Bodies of three youngsters who drowned in Chennai's Marina beach were washed ashore on Saturday, February 2, along the beaches at Neelankarai, Shastri Nagar and Thoraipakkam.
The tragic accident occurred on Friday when -- Vinoth Kumar, Senthil Kumar and Sathish -- the three class IX students from a government school in Tambaram skipped classes and visited the beach with 12 other friends. According to a report by The News Minute, the boys took turns taking care of their friends' belongings while they went into the ocean.
After a while, their companions realised that the three boys did not return.
"While three students guarded the bags, dress and slippers behind the Subhash Chandra Bose statue, 12 boys went bathing into the sea. Around 2.40pm, they noticed that three boys were missing and alerted the patrol police," said a police officer to The New Indian Express
The police then enlisted the help of the local fishermen living in the vicinity but the boys could not be found. The bodies of the boys washed ashore on Saturday. Senthil Kumar's body was found in Neelankarai, Vinoth Kumar's washed ashore in Shastri Nagar and Satish was found in Thoraipakkam.
The Marina police registered a case and the bodies of the boys were handed over to their respective parents. They also informed the fishermen section of the search and rescue operation to stop their mission.
"We ask people to stay safe and not swim deep into the sea but many, especially school and college boys do not adhere to it. We request visitors to be cautious," a Marina police officer was quoted as saying by Deccan Chronicle.
