Coast Guard Searches For US Ship’s Missing Crew After Devastating Storm

The U.S. Coast Guard searched Sunday for the missing crew of the cargo vessel Mariana, the agency said in a press release.

A Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point HC-130 Hercules airplane crew spotted debris, including a partially inflated life raft, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 95 nautical miles northeast of an overturned vessel, according to the same release. The vessel had drifted 26 nautical miles northeast from where it was first located, which was approximately 34 miles northeast of Pagan. (RELATED: Watch US Marines Rappel Onto Iranian Blockade Runner)

The airplane crew and the U.S. Air Force 31st Rescue Squadron arrived on scene at 6:40 p.m. Sunday and confirmed the vessel was the Mariana. As of early Monday morning, Coast Guard air crews are continuing to search for the vessel’s missing crew members in the vicinity of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu watchstanders received a report from the vessel’s manager at 10:37 a.m. Wednesday indicating the vessel’s starboard engine had been disabled, and six people were aboard the vessel. The vessel was near Saipan at the time of the incident. Watchstanders established communications with the vessel, but later lost them.

The HC-130 Hercules crew saw the vessel early in the day about 100 nautical miles northeast of the Mariana’s last known position. https://t.co/OCnY2E6MhK

— HuffPost Politics (@HuffPostPol) April 18, 2026

An initial search for the vessel was launched Thursday, with an airplane crew spotting an overturned vessel matching the description of the Mariana at 1:12 p.m. Friday.

“The divers are conducting a comprehensive subsurface evaluation of the Mariana’s exterior. If divers locate a viable access point, the team may employ an underwater remotely operated drone to further investigate the vessel,” the Coast Guard said after confirming the identity of the vessel Sunday.

The Coast Guard is also partnering with agencies from Guam, Japan, and New Zealand to complete the search for the 145-foot dry cargo vessel, according to CBS News. The guard paused the initial search and returned to Guam due to heavy winds, according to the same press release. The winds were the result of Typhoon Sinlaku, CBS News reported.

Saipan is about 3,800 miles west of Hawaii.