On April 6, a family of three set sail from the island of Fananu to another island named Murillo, both located in the state of Chuuk, which is one of four states making up the Federated States of Micronesia.
A sovereign nation, Micronesia is composed of an island chain that stretches some 1,700 miles across the Pacific. As night fell, the family never arrived in Murillo as expected, and the search began.
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Midgett was in the area conducting its maritime law enforcement duties when they were informed about the missing family. The Coast Guard cutter began working a search grid pattern to try to locate the family stranded at sea.
"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," explained Coast Guard Capt. Brian Whisler, who is the commanding officer of the Midgett.
The 23-foot-long skiff had become stranded in the open ocean after its outboard engine failed. The family was successfully recovered by the Coast Guard and returned uninjured to Fananu.
"This rescue reflects the strategic value of maintaining a capable surface presence across the region's vast maritime expanse," explained Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Derek Wallin, who was the search and rescue mission coordinator. "Without the Midgett's proximity, coordinating a search across more than 14,000 square nautical miles of open ocean would have required significantly more time and resources, time the three missing people may not have had."
