Sri Lankan Chef drowns in Seychelles

A Sri Lankan youth employed as a Chef in the Seychelles has drowned while trying to rescue two children at the beach, a family member said.

The family of the deceased was informed of the incident via a friend residing at Seychelles.

The incident had occurred last Saturday as the group of friends of the Sri Lankan Chef W.A Arunathissa had got together to spend vacation time on a beach. Even though the friends of Arunathissa had gone for a bath, he had stayed on the beach as the tides appeared strong.

As his friends were bathing at the sea a mother and two children too had come to the beach. The two children had first remained playing at the beach but had followed their mother to the sea and had fallen into the water from an embankment.

Arunathissa had jumped into the water and managed to save the two children, according to eyewitnesses.

Though he was able to save the children, he was dragged into the sea and drowned. Though the friends had tried to save him they too had failed in the matter.

The brother of the deceased W.A Malinda Thushara explained that his brother was a person who never swam in any water body as he is unable to swim and lamented that though his brother’s act was noble. If he was incapable of handling waves he should not have jumped into the water.

He said that his mother who is a widow is also saddened by the incident and is waiting until the body is sent to Sri Lanka to carry out the last rights of the deceased.

“We have handed over the documents to Seychelles consular office and are awaiting until we retrieve the body”, he said.