USCG Confirms Finding Capsized US Cargo Ship but No Sign of Crew
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed in a statement on Monday, April 20, that it has identified the overturned vessel found in the Northern Mariana Islands as a missing U.S. cargo ship. The search is ongoing, having located additional debris, but so far, no sign has been reported of the six missing crewmembers.
The Mariana, a 145-foot U.S.-flagged offshore supply vessel used to move cargo between Guam, Tinian, and Saipan, lost contact with the U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday evening, April 15, as a typhoon approached the region. The vessel had earlier reported its starboard engine was disabled while it was approximately 125 to 140 miles north-northwest of Saipan.
Typhoon Sinlaku lashed the region for about 48 hours with sustained winds of 125 to 150 mph. There were widespread reports of flooding and damage on Saipan.
Mariana with a crew of six, lost contact last Wednesday (USCG photo)
The Coast Guard had attempted on Thursday to send a search plane into the region where the Mariana was last reported. However, they reported that heavy wind had prevented an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from reaching the search area. Crews, however, spotted an overturned vessel on Saturday in a position about 34 nautical miles northeast of Pagan, an island in the central region of the Northern Mariana Islands. The capsized vessel was approximately 100 nautical miles from the last known location of the Mariana.
The U.S. Coast Guard, working with the Japan Coast Guard, reached the site and deployed pararescuemen and divers from the USCG cutter Frederick Hatch and the Japanese vessel. The teams confirmed the identity of the vessel and did an exterior survey. The USCG reports the teams may deploy an underwater remotely operated drone to further investigate the vessel.
Late on Saturday, search teams also located a partially submerged and partially inflated life raft. It was in a position approximately 95 nautical miles northeast of the overturned vessel.
that matters most
Get the latest maritime news delivered to your inbox daily.
The overturned vessel has continued to drift. As of the latest report, it has moved approximately 26 nautical miles to the northeast from where it was first spotted.
The Coast Guard reports that over 75,000 square nautical miles have been searched. It, along with partners, is continuing the search for the missing crewmembers.