Eid celebrations end in tragedy as teen drowns

Malwani resident Vishal Rawat (15) drowned at the Manori beach on Monday after he ventured in the sea for a swim with 14 other friends. HT Correspondent reports.

He was out celebrating Eid with a clique of friends. The festivity ended in tragedy.

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Malwani resident Vishal Rawat (15) drowned at the Manori beach on Monday after he ventured in the sea for a swim with 14 other friends.

“Rawat, an SSC student, had gone for an outing with his friends from the neighbourhood to celebrate Eid,” said Police Inspector A Phatak of the Gorai police station.

While the other boys remained close to the shore, Rawat ventured into the deep.

At 12.30 pm, the boys who were busy enjoying the swim failed to notice the high tide set in.

“Within seconds the tide pulled Rawat in and he began drowning. Rawat’s friends tried to pull him towards the shore, but the current was too strong for them to resist it,” said Phatak. “They then summoned the lifeguards.”

Phatak said that the rescue team too tried to save the boy but failed to swim against the current.

At 4.30pm, as the high tide ebbed, Rawat’s body drifted towards the shore, the police said.

“The rescue team found Rawat’s floating body and brought him to the shore. We called a doctor who declared the boy dead,” said Phatak.

After Rawat’s friends identified the body, it was sent to Bhagwati Hospital for a post-mortem.