New Zealand family's boat capsizes off Cox's Bazar; teen missing, 3 rescued
Three members of the four-person family were rescued by local fishermen, while the Navy, Coast Guard and Fire Service are searching for the missing 16-year-old.
A 16-year-old teenager from New Zealand went missing after a boat carrying a family of four sank in the Bay of Bengal near the Nazirartek channel in Cox's Bazar today (25 August).
The family was travelling on a houseboat when it sank around 9:30am, said Cox's Bazar Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sheikh Mohammad Ali.
The missing teenager has been identified as Albert, 16. His family members, Jhon Edward, 74, Bela, 36, and Ralph, 13, were rescued alive by local fishermen and later handed over to the Coast Guard in Cox's Bazar.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The Coast Guard and a fire service diving team launched a search for Albert soon after the incident, while the Bangladesh Navy later deployed BNS Shapla and speedboats to assist in the rescue operation.
Cox's Bazar Fire Service Senior Station Officer Dolon Acharya said a specialised team reached the spot soon after receiving the report and began the search operation.
The three rescued family members were given first aid, he added.
According to police, the four New Zealand nationals had been travelling in the houseboat they made near the Nazirartek channel when it sank accidentally.
Local fishermen rushed to the spot and rescued the three family members, but Albert could not be found.
The search for the missing teenager was continuing into the evening, with the Navy, Coast Guard and Fire Service working jointly in the area.
