The body of two students of a private college who had drowned at Kovalam beach on Sunday evening were retrieved by the police. Search operations are continuing to trace the third student who had been missing.
According to Kelambakkam police, the deceased were identified as K. Ritheshkumar Prajabathi, 20, from Jharkhand and M. Noyal Jackup Melvin, 23, from Mumbai. The missing student has been identified as M. Mukesh, 19, from Kovilpatti.
Police said a group of five students had gone to Kovalam beach on Sunday. Ritheshkumar, Mukesh, and Noyal entered the sea despite not knowing how to swim. They were soon caught in strong waves, which dragged them into deeper waters.
Lifeguards and rescue personnel rushed to the spot and managed to retrieve Noyal after nearly an hour. He was taken to Chengalpattu Government Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead. The other two students were swept away by the waves.
After an overnight search, rescue teams recovered Ritheshkumar’s body on Monday morning. It was sent to Chengalpattu Government Hospital, where doctors confirmed his death. The search for Mukesh is still under way, police said.
