Search Continues For 6 Missing Crew After Cargo Ship Mariana Overturns Near Saipan

Six crew members are missing after the U.S.-registered cargo ship Mariana was found overturned near Saipan following Super Typhoon Sinlaku. The 145-foot dry cargo ship reported a starboard engine failure Wednesday about 140 miles northwest of Saipan. Crew members contacted the U.S. Coast Guard on April 15 and communications were lost the afternoon of April 16.

Coast Guard aircrews located the capsized hull about 34 miles northeast of Pagan Island and roughly 100 miles from the ship's last reported position. An HC-130 Hercules crew from the U.S. Air Force 31st Rescue Squadron positively identified the Mariana Sunday night after an earlier search was grounded by the storm's heavy winds. U.S. Navy P-8A aircraft, Japan Coast Guard aircrews, and partners from Guam and New Zealand joined the effort as conditions improved. The search area has exceeded 75,000 square nautical miles and crews are deploying pararescuemen, divers and boats while preparing underwater evaluations and possible remotely operated vehicle inspections. Debris included a partially submerged, partly inflated life raft found about 95 nautical miles northeast of the overturned hull. The nationalities of the six crew members have not been released.

Early reports described a disabled vessel and lost contact after the typhoon; later reporting confirmed the overturned Mariana and refined its location and timeline. ABC and PBS were among the outlets that first identified the vessel and timeline, while The New York Times and NPR helped confirm the capsized hull and the broader search by allied air and sea assets. Details and updates spread across traditional outlets and social platforms, where broadcasters including CBS posted maps and situation updates that amplified public attention.