Two teenage boys feared drowned off Arnala beach in Palghar

Palghar, Jul 16 (PTI) Two teenage boys are feared to have drowned in the Arabian Sea after they were swept away by a high tide off Arnala beach in Maharashtra's Palghar district on Thursday morning, officials said. A search operation is currently underway to trace the missing boys, identified as Ayan and Soyab, both aged 17 years, they said. An official of the Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) fire brigade said the department received an emergency call around 10.45 am, informing them that four boys had ventured into the sea for swimming and were finding it difficult to come out. "On-duty lifesavers immediately launched a rescue operation and managed to pull two of the boys to safety. However, the other two were swiftly carried away by the strong current," the official said. The rescue teams are facing significant challenges due to the rough weather conditions, he said. "Our rescue boat struggled to withstand the turbulent waves. Currently, the tide is so strong that even trained swimmers cannot brave the water," the fire brigade official added. Arnala sarpanch Nandkumar Gharat told reporters that although warning boards had been prominently installed along the beach, the picnickers continued to venture into choppy waters. "These boys bypassed the attention of the lifesavers on duty, entered the water, and were subsequently washed away by the tide," Gharat said, appealing to citizens and tourists to strictly avoid venturing near the sea. The district administration has already issued a prohibitory order banning entry near water bodies across the region during the ongoing monsoon season. PTI COR NP