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Flight tracking data showing the search flight pattern of a US Navy aircraft over the Huvadhoo Sea.

MALÉ: A Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft from the United States Navy has joined the aerial search in the Huvadhoo Sea to locate three individuals who went missing after the supply boat Friend 4 sank.

Flight tracking data showed the US Navy aircraft flying at an altitude of 1,500 feet over the area where the vessel went down.

US Navy Search Mission

In a statement to local media, Senior Spokesperson at the President’s Office, Mohamed Hussain Shareef (Mundu), confirmed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) sought assistance from the US government to assist in the rescue operation.

Key details of the deployment include:

• Start Time: The US Navy aircraft began its search flight today at 1:45 PM.
• Duration: The search mission was scheduled to operate continuously over a five-hour window.
• Coordination: The deployment follows efforts by the Foreign Ministry last week to secure international technical support for the ongoing search.

Details of the Incident

The supply vessel Friend 4, which was carrying aggregate and sand from Thaa Atoll Madifushi to Huvadhoo Atoll, sank after taking on water in rough seas.

Seven of the eight people on board were successfully rescued. However, three men remain missing after attempting to pump water to keep the vessel afloat:

• Mohamed Hamdhoon (35): Captain of the vessel.
• Staff Sergeant Ibrahim Ahmed (39): MNDF Fire and Rescue officer.
• Sergeant Ali Nafiu (33): Maldives Police Service officer.

According to the MNDF, the vessel capsized approximately 4.1 nautical miles off GA. Kudalafari, where the water depth is estimated at 1,645 meters (5,489 feet). Despite extensive joint operations using MNDF Air Corps drones, Coast Guard ships, and local aviation flights, neither the boat nor the three missing individuals have been found.