Still No Trace: MNDF Expands Search for Three Missing in "Friend 4" Vessel Sinking

Search and rescue operations remain underway following the sinking of the supply vessel "Friend 4" during the early hours of August 5, 2026, approximately 8 nautical miles northeast of GA. Kudafari.

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), operating alongside the Maldives Police Service, continues intensive efforts to locate three individuals who remain missing: the vessel's captain, an MNDF officer, and a police officer.

High-Tech Aerial and Maritime Operations

Search teams have deployed advanced aerial surveillance alongside naval vessels to scan the challenging search area:

• UAV Thermal Surveillance: Utilizing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) equipped with night-vision infrared sensors, aerial teams detected drifting floating debris and bags near the incident site during initial night operations.

• Maritime Assets Deployed: Search grids are actively being patrolled by the Australian-donated Coast Guard Ship Imaduddin, Coast Guard interceptor craft, harbor patrol launches, and police vessels.

• Extensive Coverage: Operations have covered the reefs of GA. Atoll south of the Huvadhoo Channel, as well as the reefs of L. Atoll to the north. As of 18:00 on August 14, operations have covered 9,920 square nautical miles by air and 2,790.1 square nautical miles by sea.

Circumstances and Heroic Survival Efforts

Statements from survivors reveal that the vessel went down suddenly while operating in waters exceeding a depth of 1,600 meters—a depth far beyond standard military or nuclear submarine operations.

All individuals who jumped clear of the sinking vessel were successfully rescued. Among the survivors were three crew members, an MNDF auxiliary fireman, a police officer, and Coast Guard diver Sergeant Asrar Ali. Official recognition was highlighted for Sergeant Asrar Ali’s extraordinary bravery in assisting two foreign crew members in the open sea, as well as the heroic efforts of Staff Sergeant Ibrahim Ahmad, Sergeant Ali Nafiu, Sergeant Ali Saif, Auxiliary Fireman Abdulla Shafeeq, and Captain Mohamed Hamdoon, who worked tirelessly until the vessel submerged.

Search Outlook

Search coordinators confirm that a significant portion of the Huvadhoo Sea has been surveyed based on prevailing currents and wind trajectory models, with expectations to complete a full sweep of the Huvadhoo ocean area in the coming operational window.