Three private college students drown in sea off Kovalam near Chennai

CHENNAI: Three students of a private college drowned in sea off Kovalam beach on the outskirts of Chennai on Sunday evening. While the bodies of two students have been recovered, search operations are under way to trace the third body.The deceased were identified as K Ritheshkumar Prajabathi, 20, of Jharkhand, M Mukesh, 19, of Kovilpatti, and M Noyal Jacob Melvin, 23, of Mumbai, all second-year BSc Nautical Science students at the college near Kanathur.Police said a group of five students from the college hostel visited Kovalam beach on Sunday evening. Ritheshkumar, Mukesh and Noyal were playing in the sea. They did not know swimming. After Noyal went missing, lifeguards and rescue personnel stationed on the shore rushed to the spot and managed to trace him. He was rushed to Chengalpattu Govt Hospital where doctors declared him dead.After an overnight search, the rescue team recovered Ritheshkumar’s body on Monday morning and sent it to Chengalpattu Govt Hospital. They are yet to trace Mukesh’s body.The Kelambakkam police registered a case of unnatural death and further investigation is on.