Missing Tinian fisherman found

Some 22 hours after being reported missing at sea, a Tinian fisherman was finally found yesterday afternoon, dehydrated but in stable condition.

Joseph M. Cruz, 41, was found by a Navy helicopter at 5pm in his vessel some 36 miles west of the Tinian Harbor, according to an e-mail notice sent by Lt. Elizabeth Buendia of the Coast Guard Command Center Guam.

“He is in stable condition, although dehydrated. He will be transported to [the] Saipan hospital for medical evaluation,” said Buendia.

“This positive outcome resulted from the outstanding search effort by the Navy, Coast Guard, and Department of Public Safety Saipan, to cover a total search area of over 7,263 square miles,” she added.

Buendia did not offer additional details relating to the circumstances of Cruz’s mishap at sea.

The water and aerial search had been ongoing since Monday night. Rescue teams from the U.S. Coast Guard-Guam, Tinian Department of Public Safety Boating Safety, Saipan Boating Safety, and the Commonwealth Ports Authority helped in the water search for Cruz. The U.S. Navy’s Hilo chopper was helping in the aerial search.

DPS spokesperson Lei Ogumoro said that Cruz was last seen operating a 17-foot blue and white bay liner boat bearing the number TCM-034.PU. “He was last seen wearing blue short pants and a black t- shirt,” Ogumoro said.

Tinian DPS first received the report of the missing fisherman on Monday at 7:20pm.

Preliminary investigation showed that Cruz had dropped off the three fishermen on Goat Island at 11am that day and had headed back to Tinian.

The group agreed that at 1pm that day, Cruz would pick them up. When Cruz did not show up, one of the three fishermen called Tinian DPS for help.

Tinian Boating Safety officers subsequently launched the Zodiac II rescue boat and headed to Goat Island, where they picked up the three fishermen. Ogumoro said all three fishermen were found in good condition.

Boating Safety officers searched for Cruz’s vessel, but could not find it.

The Coast Guard Joint Rescue Sub-Center Guam received a call from the CNMI Emergency Management Office on Saipan at 8pm Monday, reporting the missing mariner and his vessel.

Tinian Department of Public Safety officers conducted marina checks and found the truck and trailer still at the launch point on Tinian.

On Monday night, a helicopter from the Navy’s Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 was dispatched and conducted a two-hour search. In addition, Saipan and Tinian police boats were dispatched yesterday to search for the missing vessel. Life jackets are the only safety gear known to be on the vessel.

The Coast Guard Cutter Assateague, an HSC-25 helicopter, and a Navy frigate with embarked helicopter joined the search effort yesterday. Cutter Assateague deployed two self-locating data marker buoys in the possible last known positions to track the surface currents and assist Coast Guard search planners.