Andhra Pradesh: Two Swept Away By Rogue Wave Off Vizag Coast
A group of seven people, including four women from the same family, had gone to the beach to celebrate Friendship Day: Police
VISAKHAPATNAM: A Friendship Day outing ended in tragedy when two persons went missing after being swept away by a rogue wave at Old Gangavaram Beach under the New Port police station limits in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
The missing persons were identified as Sukara Neethu (19) of Jalaripeta Relli Veedhi and Kurasala Damodar alias Ramu (30) of Pendurthi. Damodar was an autorickshaw driver.
According to police, a group of seven people, including four women from the same family, had gone to the beach to celebrate Friendship Day and the recent engagement of Damodar and Kanakamahalakshmi, whose marriage is scheduled for next month.
Neethu, a final-year Intermediate student at the Government College for Women near the RTC Complex, was recording a video while the others were standing on the popular 'Suswagatham Rock', named after the Telugu film Suswagatham, parts of which were shot there.
As the group posed for photographs, a rogue wave crashed against the rock, sweeping Neethu into the sea. Damodar immediately jumped into the water in an attempt to rescue her but was also swept away by the strong currents.
The remaining members of the group alerted the police.
The Indian Coast Guard and police launched a search operation using a helicopter and drones. However, the two remained untraced till Sunday evening.