The U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies are searching for Jeffrey Hattori, seen here posing with a catch near his 14-foot skiff Lady G, after he was reported overdue from a fishing trip on April 12, 2025. (U.S. Coast Guard)
The U.S. Coast Guard turned to cellphone data to help focus its search for a fisherman who went missing off Guam over the weekend, according to Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam.
Jeffrey Hattori, 58, of Guam, departed for a recreational fishing trip around 5:30 a.m. Saturday aboard his 14-foot skiff, the Lady G, and was expected to return by 4 p.m., said sector spokeswoman Chief Warrant Officer 2 Sara Muir.
When Hattori failed to return, his wife reported him missing sometime that evening, and the Coast Guard was notified around 9 p.m., Muir said by email Monday.
The Coast Guard launched a joint search-and-rescue operation with the U.S. Navy, local first responders and other partners. The effort has since covered more than 3,300 square miles, Muir wrote.
To narrow the search to Hattori’s most likely location, the Coast Guard contacted his cellphone provider, which determined that his device last connected to a tower near the U.S. Navy’s Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station Guam on the island’s northwest coast, Muir said.
“The search for Mr. Hattori and Lady G remains active, focusing west and northwest of Guam, with efforts intensified off Ritidian Point and the west side of Guam,” she wrote.
Crewmembers of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Oliver Henry keep a lookout for Jeffery Hattori, a 58-year-old boater who went missing west of Guam on April 12, 2025. (Raymond Cerrato/U.S. Coast Guard)
Participating aircraft include a P-8 Poseidon from the Navy’s Task Force 72 in Misawa, Japan; a Navy helicopter crew from Guam’s Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25; and a visiting Navy helicopter crew from San Diego’s Helicopter Squadron 21.
Guam Fire Rescue teams are searching the island’s western coastal areas, Muir said. A 45-foot Coast Guard response boat and the cutter Oliver Henry, which cut short its patrol Sunday to assist, are searching deeper waters.
“Following interviews with family and fishermen, we’re exploring FADs [fish aggregating devices] farther offshore, where Mr. Hattori reportedly fished,” she wrote.
A FAD can be a log, tree trunk or raft, either free-floating or anchored, used to attract fish — especially large pelagic species like tuna.
The search area remains “dynamic due to ocean currents and evolving leads,” Muir said.
Sea conditions from Saturday through Monday were relatively stable, with no warnings of advisories in effect. Winds from the east ranged between 10 to 15 knots, with seas 3 to 5 feet, eastward waves of about 4 feet and scattered showers.
At one point, searchers spotted a floating life ring, but further investigation showed it belonged to the tanker Morning Ibis, Muir said. Crews then shifted focus to analyzing the Lady G’s probably drift.
“We continue to prioritize locating Mr. Hattori and leveraging every available resource,” Muir wrote, adding that partnerships with Guam Fire Rescue and the Navy are critical in such operations.
The Coast Guard is urging mariners and the public to report any sightings of a 14-foot skiff with a blue Bimini top or related information to the Joint Rescue Center Guam at 671-355-4826 or 1-877-418-0168.
“Our thoughts remain with Mr. Hattori’s family; we appreciate the community’s support,” Muir wrote.
