ANA CECILIA
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Freighter sunk as artificial reef
The "Ana Cecilia" has been sunk about a mile off the coast of Singer Island in Palm Beach County as an artificial reef, diving attraction and underwater memorial on July 13, 2016. A crew unplugged eight portholes about 11:30 a.m. It took about 15 minutes for the "Ana Cecilia" to sink to the bottom 85 feet below. When it disappeared stern first, cheers erupted from dozens of boaters who circled to watch it sink. Reports with photos and videos: http://www.palmbeachermagazine.com/noteworthy/watch-ana-cecilia-ship-sinking-riviera-beach-and-go-underwater-tour-new-artificial-reef http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-palm-ana-cecilia-sinking-20160713-story.html http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/local/county-makes-former-drug-ship-part-of-artificial-r/nrxjN/ http://www.wpbf.com/news/gallery-can-a-cargo-ship-function-as-an-articifical-reef/40692978 http://www.wpbf.com/news/sunken-ship-serving-as-memorial/40694382
Date for sinking fixed
The "Ana Cecilia" will become an underwater memorial to boaters who were lost at sea. Palm Beach County plans to sink the cargo ship on July 13. The ship will become part of an artificial reef a few miles off the coast near Singer Island. The county is affixing bronze plaques to the ship's wheelhouse, and the boat's sunken remains will serve as an attraction for divers. One set of plaques will honor Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen, both 14. The Tequesta teens never returned from a fishing trip on July 24, 2016. The other plaque will honor Palm Beach County sheriff's corrections officer Fernandes Jones, his 9-year-old son Jaden Jones and Fernandes' stepfather Willis Bell. The three boaters, who lived in Port St. Lucie, perished when their boat took on water during a fishing trip in April near Stuart. A fourth person on the boat who survived, Robert Stewart, said he hung onto the boy as long as he could but couldn't save him. U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized the "Ana Cecilia" during a drug investigation in September 2015. Investigators found cocaine with a street value of more than $10 million hidden inside the ship. The "Ana Cecilia" also made international headlines when it embarked upon the first humanitarian voyage from Miami to Havana in more than 50 years in 2012. The ship is actually being cleaned in Miami. The county plans to film it being scuttled. Beachgoers should be able to view the sinking of the ship from Ocean Reef Park. Weather could affect when the ship is sunk.
Seized ship offered for sinking
The "Ana Cecilia" that made a landmark humanitarian voyage from Miami to Cuba could be sunk off the coast of Palm Beach County. U.S. Customs and Border Protection were offering to donate the ship to the county's artificial reef program. It made the first delivery of humanitarian goods from Miami to Havana in 50 years in 2012, but it was seized during a cocaine smuggling investigation three years later. This would be the first ship Palm Beach County has scuttled since 2013.
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