Search Underway for Missing Mariners off Midway Island

A search is underway for a life raft from an adrift 95-foot Taiwanese fishing vessel off Midway Island.

The search was prompted by a report to the US Coast Guard on Friday night that the Rescue Coordination Center Taipei had lost contact with fishing vessel Yong-Yu-Sing No. 18. 

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 on Jan. 1. 

Upon arriving in the area the Hercules aircrew located the fishing 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.

The search is underway approximately 550-miles northeast of Midway Island. The search includes use of 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; and a Navy Boeing P-8 Poseidon aircrew.