News
Drowning incidents rise amidst heavy rains
View(s):Thirty one year-old Lakshan Wijeyarante a young doctor attached to the Mahiyanganaya Base Hospital would never have thought that a quick dip after a hard day’s work at the nearby Mapakada tank would snatch his life away.
This tragedy was just one among incidents of drowning reported this week related to the prevailing adverse weather conditions.
Playtime ends in tragedy: The flooded quarry that snatched the lives of two boys in Kaduwela. Pic by Eshan Fernando
Police made a special plea to parents to be mindful of children playing in flood waters after two boys aged 12 and 15 from Korathota, Kaduwela died as they attempted to use a barrel as a makeshift boat to float in a flooded quarry.
In Ambalangoda the body of a 17 year-old was found and search operations are continuing for another missing boy after they were swept away by a strong current while bathing at a nearby estuary.
Heavy rains and strong water current have hindered a search operation by Kandy police and rescue teams to find a 19 year-old man from Danthure who was reportedly swept away while washing his feet in the Mahaweli river.
Among other incidents reported, A 49 year-old man from Seeduwa drowned while bathing in a river and a 28 year-old was swept away while attempting to cross an overflowing stream on his motorbike.
Lakshan Wijeyarante
In a drowning incident unrelated to the adverse weather condition, the body of a 43 year-old Korean was found floating in a swimming pool at a hotel in Wadduwa with traces of head injury from an attempted dive.
According to statistics, annually over 700 lives are lost from drowning–the second highest cause of accidental deaths in the country after road traffic incidents.
Sri Lanka Life Saving Association president Asanka Nanayakkara said heavy rains especially to the hill country has an impact on almost all inland waterways while seas are turbulent during monsoons.
“When it rains, the rocks are slippery, the water is rough, the depths are not visible and there is the possibility of water levels suddenly increasing. Muddied and discoloured water is a warning sign especially near waterfalls,” he said.
A lack of water safety awareness, negligence, ignorance, the consumption of alcohol, lack of awareness of safe places for bathing or swimming are among the leading causes of death by drowning, he said.
The best way to say that you found the home of your dreams is by finding it on Hitad.lk. We have listings for apartments for sale or rent in Sri Lanka, no matter what locale you're looking for! Whether you live in Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Matara, Jaffna and more - we've got them all!