Foreign naval officer goes missing in backwaters of Kerala's Kochi

India Today

3 days ago

A foreign naval officer has reportedly gone missing in the backwaters of Kerala's Kochi. The missing officer was in Kerala for training at the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, officials said.A defence Public Relations Officer (PRO) said the naval officer, whose nationality was not revealed, was involved in an accidental fall. According to the statement, there was an incident involving the accidental fall of an 'international trainee' into the Ernakulam channel at 5.30 pm.advertisementAccording to the statement, during the preliminary investigation, it was revealed that the trainee was on leave in Kochi, en route to his home country at the time of the incident. A search operation has been launched in the area by naval diving teams, the statement added.
Fire and Rescue Services and the Indian Navy immediately began search operations in the area. Naval diving teams have been deployed for the operation.The search operation is currently ongoing.International naval officers come for training at the INA Ezhimala regularly, as part of India's commitment to strengthening international cooperation and showcasing its naval training excellence.International cadets are integrated into the INA's regular training programmes, such as the Naval Orientation Course and B.Tech courses, alongside Indian cadets. This means they participate in the same passing out parades and rigorous training regimes.advertisementIn May, it was reported that 'international cadets from four friendly foreign nations' graduated from the academy in a single passing out parade. Another report from April 2022, suggested that 42 international trainees from 12 countries were undergoing training at the INA in that year.Written by Thejaswini N
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