A foreign national drowned while swimming off the Hikkaduwa coast on Friday, while police also rescued a foreign woman from the sea in a separate incident later the same day.
Police said the drowning occurred on the morning of December 19 in the Wewala area under the Hikkaduwa Police Division, when a foreign man bathing in the sea was caught in a strong current and dragged offshore.
The man was later brought back to shore and rushed to the Balapitiya Hospital by the 1990 Suwa Seriya ambulance service, but died while receiving treatment.
The deceased was identified as a 54-year-old Belarusian national. His body has been placed at the Balapitiya Hospital mortuary, and Hikkaduwa Police are conducting further investigations.
In a separate water-related incident on Friday evening, a 44-year-old Russian woman was rescued after being caught in a strong current while swimming off the Hikkaduwa coast.
Police said officers attached to the Hikkaduwa Police Lifeguard Unit, who were on duty at the time, rescued the woman and provided first aid. She was reported to be out of danger. (Newswire)
