P-8A Poseidon Finds Missing Vessel in South Pacific; All Passengers Safe

15 September 2019

A US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft from Patrol Squadron (VP) 5, the "Mad Foxes" located a vessel Sep. 14 that had been missing nearly a week.

A US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft from Patrol Squadron (VP) 5, the “Mad Foxes," located a vessel Sep. 14 that had been missing nearly a week.

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam received a report of an overdue vessel Sept. 10 after a vessel carrying four adults and three children went missing from Lukunor Atoll Sept. 8.

The 7th Fleet Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) began supporting the search and rescue (SAR) effort Sep. 11. The squadron moved on short notice from Kadena Air Force Base, Japan to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.The VP-5 aircraft located the vessel mid-afternoon on Sep. 14, and notified the U.S. Coast Guard after finding it dead in the water.

The aircraft remained on station while a patrol craft from the Federated States of Micronesia was notified of the vessel's location and was able to take all seven passengers aboard unassisted. The passengers were transported to a hospital in Pohnpei.

The “Mad Foxes”, based in Jacksonville, Florida, are operating out of Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan. The detachment is conducting maritime patrol and reconnaissance as well as theater outreach operations within U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.

PACIFIC OCEAN (Sept. 15, 2019) A US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft from Patrol Squadron (VP) 5, the “Mad Foxes" located a vessel Sep. 14 that had been missing nearly a week. The aircraft remained on station while a patrol craft from the Federated States of Micronesia was notified of the vessel's location and was able to take all seven passengers aboard unassisted. The passengers were transported to a hospital in Pohnpei.

PACIFIC Ocean (September 14, 2019) A US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft from Patrol Squadron (VP) 5, the “Mad Foxes" located a vessel Sep. 14 that had been missing nearly a week. The aircraft remained on station while a patrol craft from the Federated States of Micronesia was notified of the vessel's location and was able to take all seven passengers aboard unassisted. The passengers were transported to a hospital in Pohnpei. (Courtesy photo)

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