El Faro second mate texted storm warning to captain

Before the freighter El Faro sank, the captain was warned by a text message from his vacationing second mate that a storm looming offshore was forecast to become a hurricane, according to testimony Thursday.

[...] Mate Charles Baird testified before a U.S. Coast Guard panel in Jacksonville investigating the ship's sinking last October.

No company alert was sent out for Joaquin, and officials with the company that owns the ships, Tote Services Inc., have said they don't routinely send out warnings.

The captain of El Faro's sister ship the El Yunque said he felt a pull and desire' to help the rescue efforts after the freighter went missing.

"Was there ever any instance where did you not sail from port because of adverse, bad weather," asked Capt. Michael Kucharski, a National Transportation Safety Board marine accident investigator participating in the panel.