Authorities have recovered the body of one of the six missing crew members after the cargo ship Mariana capsized during bad weather near the Northern Mariana Islands.
The US Coast Guard said US Air Force divers used an underwater remote-controlled drone to search the interior of the vessel and found the body on Tuesday (April 21). Divers from the Japanese Coast Guard conducted further checks but found no other crew members.
Search teams continue to search for the remaining five missing crew and the 12-person orange lifeboat, covering more than 99,000 square miles, with support from agencies in Guam, Japan and New Zealand.
What happened
The 145-foot US-registered vessel reported a starboard engine failure on April 15 as Super Typhoon Sinlaku intensified, prompting a Coast Guard distress call. Contact with the ship was lost the following day.
The overturned vessel was later located about 40 miles northeast of Pagan Island. Debris, including a partially submerged inflatable lifeboat, was spotted about 110 miles away.
Effect of weather
Super typhoon Sinlaku brought damaging winds and flooding to the Northern Mariana Islands, significantly slowing early rescue efforts and delaying response operations.
“Our hearts go out to the families of the Mariana crew,” said Cmdr. Preston Hieb, saying that search efforts are continuing in close coordination with international partners.
