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In a recent development off the coast of Saipan, an airplane search team has discovered an overturned vessel that could potentially be the cargo ship lost with six crew members on board. The Coast Guard reported on Saturday that while the ship’s description matches that of the missing vessel, official confirmation has yet to be made.
The discovery was made by an HC-130 Hercules crew early in the day. The overturned ship was located approximately 100 nautical miles (185 kilometers) northeast of where the Mariana, the missing ship, was last known to be. This location is about 34 nautical miles (63 kilometers) northeast of the small island of Pagan, situated north of Saipan in the western Pacific Ocean.
According to the Coast Guard, the structure of the overturned vessel aligns with the description of the Mariana—a 145-foot (44-meter) dry cargo ship registered in the United States.
The situation began Wednesday when the Mariana encountered engine failure amid the approach of a powerful typhoon that lashed Saipan and surrounding islands with intense winds and heavy rain. The crew had reported the loss of the starboard engine and requested assistance, prompting the Coast Guard to initiate a one-hour communication schedule with the vessel.
Unfortunately, contact with the ship was lost by Thursday. An HC-130 aircraft was dispatched that morning to search for the vessel, but it was forced to return to Guam due to adverse weather conditions.
The Mariana’s last known position was about 140 miles (225 kilometers) north-northwest of Saipan, which is about 3,800 miles (6,115 kilometers) west of Hawaii.
Coast Guard officials in Honolulu were gathering information on the capsized ship, the agency said in a statement.
The guard did not know the nationalities of the Mariana’s missing crew members.
A U.S. Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon crew; a Coast Guard cutter; and a Japanese coast guard aircrew and vessel equipped with a specialized dive team were to take part in the search.
Typhoon Sinlaku triggered floods, tore off roofs and overturned cars on Saipan. Officials said the storm’s large size meant that the island endured roughly 48 hours of fierce winds, which delayed responders’ ability to assess damage and help communities.