SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands (AP) — Search efforts continue after authorities recovered the body of one of six crew members missing from a cargo ship that capsized near the Northern Mariana Islands amid a typhoon. Hopes remain high that the others may have reached a life raft.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported that U.S. Air Force divers utilized an underwater drone on Tuesday to explore the interior of the overturned vessel. Japanese coast guard divers also examined the ship, named the Mariana, but did not uncover any signs of the remaining five crew members.
“Coast Guard aircrews are actively searching for the five missing crew members and an orange 12-person life raft in the area surrounding the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,” stated the news release.
According to the National Weather Service, Super Typhoon Sinlaku, the most powerful tropical cyclone of the year, hit the Northern Mariana Islands with sustained winds reaching 150 mph (241 kph). The islands, along with Guam to the south, are part of U.S. territory.
The U.S. Coast Guard, in collaboration with agencies from Guam, Japan, and New Zealand, has searched over 99,000 square miles (256,000 square kilometers) in their efforts to locate the crew. This search area is comparable to the size of the state of Oregon.
The cargo ship had contacted the U.S. Coast Guard on April 15, reporting that it had lost its starboard engine amid the typhoon and required assistance. Communication with the vessel was lost the following day.
“Our hearts are with the families of the Mariana crew members and the communities impacted by this tragic incident,” Cmdr. Preston Hieb, the search and rescue mission coordinator for the Coast Guard Oceania District, said in the statement.
Heavy wind hindered initial search efforts, but the overturned ship was eventually spotted Saturday about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northeast of Pagan, one of the Northern Mariana Islands.
The U.S. Coast Guard said Monday that debris, including a partially submerged inflatable life raft, was spotted about 110 miles (177 kilometers) from the ship.
While specific safety requirements for the 145-foot (44-meter) ship were not known, federal and international codes call for cargo ships to have life rafts stocked with food and water.
The rafts have to be able to withstand exposure for 30 days, according to a code put out by the International Maritime Organization.
Sinlaku battered the Northern Mariana Islands, causing wind damage and flooding. Island ports reopened to commercial traffic this week, and the Coast Guard delivered pallets of water and supplies to areas that had been cut off.
