Searchers find body of 1 of 6 missing crew members after super typhoon overturns ship
The crew of the Mariana notified the US Coast Guard on April 15 that the vessel lost its starboard engine during Super Typhoon Sinlaku
US Air Force divers “used an underwater remotely operated drone to search the interior of the vessel” and recovered the body on Tuesday, the US Coast Guard said in a news release.
Additional divers from the Japan Coast Guard further examined the ship. They did not find any additional crew members, the US Coast Guard said.
“Coastguard aircrews continue to search for the five missing crewmen and an orange 12-person life raft in the vicinity of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,” the news release said.
The crew of the ship, called the Mariana, notified the US Coast Guard on April 15 that the 145-foot (44m) US-registered vessel lost its starboard engine during Super Typhoon Sinlaku and needed help. The guard said it lost contact with the ship the next day.
“Our hearts are with the families of the Mariana crew members and the communities impacted by this tragic incident,” Commander Preston Hieb, search and rescue mission coordinator, coastguard Oceania District, said in a statement. “We continue to search in close coordination with our partners, using all available resources to support the ongoing response.”