KOCHI: A man and his nephew drowned while taking a bath in the Idamalayar river at Vadattupara near Kothamangalam during Eid picnic on Tuesday.
The deceased are Sidheek, 38, a resident of Aluva, and Aboofayiz, 22, a resident of Kalady. Sidhiq, a fire and rescue services personnel with the Kothamangalam fire station, said the incident occurred around 1 pm. A 20-member group of family and relatives, who had arrived in three vehicles, had gathered at the Palavanpadi region of Vadattupara for a picnic in connection with Eid-ul-Fitr.
While spending time by the river, Sidheek and Aboofayiz stepped into the water to take a bath but lost control and were swept away by strong currents, he said.
“We received an alert from one of their relatives around 1.15 pm, but we had to cover nearly 25 km to reach the spot. Despite our efforts to retrieve them and rush to the hospital, their lives could not be saved,” said Sidhiq.
He said the riverbank, though scenic and resembles a beachside, is a known accident-prone area due to strong underwater currents. “It’s a popular destination attracting both local and foreign tourists. We have attended nearly five to six similar drowning cases here recently,” he said.