HONOLULU – The Coast Guard has located one missing mariner in the Republic of the Marshall Islands after earlier reports Saturday that a 15 foot vessel was overdue.
The Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Honolulu was contacted by the search and rescue liaison in Majuro at approximately 10 p.m. reporting a Panga from Jaluit Atoll overdue with one person onboard.
After issuing a safety broadcast to mariners and determining that there were no local mariners in the region to assist, Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point launched a C-130 crew to conduct a search.
The crew of the C-130 arrived on scene at approximately 12 p.m. and searched for two hours before spotting a similar vessel and three people on a neighboring island.
The Coast Guard contacted the Australian Maritime Surveillance Advisory who liaison with the Pacific Patrol Boat Lomor to investigate.
Lomor was able to determine that the vessel spotted was the missing vessel and is assisting the operator with getting fuel and conducting repairs before it will be escorted to its homeport.
