HILARY HOSIA
An unidentified body was found floating in Majuro lagoon Tuesday morning.
Authorities received a call Tuesday morning from vessel New Takatsuki claiming a body was seen floating near their anchored vessel, a police report from the Majuro Atoll Local Government’s Marine Patrol Division (MAPD) stated.
A joint taskforce was quickly mobilized consisting of three patrol boats with officials from MALGov MAPD, Marshall Islands Police Department, RMI Sea Patrol, and Ministry of Health and Human Services responded to the incident.
By the time the team arrived on site, the body had already washed up closer inland near Sandra Island, which is along the north side of Majuro.
The body was transported by the RMI Sea Patrol boat and taken to the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority dock in Delap, where a hospital vehicle was standing by.
Later reports indicate the deceased was an Asian fisherman who had been reported missing from the purse seiner Micronesia 106, which is a Pohnpei Shipping Company vessel flagged in the FSM.
According to the MAPD report, information shared by the RMI Immigration office states Koo’s company filed a missing person report to MIPD late last week. Meanwhile, MIPD claimed to have not received the report until Tuesday this week, the day the body was discovered.
The Micronesia 106 departed RMI waters Monday this week prior to the body being found.