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Press Release | April 30, 2026

U.S. Coast Guard suspends search for fishing vessel crewman over 1,200 miles offshore Hawaii

Coast Guard Oceania District External Affairs - (808) 265-7748

HONOLULU — The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search at 4:30 p.m. Thursday for a fishing vessel crewman in the water over 1,200 miles offshore Hawaii. 

Missing is a 59-year-old man who reportedly fell overboard the ship Sunday. 

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

“After carefully weighing all available information, we have decided to suspend our search for the missing crewman,” said Lt. Cmdr. Daniel Miller, search and rescue mission coordinator for Coast Guard Oceania District. “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 the Korea Mission Coordination Center at 5 p.m. Sunday that a crewman aboard the Republic of Korea-flagged fishing vessel Oryong 355 had been reported missing at 12:15 p.m. Sunday, approximately 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 Hawaii 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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-USCG-