Three fishing vessels have encountered accidents in separate incidents off Sri Lanka's western coast amid rough sea conditions, prompting a coordinated rescue operation involving military personnel.

Adverse weather conditions at sea have triggered a series of maritime incidents involving fishing boats off the western coast, according to the Department of Fisheries. Three separate accidents have been reported, affecting multiple vessels and crew members across the region.

In the most serious incident, a fishing boat carrying two fishermen collided with a reef off the Negombo coast and was destroyed. One of the crew members remains unaccounted for, while the body of the other fisherman has been recovered and washed ashore near Negombo. A second vessel suffered partial damage after striking a reef and subsequently drifted to shore, with both fishermen aboard surviving the incident. A third fishing boat is currently anchored off the Bopitiya coast with two crew members still on board.

In response to the incidents, the Defence Ministry has mobilized a coordinated response involving both naval and air force assets. According to Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Sampath Thuyacontha, Secretary of Defence, a joint rescue operation has been initiated to provide assistance to affected fishermen. The operation includes the deployment of a Bell 412 helicopter as part of the rescue and recovery efforts.