Sri Lanka Navy confirmed that the remains suspected to be of the officer who had been reported missing, following the maritime incident involving Fast Attack Craft P 4447 on 15 August, were recovered from the vessel by naval divers this morning (04).

According to the Sri Lanka Navy, the recovery operation was conducted when prevailing sea and underwater conditions permitted specialized diving operations to be carried out safely.

The craft was located at a depth of approximately 80 feet, where underwater visibility was extremely limited, the Navy said. The confined internal spaces of the vessel presented an additional challenge to divers conducting the recovery operation. Following the incident, the Sri Lanka Navy's primary focus remained the recovery of the missing officer.

While the other 11 personnel on board were successfully rescued with the assistance of the Angulana Police and the local fishing community, extensive search operations continued for the missing officer across the surrounding sea areas and along the coastline, extending from Panadura through Colombo towards Chilaw, according to the Navy.

The Navy also coordinated with the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) and other relevant agencies and deployed available maritime and aerial resources in support of the search effort. In parallel, efforts were undertaken to locate and recover the distressed craft.

These operations were affected by prevailing rough sea conditions and challenging underwater conditions, which presented significant risks to diving and salvage personnel, the Navy said. The Navy therefore continued to assess conditions and proceeded with specialized diving and salvage operations when the underwater environment permitted them to be conducted safely.

The recovery of the remains this morning marks the successful conclusion of the search and recovery phase, according to the Sri Lanka Navy. The Navy will now ensure that all necessary postmortem, identification and other procedures are carried out in accordance with established requirements.

The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation, the Navy said. An expert panel has been appointed to examine the incident and determine the factors that led to the loss of the craft and the subsequent disappearance of the officer.

Preliminary accounts from the rescued personnel indicating the possibility of contact with a submerged wreck in the vicinity are among the aspects being examined, according to the Navy. No definitive conclusion regarding the cause of the incident will be drawn until the investigation is complete.

Throughout the operation, the Navy's priority remained the safe recovery of the missing officer. The craft was an asset to be recovered. The missing officer was a life to be found.

Every available effort was directed accordingly, while ensuring that further naval personnel were not exposed to unacceptable risk during underwater recovery operations, the Navy said.

The Sri Lanka Navy remains committed to establishing the full circumstances of the incident through a thorough and professional investigation and will provide further factual information as appropriate, it added.