Navy renders assistance to bring ashore ill fisherman at sea

Sri Lanka Navy, today 03^rd August 2020, rendered assistance to bring ashore a fisherman for treatment, as he suddenly fell ill at sea.

Responding to a distress alert disseminated by the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Center (MRCC) Colombo at Naval Headquarters, the Navy promptly dispatched a craft attached to the Southern Naval Command to assist the ill fisherman. The patient who was aboard the multi-day fishing vessel ‘Yasiru Putha’, which left the Galle fisheries harbor on 29^th July 2020, had developed a chest pain while at sea.

Having retrieved the patient in the sea area about 50 nautical miles (92km) southeast of Galle, the Navy brought him to the Galle harbour administering basic first aid for his ailments. Meanwhile, the Navy also made sure to follow proper hygiene and decontamination procedures during the patient transfer, due to COVID – 19 concerns. Subsequently, the fisherman who is a resident of Beruwala, aged 57 was rushed to the Karapitiya Hospital for further treatment.

The Navy has been entrusted with the responsibility for maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) operations in Sri Lanka’s Search and Rescue Region and has responded to distress calls of this nature on numerous occasions earlier. Moreover, the Navy is fully committed to meet the safety of life at sea regulations, in accordance with international conventions.