The Sri Lanka Navy has rescued four fishermen who were stranded at sea off the coast of Pottuvil following a multi-agency search and rescue operation.
The fishermen had departed from Kudawella Fisheries Harbour on October 21, 2026, and had failed to return as scheduled.
Acting on an alert received from the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the Navy launched a coordinated search and rescue operation involving the Sri Lanka Coast Guard, the Sri Lanka Air Force and local fishing boats operating in the area, the Navy said.
The Offshore Patrol Vessel SLNS Sindurala located the missing fishing trawler, ‘Heshaka Putha’ (IMUL-A-0658-KLT), along with its four crew members, unharmed on November 1, approximately 200 nautical miles off the coast of Pottuvil.
The operation was coordinated by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo, which kept all relevant parties informed, the Navy added.
Following the successful rescue, the four fishermen are being transported back to shore aboard SLNS Sindurala.
