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Naval prodigy Lt Koyan Chamitha laid to rest with full military honours
View(s):Lieutenant Koyan Chamitha (28), the first from the Sri Lanka Navy to successfully complete the coveted U.S. Navy SEAL training who passed away unexpectedly, was laid to rest with full military honours on Friday.
Lieutenant Chamitha who was attached to the Special Boat Squadron (SBS) of the Sri Lanka Navy was based at Welisara Navy Camp at the time of his sudden demise. The Sri Lanka Navy says that he was found dead at the naval quarters within the Welisara Navy Camp on Wednesday.
An old boy of Bandaranayake College in Gampaha, Lieutenant Chamitha joined the Navy on 30 Jun 2017 as part of the 60th intake of Officer Cadets. After completing his basic training at the Naval and Maritime Academy in Trincomalee, the officer advanced to train in the Navy’s elite Special Boat Squadron (SBS), where his journey towards special operations excellence began. 
The late officer made history by becoming the first Sri Lankan to have successfully completed the rigorous Navy SEAL basic training programme in the US in 2025 that was conducted by the Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command of the US Navy before returning to Sri Lanka to resume his duties in the Navy.
The US Navy SEAL training process is widely regarded as one of the toughest Special Forces qualification programmes in the world. It includes multiple demanding phases such as Basic Underwater Demolition, Combat Diving, Land Warfare and small-unit tactics, all designed to forge highly disciplined and mentally resilient combatants.
Meanwhile, the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal (Retd). Sampath Thuyacontha has directed the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy to conduct a formal inquiry and submit a report regarding Lieutenant Chamitha’s sudden passing.
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