MV TRITON

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Offshore ship rescued 13 boaters

15 boaters were safe thanks to the combined efforts of the U.S. Navy, good Samaritans from Cabras Marine Corporation, the Saipan Department of Public Safety (DPS) Boating Safety, and the U.S. Coast Guard, following a report they were disabled 15 nautical miles west of Aguijan Island, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, on July 21, 2024. Two of the 15 boaters were hoisted by U.S. Navy Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 (HSC-25) arriving to Guam on July 21, and the other 13 were rescued by the crew of the 'Triton', which arrivied at Saipan in the early morning hours of July 22. At 11:50 a.m. local time, on July 21, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Saipan team notified the JRSC watch that Saipan Department of Public Safety (DPS) Boating Safety personnel were responding to a report of a distressed boater. Due to marginal weather conditions and long periods of no contact, Saipan DPS faced significant challenges maintaining communications with the boater and search and rescue units. U.S. Coast Guard watchstander issued an urgent marine information broadcast to all mariners and sought aerial support from HSC-25, while continuing to coordinate with Saipan and Tinian DPS, also providing recommended search patterns based on the limited known information. Around 5:20 p.m., HSC-25’s crew advised they located the boaters. The boaters, sighting the helicopter, lit off a flare to signal their position and distress. The deteriorating weather conditions and waning daylight led HSC-25’s crew to hoist two of the boaters before they needed to depart the scene for fuel, returning to Guam. Saipan DPS again tried to reach the remaining boaters but due to conditions were forced to return to port. The crew of the naval logistics vessel USNS 'Jack Lummus', operated by Military Sealift Command, was transiting the area and volunteered to assist. They located the vessel with the remaining 13 people aboard around 8:30 p.m. and remained on scene with the 28-foot recreational vessel until the 'Triton' arrived, which was a safer platform to recover the boaters due to their respective size and design. The crew delivered the 13 survivors to Saipan where they were met by law enforcement personnel. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, Saipan DPS, and Guam Customs were involved. “We urge all mariners to avoid overloading their vessels and to always check weather conditions before setting out. These transits are extremely dangerous and put lives at significant risk. This is the third significant rescue of this type we've effected between Guam and the CNMI since January.” said Lt. Garcia. “While this case appears to involve the transit of foreign nationals from the CNMI, we cannot comment further on the ongoing law enforcement investigation.” The 28-foot vessel remains adrift and is a potential hazard to navigation. It is not currently known how they became disabled and adrift. The U.S. Coast Guard did not receive any reports of injuries. A small craft advisory remains in effect for the Mariana Islands alongside a special weather statement for Invest 93W, expected to move west-northwest through the Mariana Islands today and tonight, causing scattered to numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms, with locally heavy rainfall and wind gusts to 30 mph or more. Combined seas in the 6 to 8-foot range are also likely.