Three Somali nationals were rescued after their small dinghy washed ashore on Vavathi Island, located in Noonu Atoll in the northern Maldives, the Maldives Police Service has reported. Vavathi, used for agricultural purposes, is located near Velaa Private Island Resort.
The three men were aboard a small dinghy powered by a small engine, as per images shared by the police. They are currently under the care of police as authorities investigate how they ended up in the Maldives.
While the Maldives Police Service has not provided details regarding the health of the three individuals, they did share an image of them seated on a bench by the island’s beach.
The Maldives is located east of Somalia in the Indian Ocean. This incident is not the first of its kind, as Somalis aboard small boats have previously been found within Maldivian waters.