One youth went missing in the Kappil backwaters, near Varkala, when a water scooter capsized on Saturday.
The incident occurred around 9 a.m. Sam Paul Thampi, 25, of Palakkad and his friend Bipin Das, 26, who worked in a private resort, had gone on a water scooter owned by the resort for a leisure ride. They did not wear life vests, the police said. Sam lost control of the vehicle as he attempted to take a sharp turn farther from the shore. As the motor scooter capsized, Sam fell into the water and tried to swim to safety. Bipin gripped the vehicle so as not to drown. He was rescued by the Paravur police and the Kerala Fire and Rescue Services. The search operation for Sam continued till late in the evening.
