A 22-year-old Indian deck cadet, Karandeep Singh Rana, is feared to have been lost overboard from a merchant vessel while transiting off the Sri Lankan coast on the evening of September 20, according to reports from his family and the shipping company.
Karandeep, a senior deck cadet from Uttarakhand, was serving aboard the Front Princess, which was en route from Iraq to China via Sri Lanka and Singapore. His father, Narendra Rana, said that the family last spoke with him on the morning of September 20. Later that day, they were informed by the shipping company, Executive Ship Management Pvt Ltd, that Karandeep was missing.
A 96-hour search and rescue operation was launched immediately, involving the ship’s crew, Sri Lankan defence helicopters, and several nearby vessels. Despite the extensive efforts, no trace of the cadet has been found.
In an official statement, Executive Ship Management Pvt Ltd expressed “profound sadness” over the incident. “Our hearts go out to Karandeep’s family and friends at this tragic hour, as well as his shipmates who worked hard searching for him,” the company said.
The firm added that a full investigation would be conducted once the vessel arrives in China in the coming days and urged against speculation to avoid further distress to the grieving family.