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Coast Guard suspends search for mariner who went missing near Hawaii island

The Coast Guard has suspended its search for the missing mariner from the Kiribati who fell overboard a commercial fishing vessel about 150 miles southeast of Hawaii island.

Rescue crew conducted 23 total searches for 45 hours, covering over 8,500 square miles. Three aircrews, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Gerczak, and the crew of the Sea Goddess, the fishing vessel the mariner was a crew member of, were involved in the search.

“Our crews and partners worked diligently, but unfortunately there has been no sign of the missing mariner and the Coast Guard has suspended the active search tonight at sunset pending any further developments,” said Ensign Jonathon Smith, a Sector Honolulu watchstander, in a statement. “Making the decision to suspend a search is never an easy one.”

The mariner has been missing since Wednesday afternoon, when the master of the Sea Goddess called Sector Honolulu watchstanders about a missing crew member.

Winds at the scene and time were reported to be 5 miles per hour, while seas were up to 6 feet.

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