A 21-year-old Tunisian tourist who went missing after being swept away by a rip current while surfing off the Weligama coast has been found dead.
The body washed ashore at Parana Kade beach in Weligama on Sunday morning (9), Weligama Police said.
How it happened
The tourist was part of a group of Tunisian visitors surfing off Parana Kade beach on Saturday afternoon (8) when he was caught in a strong rip current amid sudden rough winds and disappeared.
An extensive search followed, involving police lifesaving personnel, Coast Guard officials and private divers. Difficult sea conditions hampered the operation, which ended when the body was found on the same beach the following morning.
Weligama Headquarters Police are investigating.
Rough seas along the south coast
The death came during a spell of hazardous conditions along the southern and southeastern coast. A Red-level marine advisory covering the sea from Matara to Pottuvil was in force through the weekend and was reissued on Sunday until 7.00 a.m. on Monday, with the Met Department warning of very rough seas and gusts reaching 60 kmph.
Weligama, a short distance west of Matara, sits just outside the zone named in that advisory, which is directed at fishing and naval communities rather than swimmers or surfers.
The weather has already proved costly at sea this month. Five fishermen died in weather-related incidents in early August, and the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has repeatedly restricted small craft from working the affected waters.
Weligama Bay is one of the island’s most popular beginner surfing destinations and draws visitors year-round.
Sources: Daily Mirror.
