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COURTESY AIR STATION BARBERS POINT
A U.S. Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules airplane crew assigned to Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point flies over an overturned vessel offshore Saipan, April 18, 2026. The Coast Guard and partners are searching for a 145-foot missing vessel, the Mariana, that experienced an engine failure April 15, 2026.
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COURTESY U.S. COAST GUARD
The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a missing cargo vessel, the Mariana, near Saipan, April 17, 2026. The vessel, a 145-foot cargo vessel, experienced an engine failure April 15, 2026.
The Coast Guard has suspended its search for the missing crew members of the cargo vessel Mariana after days of searching for it after it capsized off of Saipan during Typhoon Sinlaku.
According to the Coast Guard, Typhoon Sinlaku passed over the 145-foot vessel’s last-known position shortly before the vessel’s manager reported it had experienced a disabled engine approximately 140 miles northwest of Saipan on April 15.
The National Weather Service reported that Sinlaku, which ravaged the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands, was the most powerful storm anywhere on earth so far this year. The six crew members aboard the U.S.-registerd dry cargo vessel at the time of the incident were Frederick L. Nosek Jr., Landon Delos Reyes, Jose L. Ramirez, Mohammed A. Rahaman, Chet R. Brochon, and Vincent B. Agulto.
Chief Petty Officer Corinne Zilnicki, a spokeswoman for the Honolulu-headquartered Coast Guard District Oceania, said that “the typhoon created severe weather conditions in the area; when the vessel manager and Coast Guard lost communications with the Mariana, it is estimated they were experiencing winds of 115 mph and 30-foot seas.”
The search for the missing ship began after Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu watchstanders lost communications with the Mariana on April 15. They quickly coordinated the launch of HC-130 Hercules airplane crews from Barbers Point on Oahu and the crews of fast response cutters USCGC Frederick Hatch and USCGC Oliver Henry docked in Guam to search for the missing ship and crew members.
On April 18, one of the Barbers Point-based crews found the Mariana capsized. The search for the missing mariners pulled in vessels and aircraft from the U.S. Coast Guard, Navy and Air Force along with the Japan Coast Guard and Royal New Zealand Air Force.
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In a media release on Wednesday, the Coast Guard said all parties searched for more than 100 hours, covering over 135,000 square nautical miles, an area larger than the size of California.
They found the body of one of the crew members on April 21 when U.S. Air Force divers used an underwater drone to search inside the Mariana. Japanese divers further examined the ship, called the Mariana, but didn’t find the other five. During search, responders also found debris, including a partially submerged inflatable life raft, about 110 miles northeast of the overturned vessel.
“We are deeply saddened to announce that despite widespread efforts, we have made the difficult decision to suspend our active search for the missing crew members,” said Cmdr. Preston Hieb, the Honolulu-based search and rescue mission coordinator for the Oceania District. “We offer our deepest condolences to the families of the Mariana crew, as well as the entire Saipan community affected by this tragedy. We are grateful for the efforts of our international and U.S. military partners during the search, as well as the resilience and support demonstrated by the CNMI community.”
The U.S. Coast Guard is now leading the investigation into the incident with assistance from the National Transportation Safety Board.
Relief efforts after the powerful storm remain ongoing in CNMI, particularly on the islands of Saipan and Tinian. The islands endured roughly 48 hours of fierce winds, which delayed responders’ ability to assess damage and help communities in the remote island according to officials.
Sinlaku brought massive floods, flipped cars and tore roofs off homes across Saipan. After it passed, federal authorities and volunteers from relief organization in Hawaii have been on the ground working to clear debris and assess the damage.
According to the CNMI’s territorial government as of Wednesday, Saipan has 15,624 customers without power, including 11,769 residential customers, a total of 662 power poles are confirmed down, and has a boil water notice with 44% of the water system restored.
Tinian’s electrical grid remains 100% offline but the water is 98% operational with a boil water warning.
