A 145' cargo vessel with six people aboard has gone missing north of Saipan in the Western Pacific after suffering mechanical failure and then losing contact with the U.S. Coast Guard, officials said Friday.
The U.S.-registered Mariana, described by the Coast Guard as a "dry cargo vessel," was reported to be approximately 140 miles north-northwest of Saipan on Wednesday after its starboard engine failed.
The vessel's manager notified Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu, which established hourly radio contact with the ship. No medical emergencies were reported at the time.
Contact with the Mariana was lost Wednesday evening and has not been reestablished, the Coast Guard said.
A Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircraft launched from Air Station Barbers Point on Thursday to search for the vessel but was forced to turn back to Guam due to heavy winds in the search area brought on by Super Typhoon Sinlaku.
A follow-up aerial search is scheduled for first light Saturday morning, Guam Standard Time. The Mariana's last known position remains approximately 140 miles north of Saipan.
Sinlaku was a rare, exceptionally early-season Category 5 storm that struck the Northern Mariana Islands on Wednesday, battering Saipan and Tinian with sustained winds of around 175 mph, knocking out power and causing widespread damage.
