2 teens drown in sea, friends inform cops after 3 hours

CHENNAI: Two teenagers from Kodambakkam, both of whom completed Class 12 this year and wanted to join engineering courses, drowned off Thiruvanmiyur beach on Saturday. Their bodies washed ashore on Sunday morning.
The boys - Vignesh and Krishna Sai Prabath, both 17 - had gone to beach on Saturday with four of their friends. While the two ventured into the sea, ignoring warning signs, the four others, Subbarao, Abdul, Roshan and Prashanth, stayed back on the sands.When the two youngsters went missing, the four others tried searching but in vain. They informed local fishermen only after three hours, who alerted police.
According to police, Vignesh and Prabath, and their four friends, went to Thiruvanmiyur beach on Saturday evening. They had not informed their parents about their trip, and their families were of the impression that they were out to play football or cricket. Though they did not know how to swim, the boys ventured into the sea and were dragged into the water by waves.
After searching along the beach for a couple of hours, the boys informed local fishermen, who later alerted the police control room. Police launched a search with the help of local fishermen. Police said the surviving boys were scared after having lost their friends in the sea. Therefore, they did not inform the family or the police.
"Both had completed Class 12 and wanted to pursue engineering. The two teenagers usually went out to play football or cricket, so their parents thought they could have gone out to play," said a neighbour.
Expressing helplessness about such accidents, a senior police officer said: "We have been cautioning the public against venturing into the sea and have kept warning boards. Despite this, they continue to enter the water."
The fishermen, who searched for the missing boys, said the waves were rough on Saturday, hampering the rescue operation. However, police said there is always a team of fishermen ready with life guards to help victims.
The bodies of Vignesh and Prabath washed ashore on Marina beach on Sunday. The Thiruvanmiyur police have registered a case.