Three friends from Koparkhairane, drowned at Nagaon beach near Alibaug on Friday evening after they went swimming during high tide.
Two of the bodies were recovered from Korai creek, around 3 km from the spot, on Saturday morning. Police officials are still searching for the third body.
The youths were part of a group of 13 friends that had gone to Nagaon on Friday evening and were staying at Mihir Cottage. The friends were to return to Navi Mumbai on Sunday.
The three youths who drowned were friends from junior college, and have been identified as Chaitanya Sule (20), Ashish Mishra (20) and Fahad Siddiqui (21). Mishra and Siddiqui’s bodies have been recovered.
“It was high tide and the sea level had started rising when four of the group ventured into the water. When Sule, Mishra and Siddiqui started struggling in the water, the fourth friend, Narayan Pinjari (21), tried to help them, but in vain. He also shouted for help from others,” senior police inspector Suresh Varade from Alibaug police station said.
Since Friday night, officials of the coast guard, Raigad coastal, Alibaug, Murud and Mandwa police, and local fishermen have been searching for the bodies. “Fishermen from Akshi, Kashid, Nagaon and Korlai are also helping us. The two bodies have been handed over to the relatives,” Mr. Varade said.
Sule had just finished a course in cinematography, Mishra had completed a Merchant Navy diploma and Siddiqui was in the third year of a diploma in mechanical engineering.
