Navy rushes injured fisherman ashore for emergency care

The Sri Lanka Navy underscored its dedication to maritime safety and humanitarian assistance by swiftly evacuating an injured fisherman and facilitating emergency transfer to medical care on 26 Apr 26. The fisherman was aboard a local multiday fishing trawler off the east coast and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo coordinated the retrieval of the fisherman.

The multiday fishing trawler ‘Lakshitha 5’ (IMUL-A-2217 TLE), carrying six crew members, had set sail from the Kudawella Fisheries Harbour. While engaged in fishing activities approximately 75 nautical miles east of Sri Lanka, one of its crew members suffered lacerations, leaving him in need of immediate medical attention.

Responding to a request for assistance from the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, directed to the MRCC Colombo, the Navy promptly dispatched a craft attached to the Eastern Naval Command to the location.

Upon reaching the trawler, naval personnel safely transferred the injured fisherman to the naval craft and administered essential first aid to the patient during swift passage ashore. After the injured fisherman was brought safely to the Trincomalee Harbour he was rushed to the Trincomalee General Hospital for further treatment.

Committed to the safety of those at sea, the Sri Lanka Navy remains in a constant state of readiness, with the coordination of the MRCC Colombo, to provide life-saving assistance to the maritime and fishing communities within the Sri Lankan Search and Rescue Region.