US Coast Guard Rescues Family Missing in Western Pacific

The relatives were stranded in the ocean after their vessel had an engine failure. All three were rescued uninjured.

Family members rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Midgett in the waters off Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia, embrace loved ones upon their safe return to Weno on April 6, 2026. Courtesy of the USCG

The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday rescued three members of a family off the coast of Chuuk, an island state in the Federated States of Micronesia in the Western Pacific, the agency said in an April 7 statement.

“The family departed Fananu, an island municipality in the state of Chuuk, March 30 for the short passage to the island of Murillo but never arrived due to a failure of their single outboard engine,” the statement said.

On Easter Sunday, the crew of Coast Guard cutter Midgett was informed by Micronesia authorities and the country’s U.S. Embassy that the vessel was overdue. The Coast Guard crew carried out search and rescue operations on Monday.

“At the height of search planning, the predicted search area exceeded 14,000 square nautical miles in rough seas with waves reaching 10 feet,” the agency said.

By night, the crew had visually located the skiff, a small boat, carrying two men and one woman, in waters off Chuuk.

All three individuals, who had no injuries, were safely delivered to Weno, the capital of Chuuk, then transported to Fananu.

According to the Coast Guard, search and rescue is one of its oldest missions. It maintains search and rescue facilities on all U.S. coasts, and in Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, as well as on the Great Lakes and inland waterways.

During fiscal year 2025, the Coast Guard handled 6,705 search and rescue cases, saving 2,242 lives and $40 million in property.

In its statement, the agency said that the crew on Midgett was conducting a patrol in the Western Pacific when they diverted the ship for the rescue operation.

Two officers from Micronesia, who boarded Midgett, were part of the operation, which took place in the Federated States’ exclusive economic zone.

“National security cutter crews spend most of their time executing maritime law enforcement missions, often with our international partners,” Coast Guard Capt. Brian Whisler, commanding officer of the Midgett, said in the statement. “[Search and rescue] cases like this one are not routine for our platform.

“Our bridge watch standers spotted the small skiff in rough seas just after midnight, and that kind of situational awareness does not happen by accident. It is what this crew trains for, and I could not be prouder of how they performed.”

Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Derek Wallin, the mission coordinator, said the rescue reflected the “strategic value of maintaining a capable surface presence across the region’s vast maritime expanse.”

Rescue Operations, Drug Smuggling

On April 5, the Coast Guard announced that on Saturday it had rescued four people who were adrift three miles southwest of Moriches Inlet, New York, after their motor yacht became disabled.

On April 3, the agency said it had rescued five individuals from a fishing vessel near the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. When crews arrived, the vessel was taking on water and flooding. The rescued individuals were transported to Dutch Harbor to receive emergency medical services.

In August, Operation Pacific Viper was launched, which directs U.S. forces to the Eastern Pacific region to counter criminal and cartel groups, aiming to cut off the smuggling of drugs and human beings before they reach U.S. shores.

Since launching the operation, more than 200,000 pounds of cocaine have been interdicted by the Coast Guard, the agency said in a March 11 post on X.

“As significant transport of illicit narcotics continues from South and Central America, our maritime fighting force remains focused on countering narco-terrorism and protecting the homeland.”