Supul Jayasinghe with his Labrador Border Collie, Neo, minutes before he fell into the Atlantic Ocean
Twenty-one-year-old Supul Jayasinghe, who dreamed of becoming a doctor and join Medicine Sans Frontier to travel around the world, healing people, is missing after he slipped and fell into the sea in Newfoundland, eastern Canada, on Wednesday (April 21) evening.
The young man’s father, Bandula, told the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) that he saw his son running after the Labrador Border Collie family dog Neo and slipped on the rocks and ended up in the water as his wife and he looked on helplessly.
Bandula, unable to come to terms with the tragic loss of his only child, said, Supul was surprised by ending up in the Atlantic waters and initially took the fall lightly. “But when he was trying to come out … whatever he touched slipped,” the grieving father said. “He tumbled in the waves as the current carried him farther out from shore. His son’s final words to his shocked father, who saw him in difficulty, were: “Dad help me.”
Bandula tried to throw the dog’s leash to Supul and nearly slipped and fell into the water himself. His son seemed to float, treading water, as darkness was falling. Ten minutes later, he vanished without a trace.
Toronto journalist and writer Chandrarathne Bandara says Supul’s father Bandula has been a friend for a long time. “He gave up his senior executive post at the Export Development Board and migrated to Canada along with his wife Lakmali for the sake of his son. I met him in Toronto, and later the family went to Alberta and then moved to Newfoundland to settle down.”
Supul studied in several Canadian universities and sat for his semester exam at the Memorial University, Newfoundland, a few days before his death. The family decided to take a stroll down on the Flatrock beach to celebrate Supul’s success at the exam before the tragedy happened. He excelled in sports and studies and was a licensed pilot and a Duke of Edinburgh award winner.
According to Supul’s Facebook page, he worked at 952 ‘West Jet’ Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron. He had taken part in the Memorial University Relay for Life to raise funds for cancer victims.
His last Facebook post is dated February 21, 2016. It is about a key doctrine of Buddhism called Patichcha Samuppadaya, which means all dharmas (phenomena) arise in dependence upon other dharmas.
Among his friend’s list is Toronto’s well-known Buddhist monk Bhante Saranapala who resides in the West-End Buddhist Temple in Mississauga.
Supul’s parents expressed stoic acceptance of their loss Wednesday, talking overtly to CBC concerning the ordeal. “I am a Buddhist. So everything happens with a reason. So, therefore, I have the courage still to stand and talk to you,” Bandula said, looking sadly at the waves lapping against the Flatrock. “What has happened has happened.… He’s gone.”
A helicopter from 103 Search and Rescue Squadron in Gander, a Canadian Coast Guard ship from St. John’s in addition to Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officers, spent the night searching for the missing youth.
According to a report, officers arrived within the Flatrock area around 8:15 p.m. after the tragedy, with a Cormorant helicopter arriving shortly afterward. They scoured the shoreline and waters, utilizing flares to light up the sea. The search continues. (newstrails.com)
