Search Intensifies After Cargo Ship Mariana Found Overturned Near Saipan

The U.S. Coast Guard and an expanding multinational task force are racing against time in the remote waters of the western Pacific after the U.S.-flagged cargo vessel Mariana was discovered overturned northeast of Saipan, with all six crew members still unaccounted for.

Search aircraft on Saturday evening located debris fields roughly 95 nautical miles from the capsized vessel, including a partially submerged and partially inflated life raf. By the time of the sighting, the vessel had drifted significantly, underscoring the complexity of the search effort in open ocean conditions.

The 145-foot dry cargo vessel was first reported in distress Wednesday when