A family rescued by the crew of the Coast Guard cutter Midgett meet loved ones upon their safe return to Weno, Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia, April 6, 2026. (James Warguez/U.S. Coast Guard)
The U.S. Coast Guard has rescued a family of three stranded for a week in their tiny skiff in waters off the Federated States of Micronesia.
The crew of the USCGC Midgett spotted the 23-foot skiff Monday off the coast of Chuuk State, the Coast Guard said in a news release Tuesday.
The two men and one woman aboard the boat were uninjured and returned to Weno, Chuuk, in a Coast Guard helicopter.
The family had set out March 30 from Fananu Island in Chuuk for Murillo Island, a journey of about 31 nautical miles.
They became stranded and adrift when the boat’s single outboard motor failed during what should have been a one-day trip, Chief Warrant Officer Sara Muir, spokeswoman for Coast Guard Micronesia/Sector Guam, said by phone Wednesday.
“It’s our belief that the initial engine issue took place that first day and they were adrift from then on,” she said.
“It doesn’t sound like they had a ton of supplies, but most of the time when folks go to sea like this, they do take equipment to fish so they’re able to take care of themselves during that time,” Muir said.
Bridge watchstanders aboard the Coast Guard cutter Midgett locate a 23-foot skiff carrying a missing family in the waters of Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia, during the early hours of April 6, 2026. (Lauren Taber/U.S. Coast Guard)
The trio had no health issues when they were picked up by the Midgett, she said.
“[Search-and-rescue] cases like this one are not routine for our platform,” Capt. Brian Whisler, the Midgett’s commander, said in the news release. “Our bridge watchstanders 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.”
The Coast Guard was notified Sunday that the boat, which had no radio or location transponder, was overdue and missing.
The initial search area was vast — more than 14,000 square nautical miles in rough seas with waves as high as 10 feet — the news release said.
A crew aboard an HC-130 Hercules plane flew from Hawaii to support the search, the Coast Guard said.
The USCGC Frederick Hatch, a Sentinel-class patrol boat homeported on Guam, was also dispatched for the search.
The Midgett, however, was already in the vicinity.
The Legend-class national security cutter was patrolling waters about 200 nautical miles south of Fananu Island, according to the release.
The Midgett’s availability was not just a matter of serendipity, said Lt. Cmdr. Derek Wallin, the Coast Guard’s search-and-rescue mission coordinator.
“This rescue reflects the strategic value of maintaining a capable surface presence across the region’s vast maritime expanse,” he said in the news release.
“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.”
The 418-foot-long national security cutters are primarily used for maritime security and international drug interdictions. They have a top speed of more than 28 knots, or about 32 mph, with a range of 13,800 miles.
