KOCHI: A youth went missing after the country boat he was rowing with his friend capsized in the backwaters near the Edakochi-Aroor bridge on Wednesday. Nithin Jayan, 23, a resident of Vellayani in Thiruvananthapuram, had come to Kochi to attend the marriage of a friend. Though a search was carried out from 9.30am to 7pm to trace him, all efforts ended in vain despite a team from the Navy joining the search by evening. The search will resume on Thursday morning, an officer said.
The incident happened around 8.30am when Nithin and his friend Godwin, a resident of Thankassery in Kollam, were manoeuvring a traditional boat. They were staying at a resort in Kumbalangi and rowed a long way out before the boat capsized, said an officer with the fire and rescue services department.
“They started paddling the boat claiming they knew how to handle it. After the boat capsized, Godwin swam ashore but Nithin went missing. Nithin knew swimming but the incident happened when there wasn’t much water because of low tide,” the officer said.
After being alerted by Godwin, local residents informed the police and a case was registered. Scuba divers from the fire and rescue services department and the police, along with local fishermen, carried out the search.
“We suspect that after falling into the water, the youth might have got stuck in the marsh near the Edakochi bridge. The water flow in the area is dependent on the tide. During the day, the water-level was high because of high tide,” the official said.