Hagatna, Guam — The US Coast Guard said on Monday that a capsized ship found near the US territory of Saipan after being hit by a typhoon is the ship that went missing with six people on board.
The Coast Guard said it was still searching for the six. He said the upside down boat It was first spotted on Saturday. The wreckage included a partially submerged and partially inflated life raft. The Coast Guard said in a press release that it was seen 95 nautical miles (175 kilometers) northeast of the ship.
An HC-130 Hercules aircrew with the USAF’s 31st Rescue Squadron confirmed the vessel’s identity as Cargo ship Mariana The Coast Guard said Sunday evening. The plane deployed rescuers, divers and boats.
“If divers identify a viable access point, the team may use a remotely operated underwater drone to further investigate the vessel,” the statement said.
Coast Guard aviation crews continued to search for the six in the vicinity of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The guard and partner agencies from Guam, Japan and New Zealand have so far covered more than 75,000 square nautical miles (257,242 square kilometers), the statement said.
The cargo ship Mariana, a 145-foot (44 m) dry cargo ship registered in the United States, suffered an engine failure on Wednesday due to… Huge tornado It made landfall on Saipan and neighboring islands with strong winds and heavy rain.
After the crew reported that the boat had lost its starboard engine and needed assistance, the Coast Guard established a one-hour contact schedule with the vessel.
But the connection was cut off on Thursday. An HC-130 took off that morning to conduct a search, but returned to Guam due to high winds.
The last known location of the Marianas was about 140 miles (225 kilometers) northwest of Saipan, which is about 3,800 miles (6,115 kilometers) west of Hawaii.
Typhoon Sinlaku It caused flooding, ripped off roofs and overturned cars on Saipan. The sheer size of the storm meant the island endured nearly 48 hours of high winds, which delayed responders’ ability to assess damage and assist communities, officials said.