Dinesh Hemantha, a 33-year-old resident of Suriyawewa in Hambantota, who disappeared from Sri Pada’s precincts while on a pilgrimage with two women, has miraculously been found unharmed.
Hemantha, accompanied by the two women, was captured on security camera footage running down the Ratnapura road from Sri Pada’s upper courtyard around 10 am on the 19th. He subsequently leapt over the safety fence, plummeting into a deep crevice.
Concerned witnesses, including the two women and a child, reported the incident to Nallathanniya police. According to their account, Hemantha, displaying erratic behavior, ventured into the courtyard before losing consciousness and ultimately jumping from the yard towards the Hela side of Ratnapura road.
A joint operation involving troops from the Lakshapana Army Camp and officers from the Nallathanniya Police Special Task Force was launched on the 20th to locate the missing individual. Despite efforts, the search was hindered when the signal from Hemantha’s phone abruptly vanished near the Ratnapura district border, prompting the transfer of the investigation to Siripagama police.
Five days after his disappearance, Hemantha was discovered in the Rajamale area of the Murray estate near the Sri Pada reserve. Fatigued but unscathed, he was handed over to Nallathanniya police by estate workers.
In a bewildering turn of events, Hemantha claims to have no recollection beyond his initial descent into the courtyard. He recounts regaining consciousness near a river with no memory of how he arrived there. Subsisting solely on water, he wandered along the riverbank until discovering a tea house, where he sought assistance from locals who subsequently alerted the authorities.
After his rescue, Hemantha was admitted to Maskeliya hospital and later transferred to Dik Oya Base Hospital for further evaluation.