In a tragic turn of events, the body of Albin Shinto, a student from Anachal in Idukki, was found three days after he went missing in a canal in Latvia. Albin, 18, who was studying at Novikontas Maritime College in Riga, disappeared on July 18 while bathing in the canal with his classmates. Despite their efforts to rescue him, he was swept away by the current.
After extensive searches by rescue teams and college authorities yielded no results, Albin’s classmates continued their search. They eventually spotted his body 150 meters from where he was believed to have drowned, while using a fishing boat. The body was retrieved and taken to a hospital morgue in Riga.
Arrangements are being made to return Albin’s body to Kerala, but it is expected that formalities in Latvia will take approximately a month before the body can be sent home. Albin’s father, Shinto, works as a jeep driver in Anachal, while his mother, Reena, is a teacher at Ellackal LP School. Albin has one sister. He had traveled abroad for higher studies eight months ago.
This incident has deeply affected the family and the community, highlighting the challenges faced by students studying abroad.