USCG Rescues Two Mariners Missing for More Than 100 Hours
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The U.S. Coast Guard is reporting a successful conclusion to an intensive search and rescue mission that had been underway for four days after a small boat was reported overdue. The 47-foot vessel named Lucky Harvest was finally located more than 100 miles west\/southwest of Guam.<\/p>\n
Authorities in the Northern Mariana Islands declared the vessel missing on Tuesday, May 13, after it failed to arrive in Saipan late on Monday. It was traveling from Alamagan Island to Saipan when it was declared overdue and the local authorities requested the assistance of the USCG.<\/p>\n
The cutter USCG Myrtle Hazard, which was on a patrol in the area, was diverted to a location approximately 38 miles northwest of Rota, which they believed was the vessel\u2019s last known position. Early reports said there might have been some intermittent communication, but when no sign of the vessel was found, the USCG intensified the search.<\/p>\n
The Coast Guard reported by Wednesday that a U.S. Navy Knighthawk helicopter had also joined the search efforts along with a P-8 Poseidon aircraft. It was in addition to the USCG aircraft and vessel, a Saipan-based Department of Public Safety vessel, and the missing boat\u2019s sister vessel. A marker buoy was deployed to track ocean currents, and efforts to contact the vessel by cellphone and radio continued but were unsuccessful.<\/p>\n
Winds in the area were at 15 knots and the seas were generally reported to be running 5 to 7 feet.<\/p>\n
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