20-foot seas, having to dodge debris hurled at him by 20-foot seas, and eating Hershey kisses to stay alive. “Next to my wife, they were probably the best kisses I’ve ever had.”
Ng remains steadfast in his desire to locate the sunken vessel and locate his lost friends and comrades. “Secretary of Tourism for Baja California Norte, Juan Tintos Funcke told us that Mexican investigators would be sent up to interview us; but no one has come,” said Ng.
Secretary of Tourism Juan Tintos Funcke begs to differ. “The Mexican investigators interviewed the survivors in San Francisco. Mexican Navy divers went down 40-meters 2 weeks ago, but because of capacity could not go further down.”
Ng also claims the Mexican Navy is doing little to locate the sunken ship. Lieutenant Commander Thomas Foster from the 11th United States Coast Guard District confirms that the Mexican Navy told the USCG that there sonar capabilities do not extend beyond 60 meters (196 feet). “There is something that’s not right about that,” said Captain Larry Moore from Fish Talk Radio. “Most kayaks have sonars with a farther and deeper reach.”
Ng said there were only enough life jackets for the crew and that when the ship was going down in the Sea of Cortez, no life jackets were handed out by the crew. On the other hand, Ng says that every crew member had a ships life jacket.
“It’s important to repeat that there is an ongoing investigation being conducted by the Federal government and we await its results. Some of the survivors have reported that they did have life jackets,” said Tintos Funcke.
“I had my own life jacket,” said Ng. “I bought it at CVS Pharmacy and brought it with me.”
“As far as we know, a meteorological situation caused the storm, high waves and strong gusts, but we will know more when the investigation is concluded,” said Tintos Funcke.
Ng however claims that while the storm contributed to the tragedy, it was crew negligence that sank the Erik. “They left the hatches open and that’s why we sank.”
The families of the lost men have established a website at www.FindOurFathers.com.
To listen to the entire interview with Michael, please click on the link below.
Something else never mentioned..the trip was required and paid inadvace..$1000-$$1100 and not even at sea for 24 hours.. Not one single family has been sent or offered a Refund! Where Is the justice and accountability the captain and boating company should be held for? I lost my husband on that horrific day and what I'm suppose to take it like a grain of sand..I just don't understand why we never hear about the captain or crew of the Erik..God has a plan-right..I hope they suffer..lord forgive me but what goes around comes around.
Posted by: Lydia yee | 08/20/2011 at 12:29 AM
Lydia:
First, please accept my most sincere condolences for your tragic loss. I cannot begin to feel the depth of your pain as a living victim of the Erik's sinking.
Money issues aside, I believe that the captain and crew of the Erik have beaten themselves up to a degree no other human could have. From the information I've been able to obtain, the captain and crew were grossly derelict in their duties and their humanity in not warning those individuals below deck of the immediate danger they were in. That self-knowledge cannot sit well for any of them either as crewmen or as individuals. This was an on-going charter. The crew knew many of the fishermen on a personal level from previous trips.
I believe that the Baja Norte Secretary of Tourism, Juan Tintos Funcke, has not done his job. We were told early on that there was an "ongoing investigation". The Erik sank 7 weeks ago and I have not seen anything resembling a press release or update of the accident. This information vacuum is not acceptable.
It was noted that the Mexican Navy operating in the Sea of Cortez does not have the equipment to locate/recover the Erik; U.S. companies do and should be permitted do a recovery. Similarly, Pemex, a wholly-owned Mexican company, should have the resources and expertise to recover the ship. Three hundred feet of depth is significant but not impossible to work in.
You may gain some comfort in knowing that there are ongoing efforts to put pressure on Mexico. I personally wrote to the President of the United States and the Governor of California several weeks ago asking them to exert whatever influence they could to recover the bodies of the lost. Many fishermen in the Southern California effort continue to track the Erik tragedy, as well.
As co-host of Fish Talk Radio, along with Philip Friedman, rest assured we will continue to keep this story alive until the lost are recovered and buried.
Once again, my thoughts and prayers are with you as well as the rest of the families of the missing.
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