A crew member on board a purse seiner based in American Samoa, the Carol Linda, is feared dead and others are injured after the vessel's mast broke in two.
The Coast Guard's Lieutenant Steven Caskey says the incident happened about 1,100 kilometres north of American Samoa.
He says they are making arrangements to get assistance to the vessel as quickly as possible.
A spokesman for the American Samoa agents for the Carol Linda says the vessel has a crew of 24, mainly Samoans and Filipinos.
