The authorities have verified that the individual who was declared missing from R. Vaadhoo on Thursday after going fishing by himself has been located.

The individual, named Mohamed Iqbal, was found safe after a thorough search operation. The report of his disappearance was received by authorities at around 8:48 PM on Thursday night.

As per preliminary police reports, Iqbal embarked on a small dinghy to sea early Thursday morning and did not carry a mobile phone.

On Friday morning, the Police reported that he was located in good health at approximately 06:53 am by a local search team from Vaadhoo that had participated in the search. He was found near a buoy near Alifushi after the engine of his dinghy failed, resulting in him being stranded at sea.

The Maldives Police Service thanked the public for their help and support during the search.

Even with constant alerts from the Maldives Police Service and the Maldives National Defence Force discouraging individuals from fishing solo, it persists as a common activity across numerous islands. Numerous past instances exist where people fishing alone disappeared, with some resulting in heartbreaking deaths.