A small cargo boat ran aground on a reef near Malé, the capital of the Maldives, late on Saturday, 31 October 2026. All four people on board were rescued. Nobody was hurt, the Maldives Police Service said, Sun reports.
The boat was sailing from Hithadhoo in Addu City, in the far south of the country, to Malé. It hit the reef at Rasmalé. This is a large area near Malé where the government is building new land from sand. Dredgers are working there now.
On board were the captain, who is Maldivian, and three foreign crew. The reports do not give their names or nationalities. The police got the report at 11:15 pm local time. Sun says the boat tipped over on the reef. Videos on social media show the boat leaning heavily after it hit the reef, Adhadhu reports.
How the rescue worked
The police and the Coast Guard of the MNDF (Maldives National Defence Force) went to the scene at once. A boat from the Rasmalé work site picked up the four people first. A Coast Guard harbour patrol boat then helped move them to another boat working in the area.
The owner is now trying to pull the boat off the reef. The damage is not known yet. The authorities are looking into how the accident happened.
What crews of small cargo boats can do
Check the latest charts and notices before you sail near building or dredging work. New land, sand banks and work boats can change the area fast.
Keep a good lookout and slow down at night near reefs. Use radar and GPS, but also watch with your eyes.
Keep a safe distance from dredgers and work zones. Ask the work site or the harbour by radio for a safe route.
Wear a life jacket on deck at night and near reefs. Make sure every person on board has one.
Call the coast guard at once if the boat hits a reef or starts to lean. Give your position and the number of people on board.
Do not try to stay with a boat that is tipping over. Get off safely and wait for help on a rescue boat.
Cover photo: the Maldivian coast guard ship Hurawee (P 801) during a training exercise with the US Navy, July 2010. The photo is illustrative and was not taken during this rescue. Photo: Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David McKee, U.S. Navy, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
Sources: Sun, 1 Nov 2026: Cargo vessel travelling from Addu to Male' wrecks on Rasmale' reef; four crew rescued without injuries, Adhadhu, 1 Nov 2026: Cargo vessel runs aground on Rasmalé reef.
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