Two boys drowned in the Achancoil river near Kumbazha here on Sunday afternoon. The deceased were identified as Abhiraj, 15, and Rishi Ajith (Abhilash), 17, both natives of Kumbazha East. The incident took place at Vettoor within the Konni police station limits.
Abhiraj has just completed his SSLC while Rishi Ajith was a higher secondary student.
Konni police said that the deceased were part of a seven-member group that ventured into the Achencoil river around 1 a.m. after playing football at a ground nearby. “Abhiraj was caught in a whirlpool and began to drown. The second boy, who tried to rescue him, too, was caught by the undercurrent and drowned. The local residents, meanwhile, saved a third boy, who too lost his balance in the water,’’ said an official.
The dead bodies were soon fished out by a scuba diving team of the Fire and Rescue department. The duo were declared dead at a hospital nearby. Their bodies will be handed over to their families after completing legal and medical examinations.