A 26-year-old university student has gone missing after reportedly falling into the Mahaweli Vyāna Canal near the 17th Mile Post in Mapakadawewa along the Mahiyangana–Badulla Road, according to Mahiyanganaya Police.
The missing woman has been identified as Rashmi Lakshika Mendis, a student of Rajarata University. At the time of the incident, she had been travelling with her boyfriend from the university towards her home in Hambantota, passing through Mahiyanganaya in his car.
The couple had stopped briefly near the canal for a walk when they reached the 17th Mile Post area. While walking along the canal bank, the boyfriend is said to have slipped and fallen into the water. In an attempt to rescue him, Rashmi jumped into the canal.
Neither of them could swim, and the strong current began pulling them downstream. A woman who had been nearby noticed the situation and screamed for help, alerting others in the area.
Officers from the Mapakadawewa Police Training College, including Sumedha Bandara, rushed to the scene and managed to save the boyfriend. However, Rashmi was swept away by the current and remains missing, police said.
Search and rescue operations are ongoing.
