SAIPAN — The U.S. Coast Guard and multinational partners continued searching Friday for the five missing crew members of the cargo vessel Mariana, with search patterns now reaching 44 nautical miles northeast of Agrihan according to Coast Guard Update 5.
Search crews are also looking for an orange 12-person life raft believed to be associated with the vessel. As of Friday more than 71 hours of search time have been logged covering approximately 100,000 square nautical miles.
Assets involved include the USCGC Frederick Hatch and USCGC Oliver Henry, Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircraft from Air Station Barbers Point in Hawaii, U.S. Air Force 31st Rescue Squadron divers from Kadena Air Base, a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon from Patrol Squadron 26, Japan Coast Guard Gulfstream V aircraft and patrol vessel Akitsushima, and a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon.
U.S. Air Force divers recovered one deceased individual from the overturned vessel during dive operations Monday. A comprehensive subsurface evaluation of the Mariana’s exterior was conducted, and an underwater remotely operated drone was used to search the vessel’s interior.
Anyone with information should contact the Coast Guard on VHF-FM Channel 16 or call JRCC Honolulu at 1-800-331-6176.
