Two college students in Karnataka drowned on Monday, April 18, while trying to take pictures at St Mary’s Island in Karntaka’s Udupi district. The two students have been identified as Sathish Nandihalli, who hailed from Haveri district, and Sathish Kalyan, who is from Bagalkote. Both were in their early 20s, reports said.
According to reports, the two were both students of GKVK Agricultural University located in Bengaluru, and had gone to Malpe beach on the island with around 60 other students as part of a college tour. Four teachers and a tour guide were also a part of the group that went to the beach on Monday.
Officials told the Times of India that the two students trespassed into a restricted area and tried to take pictures when the incident happened. The lifeguards present at the beach also warned the two students from climbing the rock at the beach, but the two persisted, reports say. As they were standing on the boulder and clicking selfies, a huge wave splashed onto them, causing them to lose their balance, and they slipped and fell into the sea.
Rescue operations were begun immediately, but both of them drowned. While Sathish Nandihalli's body was retrieved on Monday, a search is underway to locate Sathish Kalyan’s body.
This incident comes days after three students from Kerala also drowned at Malpe beach on April 7. Amal C Anil, Allen Reji and Anthony Shinoj were among a group of students from a private engineering college that had come to the beach for a study tour. Unfortunately, during the trip, the three students drowned when they had gone into the sea to swim.
In 2021, following such mishaps, safety nets and red flags were put up all across the beach, and tourists were cautioned from entering the sea when it is choppy or rough — which happens often in the monsoons. A fine of Rs 500 was also announced for tourists who flout rules.
Despite being put a fence in the west side of the St Mary's Island off Malpe beach, two students entered from the east side and got into the danger zone in the west side and drowned after a fall while making attempt to take a @XpressBengaluru @KannadaPrabha pic.twitter.com/WhFEIxHRzB
— Prakash Samaga (@prakash_TNIE) April 18, 2022