2 Dec 2010

As one body found, Marshalls search stepped up

4:12 pm on 2 December 2010

The United States Coast Guard has stepped up its search for possible survivors of a boat that went missing off the Marshall Islands.

One body has been found and is believed to be one of four passengers from a small boat that went missing in rough seas on Friday afternoon and later capsized.

Our correspondent, Giff Johnson, says the body is that of Anwel Anwel, who is said to have been about 20 years old.

He says the body was some distance from where the empty boat was found.

"A body was found many miles from off Arno Atoll in the open ocean, by one of the search boats. A fair distance away, it's in the same general vicinity, but from the way it was explained to me, it was a few miles away. It's pretty remarkable."

Giff Johnson says the man is being buried later this afternoon by family.

The coast guard has now increased its presence in the search by flying in a second C-130 aircraft from Honolulu to join the air and sea search for .