The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has confirmed that the dinghy belonging to 79-year-old Zakariyya Mohamed, who went missing at sea on Thursday, has been found submerged 10 meters deep between Gaafu Dhaalu Gadhdhoo and Gan.

According to MNDF, the discovery was made during a joint dive operation with the Maldives Police Service on Saturday morning. The dinghy, described as white with a dark blue line, was located during the second dive of the day.

Despite this development, Zakariyya remains missing. As of Friday night, 2,307.99 square nautical miles had been searched by sea and 30.30 square nautical miles by air.

Zakariyya was last seen wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt and black shorts. He departed from Gadhdhoo to Gan at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday and was later seen leaving Gan at 11:15 a.m. to return to Gadhdhoo. When no contact was made and he failed to return, the matter was reported to police on Thursday afternoon. Authorities also searched nearby uninhabited islands following the report.

The search effort involves the MNDF Southern Area Command, Coast Guard Fourth Squadron, Gahdhoo Police Station, local fishermen, and the Gadhdhoo Council.

The operation remains ongoing as authorities continue efforts to locate Zakariyya.