Video, images show elite forces searching for U.S. ship's missing crew

Dramatic video and photos show members of the U.S. Air Force and Coast Guard searching for the missing crew of a U.S.-flagged cargo ship that overturned after an engine failure during a typhoon in the Pacific Ocean. 

The Coast Guard shared video of Air Force pararescuemen leaping from a C-130 Hercules airplane to meet the crew of a Coast Guard cutter on Sunday. Once the pararescuemen were brought aboard the vessel, the teams traveled to the site of the Mariana, which reported trouble to Coast Guard watchstanders at the Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, on April 15.

The video and photos shared by the Coast Guard show the pararescuemen preparing to conduct dive operations. The teams also used a remotely operated underwater drone to search the interior of the ship. According to the Air Force, pararescuemen are elite combat forces that “execute the most perilous, demanding, and extreme rescue missions” across the globe.

The Coast Guard lost communications with the Mariana on the evening of April 15. Search and investigation efforts determined that the 145-foot U.S.-registered vessel lost its starboard engine during Super Typhoon Sinlaku while about 100 miles north-northwest of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. The capsized ship was found on Saturday, April 18, after heavy wind hindered initial search efforts.

The body of one crew member was found on Monday evening. The other five crew members remain missing. The Coast Guard said it has searched over 100,000 square nautical miles. Assets from Japan’s Coast Guard and New Zealand’s Air Force have also participated in the rescue efforts. 

“Our hearts are with the families of the Mariana crew members and the communities impacted by this tragic incident,” said Commander Preston Hieb, search and rescue mission coordinator for the Coast Guard Oceania District, in a news release. “We continue to search in close coordination with our partners, using all available resources to support the ongoing response.” 

Super Typhoon Sinlaku had sustained winds up of to 150 miles per hour when it battered Saipan and Tinian, according to the National Weather Service. CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan said it was the strongest storm to develop in 2026. It caused wind damage and flooding on the islands.