Unlucky death of Medirigiriya Reporter ....

Unlucky death of Medirigiriya Reporter ....

who went to cover invading wild elephant!

Final video

It was last morning that a wild elephant had invaded Pasiyawewa hamlet in Minneriya and
Priyantha Ratnayaka, reporter of Medirigiriya Province who stepped out to cover the incident in the company of his fellow mediamen became a prey to the wild elephant and unfortunately breathed his last.

Priyantha who was lucky enough to bag the award for the best reporter as U Reporter of Sirasa in the year 2015 was 46 years old and a father of 3 children. He had also worked as the news correspondent for Derana, ITN and Mawbima.

At the time of the incident this wild elephant had been walking along the main road from Minneriya to Batu Oya and even traffic had come to a standstill for about 4 hours and Wild Life officers had had been moving along with the crowd with the idea of chasing it away while aiming gun-shots in the air. On this occasion when videoing the scenes unanticipatedly the animal had as if by chance turned around and proceeded towards and in front of Priyantha as well. When Priyantha who at that moment tried to beat a retreat in that instance had lost his footing and fallen with his camera. The animal who came after him with speed had placed his head on Priyantha's chest and pressed the chest.

Provincial reporter Rasanga Niroshana explaining the incident spoke about it as follows: "The elephant abruptly turned towards Priyantha Aiya and he ran. Suddenly he fell down. The elephant came there and after bending his front legs kept its head head on top of Priyantha Aiya's chest and pressed hard. Just then I came shouting and came near Priyantha Aiya when the elephant fled. I didn't have the guts to video that scene. We put Priyantha Aiya in a police jeep and went to Hingurakgoda Hospital. Priyantha Aiya didn't utter a word and he was bleeding from his nose and mouth".

Though doctors at thehospital had tried their best to rescue his life it was to no avail. Judicial Medical Officer of Polonnaruwa Hospital Dr. A.O.G. Bandara who conducted the postmortem returned a verdict of death caused as a result of damage caused to the victim's abdomen and chest.

It could be seen how the wild elephant pursues Priyantha and how he creeps into jungle as recorded in the video of his camera as the final video scene. The video, from below