Skip to main content

Coast Guard searches for 6 people after losing contact with boat following Typhoon Sinlaku

HAGATNA, Guam (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard was searching for six people after losing contact with their disabled boat off the coast of Guam following Typhoon Sinlaku.

The crew of the 145-foot (44-meter) dry cargo vessel, named the Mariana and registered in the U.S., notified the Coast Guard on April 15 that the boat had lost its starboard engine and needed assistance, Petty Officer 3rd Class Avery Tibbets said early Saturday morning.

The Coast Guard set up a one-hour communication schedule with the vessel but lost contact the afternoon of April 16. A Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircraft was launched to search for the six people on board, but it had to return to Guam because of heavy winds. The search efforts were expected to resume at first light Saturday, Tibbets said. The nationalities of the crew members were not known, she said.

The last known position of the vessel was about 140 miles (225 kilometers) north-northwest of Saipan, the Coast Guard said in a statement Saturday morning.

Super Typhoon Sinlaku began battering the Northern Mariana Islands earlier this week, causing damage on the islands of Tinian and Saipan and flash flooding in Guam, the site of several American military bases.

The typhoon was slowly moving northeast away from the island chain Saturday morning, and the storm is expected to weaken over the next few days, according to the National Weather Service. Tropical storm force gusts still remain a possibility, the weather service said, and dangerous surf is expected to continue over the next few days.

The Homeland Security and Emergency Management office for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands issued a “hazardous seas warning” early Saturday morning for steep and dangerous swells reaching as high as 20 feet (6 meters) in the coastal waters surrounding the island chain. The dangerous conditions could capsize or cause damage to vessels, the announcement said, and those conditions were expected to last until late Saturday afternoon.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and several other federal agencies are ramping up their response to Typhoon Sinlaku as the islands’ shelter-in-place orders begin to lift, Robert Fenton, FEMA regional administrator for Region 9, which includes Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, said Friday.

“This is a very complex event, but we have a lot of experience and have worked very closely with Guam and CNMI over the years to prepare for these types of events and are well-positioned to do that again here today,” Fenton told The Associated Press in an interview from Guam.

Fenton said a slew of federal agencies are on the ground to support the local governments, including the Department of Defense, Environmental Protection Agency, Health and Human Services, and more.

The storm’s sheer size — with typhoon-force winds extending 275 miles (443 kilometers) from its center, according to the U.S. National Weather Service Guam — was unique, Fenton said, and meant island residents were subjected to roughly 48 hours of fierce winds, delaying responders’ ability to assess damage and help communities.

“It slows down our ability to respond to those needs, and I think it’s more physically and mentally impactful to those that have to go through that,” he said.

The scope of damage is still being assessed, but significant impacts to power and water systems are already evident, especially in the Northern Marianas.

“We think this will be a multimonth mission of emergency power,” Fenton said.

The U.S. Coast Guard reopened the Port of Guam Saturday to modified, daytime operations and was “working diligently” to open the remaining ports in the area, Tibbets said, calling it one of their “highest priorities.”

Conditions “remain challenging,” Capt. Jessica Worst, commander, Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam said in a statement, as they work to restore maritime commerce and support communities impacted.

As the Coast Guard continues its search for the missing boat, U.S. Air Force helicopters would be used to assess needs in some of the smaller, more remote and sparsely populated islands of the Northern Marianas, Fenton said.

___

This story has been updated to correct the rank and pronoun for Avery Tibbets. She is Petty Officer 3rd Class Avery Tibbets, not Private Third Class Avery Tibbets.

McConnell says after weeks of speculation that hospitalization was due to a fall

By WTOP Staff
(CNN) — Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky on Sunday announced, after weeks of speculation, that he had a fall last month that landed him in the hospital.“My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion. I didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke. I don’t have any tumors or hemorrhages. But I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital. While receiving excellent care over the past several weeks, I’ve also had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia,” he said in a statement.McConnell also provided a photo showing him smiling next to his wife, Elaine Chao. He appears to have a copy of Sunday’s Washington Post sports section on his lap.McConnell said he’s moved from a hospital to a rehabilitation center to continue regaining his strength. His doctors have run through “every test they can think of” to try to determine what caused the incident.The former Senate majority leader said he “won’t be able to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet” but he’s “been working closely” with legislative staff in the meantime.The statement comes after weeks of questions over McConnell’s health, as aides for the 84-year-old were fiercely protective about releasing information on his condition. The lack of information sparked speculation and rumors online that his health had significantly deteriorated.McConnell, a childhood polio survivor, has faced a series of health issues in recent years, including multiple falls. In 2023, he froze midsentence during a news conference.Along with his own statement, McConnell included a note from the attending physician of Congress, who described the injuries after the fall at his Washington, DC, home as “minor.”“A comprehensive evaluation by a multidisciplinary team determined that he had no fractures, cardiac abnormalities, stroke, tumor, or hemorrhage. Early in his hospitalization, he developed pneumonia, which responded rapidly to antibiotic treatment,” the physician said, adding that the senator has “focused on physical therapy and strategies to reduce his risk of future falls.”Sunday’s statement finally provides an answer to the circumstances of McConnell’s hospitalization on June 14, which has been shrouded in mystery.In his statement, McConnell indirectly addressed why it took so long to share what sent him to the hospital.“You all know how folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older. Even in the public eye, I feel that same instinct — I can’t help it,” he said, addressing his “fellow Kentuckians.”McConnell said he has work to do before retiring at the end of his term.“You’re right to expect your representatives to work hard for you. And part of my decision to retire at the end of my term this coming January was being honest about the demands of Senate work. But I still have unfinished business to complete on your behalf, and I have every intention of finishing the job you elected me to do,” he said.When the incident occurred, his spokesperson said only that McConnell was “admitted to the hospital” and was “receiving excellent care.”Video obtained exclusively by CNN last week showed emergency responders taking McConnell to an ambulance on a stretcher after being called to his home.Weeks into McConnell’s absence, an EMS recording published by an independent journalist indicated emergency responders were called to his home for an “unconscious” person for a “cardiac arrest,” and a paramedic is heard saying, “CPR in progress.”After the audio was published, McConnell’s spokesman released another statement saying the Kentucky Republican remained hospitalized as “he continues his recovery” without providing specifics.Some high-profile Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, issued statements last week saying they recently spoke with McConnell. CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings told CNN’s Kasie Hunt on “The Arena” that he talked with McConnell on the phone Tuesday and that his “voice sounded strong.”“I’ve had more than my share of experience with physical vulnerabilities,” McConnell said in his statement Sunday.In March 2023, he suffered a concussion and broken ribs after a fall. Months later, he froze midsentence during a news conference. CNN later reported he had suffered two other falls earlier that year.The attending physician noted that “McConnell has experienced several falls throughout the year that have been attributed to his post-polio condition.”Adults who had polio during childhood can develop post-polio syndrome even decades later. Symptoms include gradual weakening of muscles, fatigue, and muscle and joint paint. There is no specific treatment for post-polio syndrome, but patients may receive physical, occupational and speech therapy, medications for certain symptoms or use mobility aids such as walkers and braces.It’s not clear how common post-polio syndrome is, but some studies estimate 25% to 40% of polio survivors experience it, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.McConnell’s statement came the same day it was announced that his colleague Lindsey Graham, a longtime Republican senator from South Carolina, died following a sudden illness. He was 71.This story has been updated with additional information.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
Read Next Story

Related News

McConnell says after weeks of speculation that hospitalization was due to a fall

Obama Center opens in Chicago with a call to defend democracy and a celebrity crowd

The top photos of the day by AP photojournalists