Bodies of two missing in boat capsize found on Kole Wetland at Nedupuzha in Kerala

Two people, who went missing after a mini boat capsized during heavy rain on Friday evening in the Kole Wetland at Nedupuzha in Kerala’s Thrissur district, were found dead on Saturday morning.

A scuba team from Thrissur Fire Station found the bodies after more than an hour of search around 8 am. Nedupuzha police were confirming whether the two missing persons had escaped unnoticed since Friday night. Fire and Rescue Services suspended the search at around 10pm on Friday after more than three hours due to poor visibility and adverse weather conditions.

3 of the 5 people on the boat managed to swim to safety. The group had gone to feed fish at the Kole Wetland, which one Sunil had rented for aquaculture. The identities of the victims have not yet been confirmed as they were known only to Sunil, who was reportedly among those who escaped.

“We recovered the boat on Friday night and marked the area for further search in the morning. The bodies were found nestled together about 25 meters from the shore. They were handed over to Nedupuzha police for formalities, including post-mortem,” said senior fire officer PS Binu, who led the scuba diving team.

It was reported that although the ship had an engine, it was not functional and was rowed manually. It is believed to have capsized after being caught in the harsh weather prevailing in the Thrissur region until Friday. Due to the ongoing bad weather conditions in the district, a holiday was declared on Saturday.

vulnerable spot

Local residents said the area where the accident occurred was particularly sensitive, the waters were deep and they had witnessed similar accidents in the past.

Kole Wetlands, covering Thrissur and Malappuram districts, traditionally alternate between paddy cultivation and aquaculture.