3 Bengaluru techies drown after strong waves sweep them away at Gokarna beach

Three employees of a Bengaluru-based company drowned after being swept away by powerful waves at Dubbanshashi Beach near Gokarna in Karnataka's Uttara Kannada district on Sunday. Two of their colleagues were rescued by lifeguards and local fishermen, police said on Monday.

The deceased were identified as Shobha Das Devendranath, 22, a native of Jharkhand, Mohammed Akram Ismail Ahmed and Vishwa A K, 24. All three were part of a 16-member group of employees from a private company operating out of Bellandur in Bengaluru.

The group had travelled to Gokarna for a weekend outing and arrived on Saturday evening. They were staying at a private resort near the beach when the incident occurred the following morning.

According to preliminary information, five employees ventured into the Arabian Sea when strong waves suddenly swept them away from the shore. The employees struggled to stay afloat as the currents carried them into deeper waters.

𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀, 𝗳𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗲

The incident occurred around 7.30 am, when the employees were swimming near the beach. Local residents alerted lifeguards after noticing the group struggling against the waves.

Lifeguards, resort personnel and fishermen immediately launched a rescue operation and managed to bring four people ashore. However, Shobha and Akram were in critical condition after being pulled from the water.

Shobha died despite receiving medical attention, while Akram succumbed while being shifted to a hospital in Manipal for advanced treatment.

Two other employees, identified as Nishanth D V and Mohammed Kasim, survived the incident. They were taken to the Gokarna Primary Health Centre for treatment and were subsequently reported to be recovering.

𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲'𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱

Vishwa A K, who had also been swept away, remained missing after the initial rescue operation. Police and local rescue teams continued searching the surrounding waters.

His body was recovered near Dubbanshashi Beach early on Monday, taking the death toll to three. The 24-year-old was a resident of Bengaluru.

The bodies were subsequently shifted to the Karwar Medical College mortuary for further procedures.

Gokarna police registered a case and initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱

The incident has brought attention to the dangers posed by strong waves and unpredictable sea conditions along Karnataka's coastline, particularly at beaches frequented by tourists.

Police have cautioned tourists against entering the sea when conditions are rough and advised resort and homestay operators to take precautions to protect visitors.

Authorities are examining the circumstances in which the five employees entered the water and the sequence of events leading to the drowning.

The deaths have turned what was intended to be a recreational trip for the 16-member company group into a tragedy, with three colleagues losing their lives and two others surviving the incident.