Teen missing at surfing site

SUGAR DOCK, Saipan—Boating Safety personnel and dive rescuers have been scouring the waters here since Saturday in an attempt to find a teenage boy who was reported missing while boogieboarding beyond the reefline across this western shore.
A tent, which was put up by the boy’s family members, stood on the beach, as they patiently wait for news about the fate of the teenager. Beyond the shore, strong waves could be seen crashing against the reefline.

As of early last night, rescuers have yet to find the boy, aged 17 to 18, and whose identity authorities refused to disclose as of press time.

Responders from the Department of Public Safety’s Boating Safety Unit and its Dive Rescue Team rushed to the site shortly after noontime Saturday after receiving reports that two teenage boys were in distress due to rough waves while boogieboarding at the site, which is popular among surfing aficionados on island.

Authorities successfully rescued 16-year-old Ryan (surname withheld), according to police officer Patrick Togawa of the Dive Rescue Team.

“We rescued one boy but he said there’s still another one,” Togawa said. He said the raging waves were worse compared to yesterday’s surf, which remained high and risky for water sports.

Islanders and tourists, though, continued visiting the Sugar Dock yesterday, despite the conduct of search and rescue operations. Rough waves outside the channel remained yesterday, several meters away from the shoreline.

Responders temporarily halted the search and rescue operations early last night, but Togawa said they would resume them today.

The Emergency Management Office released several high surf advisories yesterday, warning beachgoers that surf could reach up to nine feet.

“Swells generated by typhoon Dianmu will continue to produce hazardous surf for the western shores through mid-week,” the EMO said.

The U.S. Navy estimated Dianmu’s location about 360 nautical miles south-southwest of Iwakuni, Japan around 9am. Japanese officials said three people had died from accidents in stormy seas.

The typhoon had gusts of up to 162 kilometers (101 miles) per hour and sustained winds of more than 90 kilometers (56 miles) per hour, Japan’s Meteorological Agency said.

The agency classified Dianmu—”Mother of Lightning” in Mandarin Chinese—as “large and very powerful,” and said it could hit Japan’s southernmost main island of Kyushu by Monday morning.

This is the same typhoon that brought torrential rain to the CNMI last week, dumping several inches of rain during Tuesday’s parade for the 60th anniversary of the Battles of Saipan and Tinian.