A Israeli-built Super Dvora Mk III patrol vessel sank off the Moratuwa coast after colliding with a sunken merchant ship that had been submerged for 15 years, killing one crew member while 11 others were rescued.
A Navy Fast Attack Craft (FAC) sank on Saturday following a collision with a submerged merchant vessel off the Angulana coast in Moratuwa. The incident occurred at 11:40 am approximately three nautical miles from shore while the Super Dvora Mk III was returning to base after a routine patrol. Of the 12-member crew, 11 were rescued in a joint operation involving the Navy, Police, and local fishing community members. The second-in-command of the vessel was killed in the accident, marking the first fatality of its kind for the Navy since the conclusion of the conflict in 2009.
According to investigations, the FAC collided with the MV Thermopylae Sierra, a Cyprus-flagged bulk carrier that sank in August 2012 during a monsoon storm. The vessel had been abandoned and anchored off the west coast following a legal dispute and remained submerged for approximately 15 years. While the wreck was clearly marked on nautical charts available to the crew, authorities had not placed a physical buoy at the site to warn maritime traffic, according to local residents and civilian observers quoted in reports.
Navy officials have acknowledged the possibility that the FAC collided with the sunken ship and appointed a panel of experts to investigate the circumstances. Sources familiar with naval operations emphasize that the vessel struck a marked wreck that had been documented on charts, raising questions about potential negligence. An authoritative Navy source cautioned that conclusions remain premature, though the core issue centers on how a documented hazard resulted in the collision.
The Super Dvora Mk III was acquired from Israel in February 2011 as part of a fleet expansion following the war's conclusion. The vessel was among the heavier, better-equipped FACs obtained for operations in the country's Exclusive Economic Zone. The Navy subsequently salvaged the sunken craft and towed it to Colombo harbor.
