An overturned ship found near the U.S. territory of Saipan after a typhoon hit is the vessel that went missing with six people on board, the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed Monday.
The Coast Guard said it was still searching for the six. It said the overturned boat was first spotted Saturday.
An HC-130 Hercules airplane crew with the U.S. Air Force 31st Rescue Squadron on Sunday night confirmed the identity of the vessel as the Mariana, a 145-foot U.S.-registered dry cargo vessel, the Coast Guard said in a news release.
So far, Coast Guard crews and partners involved in the search have covered over 75,000 square nautical miles, officials said Monday.
U.S. Coast Guard photo Courtesy Air Station Barbers Point
The Coast Guard said it initially deployed pararescuemen, divers and boats in the area and are conducting an underwater 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.
Officials previously said watchstanders lost communications with the ship Wednesday evening and have not regained them. On Thursday morning, an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew launched an initial search for the vessel but returned to Guam due to heavy winds in the search area.
Last week, Typhoon Sinlaku — the strongest tropical cyclone on Earth this year — relentlessly hammered the region with extremely powerful winds and heavy rain,
The typhoon had sustained winds of up to 150 mph, equating to a strong Category 4, when it hit the islands of Tinian and Saipan of the Northern Mariana Islands, according to the National Weather Service. Its maximum wind speeds wavered somewhat after landfall and have since dropped to 125 mph, as the storm tracks north.