Salvaged Fast Attack Craft may have struck submerged wreck off Angulana
A search for a missing Sri Lanka Navy officer continued for a fourth day on Tuesday after Fast Attack Craft P 4447 encountered an emergency while returning from a routine patrol off Angulana.
The incident occurred at approximately 11.40 a.m. on August 15. Eleven personnel aboard the craft were rescued with assistance from the Angulana Police and members of the local fishing community. They remain under medical care and are reported to be in stable condition.
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The missing officer, however, has still not been located.
Navy divers succeeded in salvaging the distressed vessel following an operation that began early on August 16, although rough seas impeded attempts to tow it. Naval and Air Force resources have been deployed in the continuing search.
Preliminary accounts from rescued personnel suggest the craft may have struck a submerged wreck in the area. The Navy has stressed that this remains only one possibility under examination, and a panel of experts has been appointed to establish what occurred.
That investigation must determine whether the submerged object was previously charted, whether navigational warnings had been issued, what equipment was operational aboard P 4447 and whether sea conditions or mechanical failure contributed to the incident.
The immediate priority remains finding the missing officer. Thereafter must come a transparent accounting of how a frontline naval vessel was placed in distress so close to Sri Lanka’s coastline.
At sea, speculation assists nobody. Facts-and accountability-must follow the search.
