APRA HARBOR, Guam – A fisherman missing 16 miles northwest of Ritidian Point, Guam is safe after ashore after a search coordinated by the Coast Guard led a Navy aircrew to find the missing man Monday.
Yi Hong Ji, was on his jet ski when he contacted 911 by cell phone to report he was experiencing engine problems and was not going to be able to make it back to shore.
Ji had departed approximately 6 a.m. Monday from Tanguisson Beach on a white and yellow jet ski, planning to fish north between Guam and Rota.
The crew of the 110-foot patrol boat Coast Guard Cutter Washington, a 25-foot Response Boat-Small from Station Apra Harbor, an MH-60 helicopter from Navy squadron HSC-25 and Guam Fire Rescue Department all joined the search.
The rescue helicopter aircrew first sighted the abandoned jet ski with no sign of Ji. He was found two miles from the jet ski.
A rescue swimmer was deployed from the helicopter and Ji was safely hoisted aboard. He was transported to U.S. Naval Hospital Guam in stable condition.
“This successful case exemplifies the importance of our search and rescue partnerships across the island” said Capt. Casey White, Sector Guam commander. “Aside from the active participation of HSC-25, Guam Fire Rescue, Coast Guard Cutter Washington and Station Apra Harbor on the water and in the air, we gained critical assistance from a local cell phone carrier in tracking where the 911 calls came from. This support immediately narrowed down our search area and enabled us to respond more rapidly.”
Search and rescue crews searched 640 square miles, an area roughly two times the size of Guam.