Bhubaneswar: A massive multi-agency search operation has been launched by the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) on Saturday after Merchant Navy cadet from Odisha Sarthak Mohapatra went missing from a vessel in Mauritian waters.
The DGS is spearheading a joint operation with the Government of Singapore, Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre in Mauritius to locate the 22-year-old Odia sailor.
The DGS said coordinated efforts are underway involving the ship’s crew, Mauritian authorities and international maritime agencies to trace the missing youth. Search operations at sea have been intensified, w
ith aerial and naval assets deployed to scan the waters. Minister and Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping are directly overseeing the progress and a fact-finding team has been formed to investigate the case.
The incident has sparked widespread concern in Odisha, with the cadet’s family pleading for urgent intervention from both the state and central governments. Employed as a cadet by Anglo-Eastern Ship Management since July 2025, Sarthak was serving aboard the EA Jersey ship sailing in Mauritius sea when he went missing on February 3 under mysterious circumstances. Sarthak’s family in Bhadrak is in deep distress. His mother has appealed to the government of Odisha and the Centre to step in and ensure that every possible measure is taken to trace her son.
The family has also sought diplomatic intervention, urging the Ministry of External Affairs to press Mauritian authorities for swift action. The case has drawn attention to the vulnerabilities faced by young cadets serving on international waters.