Search suspended for fishing vessel crewman more than 1,200 miles offshore of Hawai‘i

U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30, for a 59-year-old fishing vessel crewman, who reportedly fell overboard Sunday, April 26, in waters more than 1,200 miles offshore of Hawai‘i.

U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon airplane crews searched more than 1,973 square nautical miles under the coordination of Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu.

“After carefully weighing all available information, we have decided to suspend our search for the missing crewman,” said U.S. Coast Guard Oceania District search and rescue mission coordinator Lt. Cmdr. Daniel Miller in announcing suspension of the search. “We are grateful for the robust efforts of U.S. Navy aircrews and the assistance of the Maersk Yellowstone crew, who diverted their course to join the search.”

Search efforts began after Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu watchstanders received a report from Korea Mission Coordination Center at 5 p.m. Sunday that a crewman aboard the Republic of Korea-flagged fishing vessel Oryong 355 was reported missing at 12:15 p.m. Sunday, about 1,200 miles southeast of the Big Island.

Watchstanders issued a SafetyNET broadcast to all ships in the vicinity of the Oryong 355 and coordinated the launch of a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon airplane crew from Navy Command Task Force-32 on Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i to search for the missing man.

Involved in the search:

• Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu.
• Korea Mission Coordination Center.
• U.S. Navy Command Task Force-32.
• Maersk Yellowstone, a Singapore-flagged cargo ship.
• Oryong 355, a Republic of Korea-flagged fishing vessel.

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