Search suspended for missing crew members of U.S.-flagged ship that overturned during typhoon

The search has been suspended for five missing crew members of a U.S.-flagged cargo ship that overturned near the Northern Mariana Islands during a typhoon, authorities said Wednesday.

Six people were aboard the 145-foot ship, called the Mariana. Divers on April 21 recovered one crew member’s body from the overturned ship.

“We are deeply saddened to announce that despite widespread efforts, we have made the difficult decision to suspend our search for the missing crew members of the Mariana,” Cmdr. Preston Hieb of the U.S. Coast Guard Oceania District said in a video posted on X. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the families of the Mariana crew, as well as the entire Saipan community.”

The search lasted more than 100 hours and covered an area larger than the state of California, he said.

Last week, officials released dramatic video and photos showing members of the U.S. Air Force and Coast Guard searching for the missing crew. The footage and images showed pararescuemen preparing to conduct dive operations. The teams also used a remotely operated underwater drone to search the interior of the ship.

U.S. Coast Guardsmen and pararescuers assess the scene near a capsized cargo vessel in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands April 19, 2026.

U.S. Coast Guard photo, courtesy Cutter Frederick Hatch

The search was stopped two weeks after the crew notified the Coast Guard that the ship had lost its starboard engines and needed assistance as Super Typhoon Sinlaku battered the Pacific island chain. The Coast Guard lost contact with the vessel the next day.

Heavy wind hindered initial search efforts, but the overturned ship was eventually spotted April 18 about 40 miles northeast of Pagan, one of the islands that make up the Northern Marianas, which is a U.S. territory.

The Coast Guard said debris included a partially submerged inflatable life raft was spotted about 110 miles from the ship.

“The five remaining crew members are still missing,” Hieb said.

U.S. Coast Guard searches for missing vessel offshore Saipan — A U.S. Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules airplane crew assigned to Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point flies over an overturned vessel offshore Saipan, April 18, 2026.

U.S. Coast Guard photo Courtesy Air Station Barbers Point

Super Typhoon Sinlaku battered the Northern Mariana Islands, causing wind damage and flooding. Sinlaku had sustained winds up of to 150 miles per hour when it battered Saipan and Tinian, according to the National Weather Service. CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan said it was the strongest storm to develop in 2026.