Pics: Ramesh Pandith
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SB/SP)

Updated

Mangaluru, May 30: Two teenagers drowned in the Netravati river at Adyar here on the evening of Monday May 29.

The deceased have been identified as Likith Raj (16), son of Ramanna, a resident of Pudu village, Farangipet, and Yagnesh (16), son of Bhavani Shankar of Kumpana Majalu.

The exact circumstances leading to the tragedy are not yet ascertained, but it is said that they had gone for a swim when the water level was low, but were washed away when the level suddenly rose. 

Likith (L) and Yagnesh

Both had completed their SSLC this year. While Likith had enrolled in Alva's College for PU, Yagnesh had joined Sharada Vidyalaya College.

Bike and clothes of the deceased have been recovered from the banks of the river.

The bodies have been shifted to Wenlock hospital.

Vamanjoor police have registered a case.

The two boys were close friends and lived about half a kilometre apart. They were always found to be together, when attending programmes, playing, or doing some other activities.

Likhith's father, Ramanna Shetty, operates a general store at Farangipet. Likhith was helping his father in running the store during holidays. On Monday too he remained in the shop till evening and then went home. He took out the motor bike, telling other members of the family that he was going out to play for sometime. On the way, he picked up friend, Yagnesh. The friends wanted to spend time together as Likhith was to stay in hostel once his classes begin. Both of them reached Uliya Kadavu of Adyar river, which is three km away from Likhith's home, at around 4.30 pm.

The boys parked their bike on the bank of the river, and left their clothes, footwear and cellphones on the river bank before venturing into the river for taking bath. The water level in the river remains low till afternoon, and swells in the evening due to high tide. The spot where they entered the river had some deep pits created due to sand extraction, and these pits had standing water. The boys, who were not well-versed with the situation at the spot, entered the river. They moved towards these deep pits, and perhaps drowned because of the fact that both of them did not know swimming, it is being felt.

The parents, who were overtaken by apprehension as the children did not come home even at night, called their cellphones which were not responded. As they did not know where the boys had headed to, they searched for the missing teenagers at various spots. After Likhith's younger brother, Ankith, said that his brother often used to play in water, they went near Adyar Uliya at night and found the belongings of the boys on the river bank. Suspecting the worse, the people searched for the boys the entire night but failed to find their bodies. On Tuesday morning, their bodies were found deposited on the river bank.

After the final rites, both the bodies were cremated together at Devasthanabettu, Farangipet. A large number of grieving people including MP, Nalin Kumar Kateel, rushed to the homes of the bereaved families and tried to console sobbing family members.