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USCGC Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) rescued six fishermen on Aug. 18, 2024, and towed their disabled fishing boat to Satawal Atoll in the Federated States of Micronesia.

JRSC Guam received a distress alert at about 9 a.m. local time on Aug. 17 from a 406MHz Personal Locator Beacon registered in the United States. The beacon had been lent by a Yap-based owner to outer island fishermen and was activated about 27 nautical miles north northeast of Satawal.

JRSC Guam coordinated the response with Oliver Henry, the Panamanian-flagged Zhong Yu Marine, a 97-meter AMVER cargo vessel about 138 nautical miles north of the beacon location, and the Department of Defense for aviation support. Oliver Henry diverted from patrol 238 nautical miles north northeast of the beacon location for a 10-hour transit. Low visibility and thunderstorms were reported in the area, and Oliver Henry and Zhong Yu Marine reached the search area by 3 a.m.

A U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon from Kadena Air Force Base was en route to assist, but the fishermen were found before it arrived.

At 8:20 a.m. local time on Aug. 18, Oliver Henry located the disabled vessel about 11 nautical miles off Satawal. It was a 22-foot fiberglass boat with a white hull and blue interior, with six fishers aboard in good condition. The boat had been adrift after engine failure.

Oliver Henry towed the boat to Satawal Atoll, arriving roughly two hours later. The sea state was reported at less than a foot, with east winds at 4 knots. Oliver Henry was set to return to Guam due to a mechanical issue and conduct repairs before returning to sea.