Search Underway After U.S. Cargo Vessel Missing in Pacific

The U.S. Coast Guard has reported that a US-flagged general cargo ship, Mariana, went missing in the western Pacific after being caught in severe weather caused by Typhoon Sinlaku on Wednesday, 15 April. All six crew members on board are currently unaccounted for.

The 47.55-meter vessel is believed to have lost propulsion after a failure in its starboard engine while sailing around 140 nautical miles north-northwest of Saipan. Contact with the ship was lost later that same evening. The following day, a search aircraft, an HC-130 Hercules, was deployed but had to return to Guam due to strong winds in the area.

Search operations resumed at first light on Saturday. During the mission, an HC-130 aircraft identified an overturned hull approximately 34 nautical miles northeast of Pagan. Officials later confirmed that the capsized vessel was Mariana.

The search and rescue operation has since expanded into a multinational effort. Resources now include U.S. Navy aviation support, aircraft from the Japan Coast Guard, and surface vessels such as the USCGC Frederick Hatch. A Japanese vessel equipped with a dive team has also joined the response.

Meanwhile, ports in Saipan, Tinian, and Rota remain closed due to the severe weather conditions. Guam continues to operate under restrictions, and vessels in the surrounding region have been advised to proceed with extreme caution.