The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has announced that the cargo vessel "Friend-4," which capsized on the night of August 5 in a tragic accident, leaving three people missing, sank in the deepest part of the Huvadhoo Sea.
Authorities confirmed that an extensive search operation covering the entire Huvadhoo Sea has been conducted to locate the missing individuals.
In an official statement, the MNDF noted that the vessel "capsized and sank very suddenly into the deep waters of the Huvadhoo Sea."
"In the effort to locate the three missing persons, the Huvadhoo Sea area has been fully surveyed by both air and sea. Taking into account potential drift patterns based on wind and ocean currents, the search was extended to the reefs along those trajectories, including the reefs of Laamu Atoll and Gaafu Alifu Atoll," the statement read.
The three individuals missing following the incident include a police officer, an MNDF soldier, and the vessel's captain. They have been identified as Captain Mohamed Hamdhoon, 35, of Thaa Madifushi; Police Sergeant Ali Naafiu, 35, who was on board to assist with the vessel; and MNDF Staff Sergeant Ibrahim Ahmed, 39.
Seven others who were traveling on the vessel were rescued at the time of the sinking.
"As a landing craft, a police launch, and an MNDF vessel were in close proximity when the boat went down, those who jumped overboard or managed to exit the vessel as it capsized were rescued immediately," the MNDF statement clarified.
The military further stated that the likelihood of finding the missing persons at sea is now slim. They highlighted that the area where the vessel sank reaches depths of approximately 1,600 meters, noting that this exceeds the operational depth of even nuclear submarines.
"Based on the operations conducted thus far and information gathered from the survivors, the chance of finding the missing persons on the surface is low. The area where the vessel foundered in the Huvadhoo Sea is estimated to be deeper than 1,600 meters. This is beyond the reach of human divers and exceeds the operating depths of both conventional and nuclear-powered military submarines used by foreign navies," the military explained.
The search operation utilized advanced technology, including a high-tech vessel recently provided by Australia, drones acquired from Turkey, and search-and-rescue aircraft deployed by the United States.
"Eleven days since the incident occurred, as of 18:00 on August 16, 2026, search teams have covered 17,220 square nautical miles by air and 2,790.10 square nautical miles by sea in the effort to locate the three missing persons. Additionally, an area of 288 square nautical miles, including shorelines and reefs in the region, has been thoroughly searched," the MNDF stated.
