SAIPAN — The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for five missing crew members of the cargo vessel Mariana following more than 100 hours of searching that covered over 135,000 square nautical miles across the Pacific, Cmdr. Preston Hieb, a search and rescue mission coordinator at Coast Guard Oceania District, announced Tuesday.
One crew member was recovered deceased. Five remain missing and are presumed lost at sea.
“We offer our heartfelt condolences to the families of the Mariana crew as well as the entire Saipan community,” Hieb said.
The sequence of events began April 15, when Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu received a report from the vessel’s manager that the Mariana had lost its starboard engine with six people aboard. Coast Guard watchstanders established a one-hour communication schedule with the vessel but lost contact that same evening. A C-130 Hercules from Coast Guard Air Station Barber’s Point and the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Frederick Hatch were dispatched to search. Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Henry later joined the operation.
On the morning of April 17, a Coast Guard aircraft spotted an overturned vessel approximately 34 nautical miles northeast of Pagan. On April 19, the U.S. Air Force’s 31st Rescue Squadron arrived on scene, deploying pararescuemen, divers and boats. The vessel was confirmed to be the Mariana. On April 20, divers recovered one deceased individual from the overturned hull.
Search efforts spanned aerial searches of the Northern Mariana Islands for any signs of survivors on land. Partners in the operation included the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, Japan Coast Guard and the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
“The decision to suspend a search is an incredibly difficult one that is only made after very careful consideration of all available information,” Hieb said. “From working and communicating with the families, I know how devastated they are by this outcome. I have also witnessed the incredible resilience and compassion of the entire Saipan community.”
