HAGATNA, Guam — A U.S. Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules crew spotted an overturned vessel early Saturday that matched the description of the Mariana, a 145-foot (44-meter) U.S.-registered dry cargo ship that went missing with six people aboard near Saipan.
The crew saw the capsized vessel about 100 nautical miles (185 kilometers) northeast of the Mariana’s last known position and roughly 34 nautical miles (63 kilometers) northeast of Pagan, a small island north of Saipan. Coast Guard officials said the sighting matched the Mariana’s description, but they had not yet confirmed the identity.
The Mariana reported an engine failure Wednesday as Typhoon Sinlaku approached Saipan and nearby islands, with the crew saying the ship had lost its starboard engine and needed assistance. The Coast Guard established a one-hour communication schedule with the vessel, but contact was lost Thursday. An HC-130 launched Thursday morning returned to Guam because of heavy winds.
The Mariana’s last known position was about 140 miles (225 kilometers) north-northwest of Saipan. Coast Guard officials in Honolulu were gathering information on the overturned ship, and the nationalities of the missing crew members were not known.
Search efforts include a U.S. Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon crew, a Coast Guard cutter, and Japanese coast guard air and surface units equipped with a specialized dive team. Typhoon Sinlaku battered the Northern Mariana Islands, triggering floods, tearing off roofs and overturning cars; its large size subjected islands like Saipan to roughly 48 hours of fierce winds, delaying responders’ damage assessments and assistance.