Missing youth discovered on joali near southern beach in Gan after hours-long search

The young man who went missing from L. Gan on Wednesday has been found lying on a joali on the island, and is believed to be in good condition, Gan Council President Afsal Jaufar said.

The council had earlier announced that a 22-year-old man was missing, after his family reported he had not been seen since 12:00 am.

In a post on social media at 18:30, the council said he had been found in good condition.

Afsal told Sun that islanders, Police and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) worked together in the search. Groups of around 10 people were deployed across the island, and the youth was found lying on a joali in a grassy area near the southern beach close to sunset, he said.

According to Afsal, the youth was located by MNDF officers. He was taken to Gan Hospital as per standard procedure for missing-person cases.

Afsal said the youth’s condition is still being checked at the hospital’s ER, but initial information indicates he is in good condition.

It remains unclear why he was missing for several hours.

Missing-person announcements are occasionally issued in islands, and in most cases, the individuals are found shortly after searches begin.