The nine adults and six children left on their 28-foot skiff from Chuuk State to Ruo Island in the Federated States of Micronesia but did not arrive as planned, and a major search began immediately because someone ashore notified authorities.
“Filing of a float plan with family or friends should be a part of every boater’s routine,” said Leif Wigman-Nilsson, a watchstander at Coast Guard Sector Guam. “In this case, the concerned parties ashore were well aware of when this vessel was to depart, when it was to arrive, and the route that it was taking. This information was key to getting the Coast Guard and other rescue agencies into the right place at the right time to effect this rescue.”
