Searchers Recover Body of One Missing Crew From U.S. Cargo Ship Mariana After Super Typhoon Sinlaku

Searchers recovered the body of one of six missing crew members from the U.S.-flagged cargo ship Mariana after Super Typhoon Sinlaku overturned the vessel near the Northern Mariana Islands, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

“Search is on for 6 from a ship that overturned near the Northern Marianas during a typhoon Search is on for 6 from a ship that overturned near the Northern Marianas during a typhoon HAGATNA, Guam (AP) — Searchers from several countries scoured the Pacific near the Northern Mariana Islands on Monday for six crew members from a cargo ship that overturned during a typhoon that tore through the U”

AP News

The crew of the Mariana notified the Coast Guard on April 15 that the ship lost its starboard engine during Super Typhoon Sinlaku and needed help, and the Coast Guard said it lost contact with the ship the next day.

AP News

The Coast Guard said U.S. Air Force divers “used an underwater remotely operated drone to search the interior of the vessel” and recovered the body on Tuesday.

Additional divers from the Japan Coast Guard further examined the ship, and the Coast Guard said they did not find any additional crew members.

The Coast Guard said aircrews continued to search for the five missing crewmen and for “an orange 12-person life raft in the vicinity of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.”

USA Today reported the body was recovered during dive operations just after 5 p.m. local time on April 20, and it said the ship is a 145-foot dry cargo vessel registered in the U.S.

The Los Angeles Times said search teams had covered more than 99,000 square miles—“roughly the size of Oregon”—as they searched for the five missing crew and the inflatable life raft.

Multiple reports trace the incident to an engine failure during Super Typhoon Sinlaku and a rapid loss of communications.

The U.S. Coast Guard reported that on April 15 the Mariana notified it that the vessel “lost its starboard engine during Super Typhoon Sinlaku and needed help,” and it said the Coast Guard “lost contact with the ship the next day.”

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USA Today said the Coast Guard received the report on April 15 that the ship had experienced engine failure about 140 miles north-northwest of the North Mariana Islands, and it said the vessel was in contact with the Coast Guard but lost communication later that day.

People reported that the vessel got caught in Typhoon Sinlaku after experiencing engine failure amid the storm, and it said the Coast Guard initially received a report on Wednesday, April 15 that the ship had experienced engine failure approximately 140 miles north-northwest of the North Mariana Islands.

AP News said the Mariana’s last known position was about 140 miles north-northwest of Saipan, which AP described as the capital of the Northern Marianas and “about 3,800 miles (6,115 kilometers) west of Hawaii.”

The search then expanded as weather delayed early efforts, with People describing that an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew launched a search on Thursday, April 16 but “returned to Guam due to heavy winds in the search area.”

The Los Angeles Times added that heavy wind hindered initial search efforts, but it said the overturned ship was eventually spotted Saturday about 40 miles northeast of Pagan.

The search operation relied on underwater technology and coordination among multiple agencies, with the Coast Guard describing how divers would use remotely operated drones if they found access.

The Coast Guard said U.S. Air Force divers used an underwater remotely operated drone to search the interior of the vessel and recovered the body on Tuesday, and it said divers from the Japan Coast Guard further examined the ship.

AP News described the Coast Guard’s plan in more conditional terms, saying “If divers locate a viable access point, the team may employ an underwater remotely operated drone to further investigate the vessel.”

The Los Angeles Times reported that the Coast Guard and partnering agencies from Guam, Japan and New Zealand searched more than 99,000 square miles, and it said the area was “roughly the size of Oregon.”

USA Today said air crews on April 22 continued to search for the missing crew members and for a missing orange 12-person life raft, and it said anyone with information should contact the Coast Guard on VHF-FM channel 16 or call the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu at 1-800-331-6176.

In the Coast Guard’s statement, Cmdr. Preston Hieb, search and rescue mission coordinator for the Coast Guard Oceania District, said, “Our hearts are with the families of the Mariana crew members and the communities impacted by this tragic incident,” and he added, “We continue to search in close coordination with our partners, using all available resources to support the ongoing response.”

The search also tracked a specific object: the Coast Guard said debris including “an orange 12-person life raft” was part of the ongoing search area, and it said debris including a partially submerged inflatable life raft was spotted about 110 miles (177 kilometers) from the overturned vessel.

The typhoon’s force shaped both the incident and the broader response in the Northern Mariana Islands, where officials described damage and delayed assessments.

The Los Angeles Times said the National Weather Service reported Super Typhoon Sinlaku was packing sustained winds of up to 150 mph when it made landfall on the Northern Mariana Islands, and it described the cyclone as “the strongest tropical cyclone this year.”

Los Angeles Times

The same outlet said Sinlaku battered the Northern Mariana Islands, causing wind damage and flooding, and it reported that island ports reopened to commercial traffic this week.

AP News said Typhoon Sinlaku triggered floods, tore off roofs and overturned cars on Saipan, and it said the islands endured roughly 48 hours of fierce winds that delayed responders’ ability to assess damage and help communities.

AP also reported that the Northern Marianas’ government on Sunday requested an expedited major disaster declaration, and it said that if approved it would include assistance for survivors and public infrastructure as well as hazard mitigation funding, citing FEMA.

AP further described how running water was being restored in some villages thanks to generators from FEMA, with Ed Propst, a former lawmaker who works in the governor’s office, saying Tuesday that “tap water isn’t potable.”

AP added that flooding exacerbated the mosquito problem, with Propst saying, “It’s pretty bad at night.”

As the search moved from initial discovery to continued underwater and surface efforts, the Coast Guard’s focus remained on locating the remaining five missing crew members and the orange 12-person life raft.

“Searchers find the body of 1 of 6 missing crew from a ship that overturned during a typhoon - Click here to listen to this article - - Authorities discovered the body of one of six crew members missing from the cargo ship Mariana, which capsized during Super Typhoon Sinlaku near the Northern Mariana Islands, as search efforts continue”

Los Angeles Times

The Coast Guard said aircrews continued to search for the five missing crewmen and for “an orange 12-person life raft in the vicinity of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,” and it said the body recovery did not end the operation.

New York Post

USA Today reported that crews continued to search for 5 missing crew members and for the missing orange 12-person life raft, and it described the Coast Guard’s April 22 search as ongoing.

The Los Angeles Times said search teams were hoping the missing crew might have made it to a life raft, and it described the search area as spanning more than 99,000 square miles.

AP News said the overturned ship was confirmed to be the Mariana, and it reported that divers were conducting “a comprehensive subsurface evaluation of the Mariana's exterior.”

People reported that divers were conducting that comprehensive evaluation and that agencies from Guam, Japan and New Zealand were assisting.

Across outlets, Cmdr. Preston Hieb’s statement underscored continuity of the response, with the Coast Guard saying, “We continue to search in close coordination with our partners, using all available resources to support the ongoing response.”