The search for six missing sailors from the overturned US-flagged cargo ship Mariana took a sad turn on Monday when divers found one deceased crew member inside the wreck. Meanwhile, U.S. and international rescue teams are increasing their efforts to locate the five other sailors who are still missing in the remote Pacific waters near Saipan.

The U.S. Coast Guard reported that divers from the U.S. Air Force’s 31st Rescue Squadron recovered the body at approximately 5:12 p.m. Hawaii time during underwater operations on the capsized ship. The divers conducted a thorough inspection of the ship's exterior and used an underwater drone to search its interior, marking the most detailed examination of the vessel since it was discovered.

The 145-foot U.S.-flagged cargo ship was found upside down on Friday, northeast of Pagan, after drifting away from its last known position. It had reported engine problems on Wednesday before losing communication.

This recovery marks the first confirmed fatality in what is increasingly turning from a rescue mission into a likely recovery operation. However, officials emphasized that the search for additional survivors is still ongoing.

On Tuesday at 2:17 p.m., the crew of the Japan Coast Guard patrol vessel Akitsushima arrived at the scene along with the Coast Guard cutter Frederick Hatch and sent more divers to further inspect the hull. So far, no additional crew members have been located.

Coast Guard aircraft are continuing to search for the five missing sailors and an orange 12-person life raft that has been missing since debris was first seen near the site. The raft remains a key focus of the surface search.

“Our hearts go out to the families of the Mariana crew and the communities affected by this tragic incident,” said Cmdr. Preston Hieb, who coordinates the search and rescue mission for the Coast Guard Oceania District. “We are working closely with our partners and using every available resource for the ongoing response.”

The search now involves a multinational effort covering thousands of square miles in the western Pacific. This includes the Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Honolulu, the Coast Guard cutter Frederick Hatch, aircraft from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, the U.S. Air Force’s 31st Rescue Squadron, U.S. Navy Patrol Squadron 26, the Japan Coast Guard, and a crew from the Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon.

The participation of Japanese divers alongside U.S. rescue teams demonstrates the considerable scale and urgency of the operation, as responders balance searching underwater at the wreck site with the challenges of open-ocean searches.

Earlier efforts found debris and a partially inflated life raft, which raised initial hopes that the crew might have escaped before the ship capsized. However, days into the search, no survivors have been found.

The discovery inside the wreck could raise more questions about what led to the ship overturning and whether the crew had enough time to escape.

For now, the mission is focused on finding the five missing sailors.

Anyone with information that could help the search is encouraged to contact the Coast Guard using VHF Channel 16 or the Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Honolulu.