U.S. Coast Guard Searches for Missing Vessel Offshore Saipan

The U.S. Coast Guard continues to search for a missing cargo vessel that experienced engine failure on Wednesday near Saipan in the Western Pacific, part of the Mariana archipelago.  

The overturned vessel was sighted by the airplane crew about 34 nautical miles northeast of Pagan, approximately 100 nautical miles northeast of the last known position of the cargo vessel Mariana.

U.S. Coast Guard aircrews, a U.S. Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon crew, and a Japan Coast Guard aircrew are slated to fly in support of continued search efforts. The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Frederick Hatch (WPC 1143) and the crew of a Japan Coast Guard vessel equipped with a specialized dive team will also join the search.  

On Wednesday, Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu watchstanders received a report from the vessel manager of the Mariana, a 145-foot U.S.-registered dry cargo vessel, stating the vessel’s starboard engine was disabled with six people aboard approximately 140 miles north-northwest of Saipan.

Coast Guard watchstanders established a one-hour communication schedule with the Mariana via the vessel manager. There were no medical concerns at the time of the report.

Watchstanders lost communications with the vessel Wednesday evening and have not regained them. On Thursday morning, a Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point HC-130 Hercules airplane crew launched to search for the vessel but returned to Guam due to heavy winds in the search area.