Coast Guard Finds Overturned Cargo Ship As Six Remain Missing Near Guam
The U.S. Coast Guard found an overturned cargo ship near Guam while six crew members remained missing.
Aircrews located the 145-foot U.S.-registered dry cargo vessel Mariana overturned about 34 miles northeast of Pagan Island. The overturned ship was roughly 100 miles from its last reported position, and six people who had been aboard were still unaccounted for.
The Mariana had reported losing its starboard engine and contacted the Coast Guard on April 15, with communications lost the afternoon of April 16. Super Typhoon Sinlaku had battered nearby islands, grounding search aircraft in strong winds and poor visibility before conditions eased by Saturday morning. An HC-130 Hercules aircraft was launched but returned to Guam due to heavy winds, and searches resumed at first light with a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon and a Japan Coast Guard aircrew joining Coast Guard crews. FEMA Region 9 was ramping up its response as shelter-in-place orders lifted after flash flooding and damage on Tinian, Saipan, and Guam.
Early reports noted only that the Coast Guard had lost contact with a disabled vessel, while later reporting identified the ship, gave a clearer timeline, and located the overturned hull. ABC News named the vessel Mariana and reported the crew contacted the Coast Guard on April 15, with communications lost the next afternoon. The New York Times located the overturned ship about 34 miles northeast of Pagan Island and noted U.S. Navy and Japan Coast Guard aircrews joining the search. PBS's initial coverage offered few additional details.
đ Key Facts
- The vessel is the 145-foot U.S.-registered dry cargo ship Mariana, which reportedly lost its starboard engine.
- The crew reported the engine failure and contacted the U.S. Coast Guard on April 15 while about 140 miles northwest of Saipan; communications were lost the following day.
- Six people remain missing after Coast Guard aircrews located the Mariana overturned about 34 miles northeast of Pagan Island, roughly 100 miles from its last reported position.
- Search operations were disrupted by Super Typhoon Sinlaku: a Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules launched but had to return to Guam because of heavy winds and poor visibility, searches were set to resume at first light, and conditions improved by Saturday morning.
- Additional search assets joined the effort, including a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon crew and a Japan Coast Guard aircrew working alongside U.S. Coast Guard aircrews.
- Super Typhoon Sinlaku also caused damage on Tinian and Saipan and flash flooding in Guam; FEMA Region 9 is ramping up its response as shelter-in-place orders lift.
đ° Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Coast Guard aircrews located the 145-foot U.S.-registered dry cargo vessel Mariana overturned about 34 miles northeast of Pagan Island, roughly 100 miles from its last reported position.
- Search conditions improved by Saturday morning after Super Typhoon Sinlaku had previously grounded aircraft due to strong winds and poor visibility.
- A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon crew and a Japan Coast Guard aircrew are joining U.S. Coast Guard aircrews in continued search efforts.
- The article clarifies the ship first reported engine failure Wednesday about 140 miles northwest of Saipan, with contact lost later that evening.
- Identifies the vessel as the 145-foot dry cargo ship 'Mariana' and notes it lost its starboard engine.
- Specifies that the crew contacted the Coast Guard on April 15 and that communications were lost the afternoon of April 16.
- Reports that an HC-130 Hercules aircraft was launched but had to return to Guam due to heavy winds, with searches to resume at first light.
- Notes Super Typhoon Sinlaku caused damage on Tinian and Saipan and flash flooding in Guam, and that FEMA Region 9 is ramping up its response as shelter-in-place orders lift.