Search continues for two missing teens

A search operation is under way in Addu City to find two boys who have been missing since Saturday morning.

Three students from Hithadhoo school were reported missing around 11:30 am, when they went swimming after football practice.

The Maldives National Defense Force said one of the boys was rescued from the sea, but the search continues for the remaining teens.

Raif Ali, 16, is being treated at Hithadhoo regional hospital and is in good condition, say reports.

The MNDF has deployed a helicopter for the search operation and used night vision devices.

Information officer Ibrahim Azim said the search went into the night although such operations normally stop after dusk.

Teams found a t-shirt belonging to one the boys on Sunday, but the police and MNDF declined to comment on the discovery.

The missing boys, Ali Fahmy and Mayameen Ali, are both aged 14. They are grade nine students from the Hithadhoo ward of the southern city.

They went missing after being caught in strong currents in the sea near the regional hospital.

“We will find our son alive,” Mayameen’s mother, Aishath Ibrahim Didi, told Mihaaru. “We have not lost hope. By God’s will, Mayameen and the other child will be rescued. Our family is praying for that”.

Photo: Mihaaru