Coast Guard, partners search for missing mariners off Midway Island

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard 14th District Hawaii and the Pacific Contact: 14th District Public Affairs Office: (808) 535-3230 After Hours: HawaiiPacific@uscg.mil 14th District online newsroom

Coast Guard, partners search for missing mariners off Midway Island

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HONOLULU — Coast Guard, Navy, and good Samaritans are searching for a life raft from an adrift 95’ Taiwanese fishing vessel approximately 550-miles northeast of Midway Island, Tuesday.

Multiple Coast Guard aircrews with assistance from the Navy aircrews and Taiwanese vessels are searching for 10 crew members possibly aboard a life raft after the vessel was found adrift Jan. 1. 

At 9:38 p.m., Dec. 31, Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu watchstanders received a report from Rescue Coordination Center Taipei stating they had lost contact with the Taiwanese fishing vessel Yong-Yu-Sing No. 18. 

After multiple failed attempts to contact the vessel via satellite phone, JRCC Honolulu watchstanders issued a SafetyNet broadcast, contacted commercial vessels in the area, and launched an Air Station Barbers Point HC-130 Hercules aircrew to conduct a search for the Yong-Yu-Sing No. 18.

Upon arriving in the area the Hercules aircrew located the vessel and attempted to contact the crew over the radio with no response. Poor weather conditions prevented the aircrew from observing any crew members aboard and due to low fuel the Hercules aircrew returned to base after taking imagery of the vessel.

Upon analysis of the imagery it was discovered there was damage to the ship and one of the vessel's life rafts was missing. JRCC Honolulu Watchstanders deployed assets to search the area and reached out to partners for assistance.

Currently searching are-

-Two Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point C-130 Hercules aircrews
-A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak C-130J Hercules aircrew
-Four Taiwanese fishing vessels
-Navy Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircrew

-USCG-