Navy brings ashore five Lankan fishermen rescued by foreign vessel

The Navy brought ashore five fishermen, rescued by MV LGC Periklis, to the Galle Harbour and rushed them to the Karapitiya Hospital, Galle, for medical attention on Saturday.

Navy sources said that the fishermen were in distress after their multi-day fishing trawler ‘Asela Putha II’ capsized due to adverse weather in seas southwest of the country.

The trawler had left the Beruwala Fishery Harbour on 04 Nov. 2021, with six fishermen.

As there was no information about this fishing trawler after 01 Jan, the Beruwala Police and the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources turned to the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC Colombo) at the Navy Headquarters for assistance on 04 and 05 Jan. to inquire whether it was in any danger. Promptly responding to the request for assistance, the Navy alerted the MRCCs in India and the Maldives to keep a watch for the missing Lankan multiday fishing trawler.

The Captain of the MV LGC Periklis sailing to the Port Blair of India via Maldivian waters off the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, sent a message to the MRCC Colombo about the distressed Lankan fishing trawler ‘Asela Putha II’ in the morning of 07 Jan.

Periklis’ captain indicated that five fishermen of the local fishing trawler, which had capsized due to adverse weather in the Maldivian waters about 332 nautical miles (about 614 km) southwestern of Galle, had been rescued and and one fisherman was missing.

The rescued fishermen were brought to Galle Saturday evening by MV LGC Periklis, where P 107 Coastal Patrol Craft attached to the Southern Naval Command transferred them ashore in accordance with COVID-19 protocols. The fishermen were later rushed to the Karapitiya Hospital for medical attention.

The MRCC Colombo has requested the MRCC Maldives to carry out onward action with regard to the search for the missing fisherman.