Search for the missing 37-year-old boat captain begins via air

Authorities have begun searching for the missing 37-year-old boat captain, via air.

Providing latest updates regarding Mohamed Yoosuf’s disappearance, Chief spokesperson at the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF), Major Ibrahim Azim told media that the search is ongoing and will not end until he is found.

The air search began on Wednesday, and an MNDF helicopter is active in the region the boat captain went missing, with coastguard ship “Nooradheen” also active via sea.

While Maldives Police Service (MPS) officially began an investigation into the missing boat captain’s case on Tuesday, Yoosuf’s boat carrying cargo goods reportedly ran aground a patch of reef on Monday.

MNDF received the report at around 08:09am on Monday morning after the cargo-loaded vessel ran aground a patch of reef near Kagi, Kaafu atoll with three people on board at the time.

Authorities publicized a photo of the route being scanned by divers on Tuesday.

Reports also have it that the man’s belonging; a phone and his bag were on the boat when he was reported missing. The other two on board the boat were expatriates, reported authorities.

This comes at a time authorities are tirelessly searching for a 41-year-old Maldivian man missing after a dinghy collided into a speedboat near Dhonfanu island of Baa atoll on 2 January.