After four and a half months, the six Sri Lankan sailors from the ship “Lorenzo Putha 4” kidnapped at the end of January and later released by the Seychelles coastguard have finally arrived at the port of Dikowita. The joy of being reunited with their families, but also the concern for the economic losses they suffered as a result of the unfortunate mishap.
Colombo (Asia News) – The six fishermen from the boat “Lorenzo Putha 4” kidnapped on January 27 by Somali pirates in international waters have arrived in Sri Lanka from the port of Dikowita. Released by the Seychelles coastguard two days later, they remained stranded for months while delicate diplomatic negotiations took place.
“The day we were kidnapped by Somali pirates, God saved me and the five other sailors who worked with me. We thank the Seychelles Navy, those working in the port of Victoria and the officials of the Ministry of Fisheries of Sri Lanka Lanka who helped us return,” Rakhitha Dushan, captain of the ship, told .
“We suffered a lot during these four and a half months,” he continued. We didn’t have money to send to our family because we didn’t have a job. We work hard to raise even small amounts like 100 or 200 rupees. Today I will see my baby for the first time, who was born in the meantime. “We are glad that the ship was rescued and arrived safely in Sri Lanka.”
The ship’s owner, Francis Milroy, said he had had to work hard to get to this moment, regretting a huge financial loss due to this incident. Owner of three fishing boats, Milroy stated that neither he nor the fishermen had received any financial help from the government in these months of hardship. “My fishing boats and fishermen have suffered this unfortunate fate because of Somali pirates, while they were working in accordance with the law and with the relevant permits,” he recalled.
“Today is a day we were looking forward to; we have been reunited with our husbands and brothers,” Iresha Madhuwanti, wife of one of the fishermen, told . “I thank God for having saved the lives of these people and the people who “He has helped us even if it was just with a word in these difficult times”.
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