Thiruvananthapuram: The Indian Navy has joined search operations to trace three fishermen missing following separate boat capsizes off the coasts of Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts in Kerala. INS Kalpeni sailed out from Kochi on Saturday night to support the ongoing rescue mission and anchored off Neendakara on Sunday morning. A specialised naval diving team equipped with portable SONAR technology has been deployed onboard the vessel to assist underwater surveillance and localized diving operations. Marine Enforcement Wing vessels and Coastal Police units are maintaining a continuous presence alongside naval personnel to coordinate the multi-agency response.
Rescue efforts are initially focusing on locating twenty-six-year-old Gautam Krishna, who went missing after a fishing vessel overturned near the Neendakara coast on July 31. Following the completion of operations off Neendakara, naval divers will expand their scope to search for two other missing individuals, John and Shijin, who disappeared in separate boat accidents off Vizhinjam and Muthalappozhi. The joint operation involving the Coastal Police, the Marine Enforcement Wing, and the Indian Coast Guard has now entered its tenth day. The decision to seek direct assistance from the Indian Navy came after families of the victims staged protests alleging delays and gaps in initial search procedures.
Union Minister Suresh Gopi confirmed that comprehensive administrative and logistical resources have been mobilised to bolster the search in the Arabian Sea. In addition to naval divers and Coast Guard aerial reconnaissance, fuel support from state entities and an emergency helipad near Amritapuri have been arranged to ensure uninterrupted rescue sorties. Emphasizing his personal commitment to the grieving families, the minister assured that search operations would continue with full intensity alongside state authorities and local maritime agencies.
