A U.S. sailor who was thought to be lost at sea has been found hiding in his own ship. The sailor, Peter Mims, went missing off the coast of Japan on June 8, and his disappearance prompted a massive U.S. Navy and Maritime Self-Defense Force search over thousands of nautical miles.
The search was called off when Mims was found hiding on his own ship the USS Shiloh on Thursday night.
Mims was found crouched in the engineering space of the guided-missile cruiser, U.S. Pacific Command Lt.Cmdr. Matt Knight told the Japan Times .
Knight added: "The circumstances surrounding Petty Officer Mims' disappearance are under investigation."
Mims was presumed to have fallen overboard while the ship was doing routine operations 180 miles east of Okinawa, Japan's southernmost island.
His disappearance prompted a 50-hour rescue search which included in the Japanese coastguard.
Rear Adm. Charles Williams of the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan that joined in the search told the Navy Times: "We are thankful to have found our missing shipmate and appreciate all the hard work of our Sailors and Japanese partners in searching for him. I am relieved that this Sailor's family will not be joining the ranks of Gold Star Families that have sacrificed so much for our country."
Mims will be transferred from the USS Shiloh to the USS Ronald Reagan to undertake a medical evaluation, CNN reported.
He joined the Navy in 2014, and enlisted onto the Shiloh in the same year. Mims was frocked,or promoted, to a petty officer third class in May, according to a Navy spokesman, the Navy Times reported.
