Boat found 10m underwater, but Zakariyya remains missing

The dinghy boat an elderly farmer from GDh. Gadhdhoo was on when he went missing two days back has been found from 10 meters underwater.

Zakariyya Mohamed, 79, Cozy Round, GDh. Gadhdhoo, had set off for neighboring Gan for farming in his dinghy at around 09:30 am on Thursday. He reportedly set off from Gan to Gadhdhoo at around 11:15 am. He was reported missing to the authorities at around 05:05 pm that day after he failed to return to Gadhdhoo, promoting a search and rescue operation by the police and the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF).

In a press statement on Saturday, the MNDF said that soldiers and police conducted a second dive in the morning, during which they found the dinghy Zakariyya had been travelling on from 10 meters underwater in the channel between Gadhdhoo and Gan.

But there has been no report of any sighting of Zakariyya.

Gan is an uninhabited island a short boat ride from Gadhdhoo, used by the island’s residents for farming.

Zakariyya, who has spent his whole life farming, had gone to Gan as usual on one of his farming trips.

Authorities have been searching the sea as well as conducting an aerial search of the area for any sign of him.

Zakariyya and his wife have seven children; six daughters and a son.

Making solo trips on vessels that cross seas is prohibited in the Maldives. Such vessels are also required to have safety equipment. However, many people make solo trips on boats for fishing and other purposes.