An Israeli tourist narrowly escaped a robbery attempt in Sri Lanka after leaping from a moving tuk-tuk, sustaining cuts and bruises but avoiding what he feared could have been a fatal attack.
Matityahu Korman, a young ultra-Orthodox man from Jerusalem, had been traveling alone in the coastal town of Arugam Bay. After leaving a Chabad House, he was approached by a driver who introduced himself as Abd al-Karim and offered to take him to see elephants.
The outing began calmly. The driver took Korman to scenic spots, photographed him on his phone, and helped him climb rocks for views. But on returning to the tuk-tuk, the driver warned him not to speak with other taxis and soon steered onto an isolated side road. There, he demanded Korman’s personal details and photographed his passport before seizing it along with his wallet, cash, and credit cards.
Korman pleaded for his belongings back, offering money instead. The driver eventually returned the wallet but extorted 5,000 rupees (about $56) and later forced another $100 from him, threatening harm if he reported the incident to police or soldiers at checkpoints.
When the vehicle diverted again onto a side road, Korman decided to jump. “If he doesn’t stop, this ends with my murder somewhere remote,” he recalled. With no doors on the tuk-tuk, he hurled himself out near a military checkpoint, where soldiers witnessed the leap. He suffered injuries to his right arm and legs.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
Other drivers and soldiers intervened as the assailant falsely claimed Korman was drunk. Korman made his way back to the Chabad House, where emissary Rabbi Avraham treated his wounds and calmed him. Police later arrived with a Jewish-American doctor who translated his statement and helped file a complaint.
The driver was arrested but police offered Korman a choice: pursue a lengthy legal case in Sri Lanka, or accept restitution and drop charges. He chose the latter, receiving $150 and 10,000 rupees seized from the driver. Before release, officers ordered the man to bow in apology.
“I didn’t need his apology,” Korman said. He remains at the Chabad House until his flight home Saturday, recovering from his injuries. “It’s better to travel with one or two partners. And if you travel alone, you must be very cautious.”