HONOLULU — The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed Saturday that an overturned vessel sighted northeast of Pagan during a first-light search matches the description of the Mariana, a 145-foot cargo vessel that lost engine power near Saipan Wednesday with six people aboard.
Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu watchstanders confirmed the match after reviewing the sighting by a Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point HC-130 Hercules airplane crew. The overturned vessel was located approximately 34 nautical miles northeast of Pagan — roughly 100 nautical miles northeast of the Mariana’s last known position.
The six crew members remain unaccounted for. The Coast Guard said it does not know their nationalities. There were no medical concerns reported at the time initial contact was made Wednesday.
The vessel’s starboard engine failed Wednesday approximately 140 miles north-northwest of Saipan, according to a report from the vessel’s manager to JRCC Honolulu. Coast Guard watchstanders established a one-hour communication schedule with the Mariana through the vessel manager, but contact was lost Wednesday evening and has not been reestablished. A Coast Guard HC-130 launched Thursday morning to search but was forced to return to Guam due to heavy winds.
The search now includes U.S. Coast Guard aircrews, a U.S. Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon crew, a Japan Coast Guard aircrew, the crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Frederick Hatch and a Japan Coast Guard vessel carrying a specialized dive team.
Anyone with information that may assist in the search should contact the Coast Guard on VHF-FM channel 16 or call JRCC Honolulu at 1-800-331-6176.
