Update, 4 November 2026: The four fishermen are now back on land. The Sri Lanka Navy brought them to Hambantota port on the morning of 3 November, the navy says. They then went to Hambantota General Hospital for further medical care.
The navy says its offshore patrol vessel SLNS Sindurala took the men on board on 2 November. They were unharmed. The men received first aid and help on board. The navy names their boat as the trawler Eagle, with the number IMUL-A-0022-TLE.
According to the navy, the boat lost contact on 23 October. The owner reported it missing on 27 October, and the search started the same day. The navy, the coast guard, the air force, fishing boats and merchant ships took part.
Four Sri Lankan fishermen who went missing at sea during Cyclone Arnab have been found alive. Their boat was about 200 nautical miles (about 370 km) off Pottuvil. Sri Lanka's Ministry of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources announced this on 1 November 2026, Newswire reports.
The four men were on the multi-day fishing boat IMUL-A-0022 TLE. A multi-day boat stays at sea for several days. It left the Kudawella fisheries harbour on 21 October for a four-day trip. One of the four fishermen is also the owner of the boat.
Cyclone Arnab brought strong winds and rough seas. The ministry says the boat then lost all communication with the shore. The Fisheries Department's search and rescue centre started a search, Hiru News reports. The Sri Lanka Navy, the Sri Lanka Coast Guard and other fishing boats in the area took part.
The search team found the boat in deep water, with all four men alive and in good health. The government news portal news.lk also reported that they were safe. On 1 November, the ministry said it was arranging to bring them ashore. Medical checks and first aid were also arranged.
Three more fishermen are still missing
On 1 November, the Sri Lanka Navy said it was searching for seven fishermen, The Island reports. Four of them were the men from Kudawella. The other three left the Chalai area to fish on 26 October, and nobody has heard from them since. The navy said ships from its Southern, Northern and Eastern Naval Commands were searching.
On 3 November, the navy said the search for the three fishermen from Chalai was still going on. We will update this post when there is official news.
What it means for crews
Before you sail, check the weather warnings from the Department of Meteorology and the Department of Fisheries. The ministry asked all fishermen to do this.
Check that your radio and other communication equipment work before you leave port. The ministry also asked for this.
Tell people ashore your plan: where you will fish and when you will come back. If you do not return on time, they can ask for a search early.
If you hear a cyclone warning while at sea, follow the instructions of the authorities. Go to safe water as soon as you can.
Cover photo: fishing boats at the fishery harbour in Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka, January 2020. The photo is illustrative, not the boat in the story. Photo: A.Savin, Wikimedia Commons, Free Art License.
Sources: Sri Lanka Navy, 3 Nov 2026: Four (4) fishermen stranded by cyclone Arnab brought ashore, Newswire, 1 Nov 2026: Missing for days at sea: Navy-led search finds four fishermen alive, Hiru News (Gold FM News), 1 Nov 2026: Missing Kudawella fishing boat and four crew members found safe after Cyclone Arnab, news.lk (Tamil), 1 Nov 2026: Kudawella fishing boat IMUL-A-0022 TLE and four fishermen found safe 200 nautical miles from Pottuvil, The Island, 1 Nov 2026: Navy search operations continue for 7 fishermen lost at sea.
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