Coast Guard Searches for Missing Engineer

The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Puerto Rico is searching for the chief engineer of the general cargo ship Berkay N. He was reported missing on Thursday and is presumed to have fallen over the side.

The chief, identified as Chilean citizen Luis Leyva Aliaga, was last seen at 2300 hours Wednesday and did not report for his watch at 0400 hours the next morning. The USCG dispatched a cutter, a C-130 search aircraft, and two helicopters for a search beginning 0520 Thursday. Their efforts are focused on an area 45 nm north of Puerto Rico between San Juan and Aguadilla.

The 2500 gt Berkay N (exname Ocean Success) is a yard-and-stay geared general cargo ship, flagged in the Cook Islands and owned by Ranmarine of Turkey. At the time of the accident she was en route from Gibraltar to Cuba.

The search was ongoing as of 1100 hours Friday. USCG Sector Puerto Rico reported that they do not have information at this time on the cause of the accident, nor can they comment on any investigation into the circumstances of the Mr. Aliaga's disappearance.