Eye-witness accounts of Kirinda tragedy

Eye-witness accounts of Kirinda tragedy

The incident of the father and two children who were washed away by the sea when they on Kirinda beach recently was news that brought a shock to the whole country. The mother who sustained serious injury presently is at the intensive care unit in a serious condition. 

A report by eye witnesses follows: "We were trodding on the waves and moving forward. Then Hasini akka who was on land cautioned us saying that the waves were taking a sharp turn and not to go further. Indika aiyya took no notice about it and calling akka ... went to the sea. We were trodding
on the waves and moving slowly towards the sea. Just at that moment, two or three big tidal waves rushed in  and instantly those waves ran over us. At that moment Chandika aiyya was holding the hands of chuty baba and mine tightly. Instantly and involuntarily our hands lost the grip we had with each other. 

I kept going down and surfacing to the waters two or three times. After that I did not see chuty baba and Indika aiyya". That is what Miss Dimuthugama Wijekoon Mudiyanselage Thilini Wijeykoon of Nuwara Eliya who joined in this trip said at the autopsy of the father and mother who became a prey to the waters. 

The three who died from this tragedy were, Nuwan Indika Wijeysuriya (39), Nasanta Sahandi Wijeysuriya (39) and Nadila Inomi Wijeysuriya (4; all of Hatton. Autopsy of the father referred to and his two children were carried out by inquirer into sudden deaths, Mr. K.T.D. Neranjan. The three of them were taken away by the waters and drowned while trodding the waters of Kirinda sea coast after having come on a picnic to Yala, Tissamaharama with a group of persons of a private bank in Hatton. The mother who incidentally was rescued by the mother of the three deceased is at the moment under treatment in a serious condition at Amparai hospital. 

Miss Thilini Wijeykoon who gave evidence at the autopsy further exclaimed: "We came on a trip with a group in the bank and members of their families on 21st morning. We headed straight to Yala Hotel. We booked rooms there and stayed there. We were to go back to Nuwara eliya on 23rd morning. We were up on 23rd morning. We went towards the sea to trod on the waters in the company of Hasini akka, Indika aiyya and the two children. A short while later Hasini akka gave me a call and that they were trodding the waters and to come to that spot. I was at the hotel and around 7.30 I came to where akka and the crowd were. Then I saw Indika aiyya trodding the waters with chuty baba somewhere close to where the waves were gushing. I saw Hasini akka gathering sea shells with loku batta. I also went there. At that moment Indika aiyya was trampling the waters with chuty baba. After a short while I, Hasini akka and loku baba went towards where Indika aiyya was. Indika aiyya was videoing on phone the two children and akka trodding the waves. In the process Indika aiyya, I, with chuty baba in the middle were holding each other's hands and began walking further up across the waves. Then Hasini akka who was on land said that the waves were gushing dangerously and warned not to move any further. Then aiyya called akka and said "you also get down to the sea and come over to where we are". We were moving forward slowly. All of a sudden the three of us were run over by a single wave. At that moment ayya, chuty baba and I were gripping each other's hands. With that wave that gushed in, we lost each other's grip. At that time I went down in the waters and kept coming up several times. I got thrown towards the land side because of a rapid wave and my legs hit the ground that moment. I then darted towards the shore. At that time I did not see Hasini akka, aiyya and the two small tots. I saw Gayan aiyya who was with us jumping into the sea. I dashed into the hotel and shouted at those who were there that akka and the others got washed away by the sea. Then some persons in the hotel came running towards the sea. After that, I cannot remember what happened after that. Subsequently chuty baba was brought to shore ... I saw something like he was being given artificial respiration. I came to know that Indika aiyya and the two children had died. I believe that they died by being caught in Kirinda sea and being drowned there. I have no suspicion about these deaths". 

This is what the dead person's brother, Dilan Chanaka Wijesuriya (36) said by giving evidence: "My aiyya who has died is a businessman in Hatton. His wife functions as an administrative officer of a private bank in Nuwara eliya. With employees of the private bank in Nuwara eliya, together with aiyya, akka and two children have come to Tissamaharama, Yala inclusive of another group on a welfare excursion. I did not know about this trip of theirs in advance. 

On the 23rd I came to Nallathanniya Telecom in a vehicle for a certain matter. At about 10.30 in the morning a relative aiyya of mine gave me a call and said that your brother has gone on a trip and met with an accident ... to come to Hatton quickly. Later I came to know that aiyya and the crowd has met with an accident at Kirinda sea. On that day I came to Tissamaharama around 5.30 that evening. There I came to know that aiyya and the two children have been drowned in the sea. I have no suspicion about these deaths". 

The post-mortem about the deaths was conducted by judicial medical officer of Tissamaharama district hospital, Mr. H. T.W. Ajith KUmara and his conclusion was that these three deaths were due to suffocation. After taking into consideration of evidence secured, coroner Mr. K.T.C. Neranjan decided that these deaths were caused by suffocation by drowning. Police inquiries were conducted by police sergeant Anin (63547) and Tissamaharama police constable (754) Jayaratna. 

-- Tissamaharama, Ranjith S. Diamon