Sri Lanka Naval Ship Suranimala attached to the Northern Naval Command rescued a fishing vessel drifting in the seas 34 nautical miles east of Point Pedro on 14th February 2013.
The vessel, which had developed an engine failure at mid-sea, was safely towed to PPD along with its 5-member crew.
The rescued vessel, named “Priyantha”, had left for fishing from Matara. The crew had alerted the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of their distress while drifting in the rough northern seas. The Naval Headquarters in response to a request made by the DFAR for assistance directed the Northern Naval Command for the rescue mission.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, February 15, 2013; Image: Sri Lanka Navy