Mumbai: Strong currents pull three teenagers into sea at Marve

Families of the boys wait at the Marve beach. Pics/Anurag Ahire

Three out of five boys aged between 12 and 16, who ventured into the sea to wash their hands after playing football, drowned at Marve beach on Sunday morning. According to sources, the incident took place between 8:30 am and 8:45 am. Shubham Jaiswal, 14, Nikhil alias Appu Kayampura, 14, Ajay Harijan, 14, Krishna Harijan, 16, and Ankush Shivare, 13, all residents of Marve Pereira Wadi, went to Marve beach to wash their feet after playing football in a nearby garden.

Rescue team at the spot of the accident on Marve beach

Ajay, unaware of the risks, was washing his feet ahead of the others and got caught in strong currents, resulting in his drowning. In a courageous attempt to save him, Shubham and Nikhil jumped in but also began to drown. Witnessing this, Shubham's elder brother, Ankush, and his friend, Krishna, jumped into the water, but unfortunately, they couldn't reach the three boys who were swept away by the strong currents, according to their common friend Tushar Babar.

Ankush and Krishna, having some swimming skills, struggled to save themselves for a long time and were eventually rescued by local fishermen after grabbing hold of an electricity pole about 200 metres from the beach.

(From right) Ajay Harijan, Shubham Jaiswal, Nikhil alias Appu Kayampura

"Shubham, Ajay, and Nikhil were students at St. Anthony High School in class 8. Shubham's father sells pani puri on Marve Beach, Ajay's father works as a mechanic, and Nikhil's mother is in Kerala while his father works in Qatar. He was living with his grandmother," said Prem Amble, a friend of the deceased boys who used to play football with them and was present with the relatives and parents of the deceased and rescued children at the scene.

While two boys were rescued, three are still missing, and the search operation is ongoing with the participation of the fire brigade, lifeguards, and one Indian Navy team scanning the bay, informed DCP Ajay Kumar Bansal, DCP Zone XI.