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Coast Guard searching for a skiff swept out to sea near Ujae Atoll
HONOLULU—The Coast Guard is searching for a skiff with two people aboard near Ujae Atoll.
Watchstanders at Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu received notification from the Republic of Marshall Islands Sea Patrol Office Saturday afternoon that two people had been swept out to sea aboard a 12-foot skiff.
The skiff originally had four people aboard transiting from Ujae Atoll to Bock Island when the engine reportedly failed.
Two men jumped overboard and swam back to Ujae while the remaining two stayed aboard the vessel.
Strong winds reportedly swept the skiff out to sea before the men could restart the engine.
An HC-130 Hercules airplane crew launched from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point at 7:10pm Saturday. The Hercules crew arrived on scene at 4:43pm Sunday and dropped two self-locating datum marker buoys in the projected search area.
The Republic of Marshall Islands’ Pacific Patrol Boat RMIS Lomor and AMVER vessel Mell Seringat are also assisting in the search.
AMVER, sponsored by the U.S. Coast Guard, is a unique, computer-based, and voluntary global ship reporting system used worldwide by search and rescue authorities to arrange for assistance to persons in distress at sea. With Amver, rescue coordinators can identify participating ships in the area of distress and divert the best-suited ship or ships to respond. (USCG)
