Dharmapuri: In a major tragedy, six picnickers drowned after an overloaded coracle capsized along the course of the Cauvery in Hogenakkal, Dharmapuri district. Police had recovered two bodies by Sunday evening and were conducting a search for four others who were washed away. The six persons feared dead were members of one family in a party of nine holidaymakers from South Usman road in T. Nagar, Chennai.
The mishap happened at around 1.50 pm. The victims have been identified as - Krishnamoorthi, 60, his wife Gowri, 55, their son Ranjit, 30, his wife Kokila, 30, their son Darshan, 2, and 10-month-old daughter Subhiksha. They came to Hogenakkal with three relatives - Rajesh, 30, his wife Komathi, 26 and their 4-year-old son Sachin who were rescued by people who were close to the mishap spot. However, their kin had drowned before help could reach them.
The family went for a ride in a coracle paddled by Murugesan, 50, of Hogenakkal. The victims reportedly tried to swap places in the moving coracle when tragedy struck the touring party at Maanal Thittu close to Maamarathukadavu. Local fishermen and coracle operators conducted a search before police reached the place.
The bodies of Gowri and her grandson Darshan were recovered within two hours of the incident. The fate of others is as yet unknown because they could not be traced till Sunday evening. Police said all the tourists may have survived if the coracle operator Murugesan had insisted that they wear safety jackets.
