First LANKAN to earn U.S. Navy SEAL Trident DEAD

Lieutenant Koyan Chamitha of the Sri Lanka Navy’s elite Special Boat Squadron (SBS), the first Sri Lankan to complete the U.S. Navy SEAL basic training and earn the coveted SEAL Trident, passed away in the early hours of today at the Walisara Wardroom.

Last year, Lieutenant Chamitha made history by becoming the first Sri Lankan to complete the rigorous SEAL basic training conducted by the Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command of the U.S. Navy, marking a significant milestone.

His achievement brought immense credit to the Navy and the nation. An old boy of Bandaranaike College, Gampaha, Lieutenant Chamitha joined the Navy on 30 June 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 toward special operations excellence began. In January 2025, he was attached to the Naval Special Warfare Basic Training Command for SEAL basic training. The U.S. 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.

From an initial pool of nearly 200 candidates, Lieutenant Chamitha emerged among the final 27 to earn the prestigious SEAL Trident, a symbol of excellence in special operations.

It was reported that Lieutenant Chamitha is believed to have passed away while asleep, with a possible heart attack cited as a preliminary assumption. However, authorities have stated that the official cause of death has not yet been confirmed, and further details are awaited.