Kundapur, Oct 15: In a tragic incident, three schoolboys drowned while another narrowly escaped after they ventured into the sea for a swim at Hosahitlu Beach in Kirimanjeshwara village, Udupi district, on Tuesday evening.
The deceased have been identified as Sanketh (16), Suraj (15), and Ashish (14), all local residents. Their bodies were later recovered. According to reports, the boys had gone to the beach to play and swim when they were swept away by strong waves. One boy managed to survive the incident.
This marks the third beach-related tragedy in the Kundapur region within a month, raising serious concerns among locals about the increasing number of such incidents along the coastal belt. On September 7, three students from Bengaluru drowned at Charkikadu Beach in Gopady, while one was rescued. On October 3, two students from Bengaluru, swept away near Maraswami Temple Beach at Maravanthe, were saved by KND personnel.
Tuesday’s tragedy adds to a disturbing trend: over the past four years, 11 youngsters aged 14 to 25 have lost their lives to drowning at beaches in Kundapur and Byndoor taluks. On December 7, 2024, two brothers from Ampare village drowned at Kodi Beach, while another survived. On August 25, two youths from Bengaluru, who had come for a wedding, drowned at Beejadi Beach, with one managing to escape. In June 2023, a youth from Tiptur lost his life at Beejadi Beach, and in April 2022, locals rescued three youths from drowning at Kodi Beach.
Locals suggest that such tragedies often occur when youngsters underestimate the sea’s strength while playing or swimming, unaware of tidal patterns. They have urged parents and guardians to exercise greater vigilance and ensure supervision when children visit beaches to prevent further loss of young lives.
