Guam’s newest Coast Guard cutter joins search effort instead of welcome ceremony

The Coast Guard postponed a welcoming ceremony Tuesday for its newest Guam-based cutter so the vessel could join the search for a missing skiff near the Federated States of Micronesia.

The USCGC Vincent Danz, which arrived at its new homeport at Apra Harbor on July 26, was among the ships and aircraft searching for the skiff and several people board it, according to Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam.

The skiff was reported overdue Friday at Ruo Island in the Hall Islands, about 625 miles southeast of Guam and 70 miles north of the Chuuk Islands, Coast Guard spokeswoman Chief Petty Officer Lisa Ferdinando said by email Tuesday.

Two C-130 aircraft also joined the effort, one from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii, and another from the Air Force’s Air Mobility Command, she said.

Two commercial vessels took part though the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue program, or AMVER, which helps direct participating ships to maritime emergencies, Ferdinando said.

The Vincent Danz officially entered service during a May 22 commissioning ceremony in New York City. It is the Coast Guard’s 62nd Sentinel-class fast-response cutter and the fourth of its type homeported on Guam.

The ship is named for a Marine Corps veteran, Coast Guard reservist and NYC police officer who was killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He served in the Coast Guard Reserve as a port security specialist.