Three youngsters swept away by strong river currents

Three youngsters were feared drowned after being swept away by strong currents in the Varaha River near Penugollu village in S. Rayavaram mandal of Anakapalli district on November 14.

According to police, four friends had gone swimming near a check dam after attending a birthday celebration at a local dhaba. The group reportedly entered the water near a groin close to the check dam but failed to assess the depth and strength of the current.

The strong flow caught them by surprise and swept them away. Local residents managed to rescue one of the youngsters, identified as Nitin, while the other three went missing.

Missing youngsters identified

Police identified the missing persons as Muppidi Vamsi, 25, Kateti Rishi, 18, and Kodi Jagadeesh, 18.

Vamsi was employed at a private company, while Rishi and Jagadeesh worked as painters. The rescued youngster was identified as Nitin.

The four had attended the birthday celebration of their friend D. Ravi Teja, who works as a delivery worker at a local dhaba, before heading to the river.

Police and rescue teams begin search

Following information about the incident, police launched a search-and-rescue operation in the river. However, the three missing youngsters had not been traced by Saturday night.

State Disaster Response Force personnel were expected to join the search operation on Sunday morning. Circle Inspector K. Ramakrishna said the strong water flow and depth near the check dam had contributed to the incident.

Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha also reviewed the situation and met the families of the missing youngsters.

River safety concerns

The incident has once again drawn attention to the dangers of swimming in rivers, particularly near check dams and other locations with strong currents. Water depth and flow can change unexpectedly, making such places dangerous even for people familiar with the area.

The search operation was continuing at the time of the report.