THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The body of a 23-year-old engineering final-year-student who went missing in sea at Kappil estuary, along with his friend while bathing on Friday, was recovered from the sea near Perumkulam at Varkala on Saturday. The deceased is Rahul Raj, son of Rajendran, a resident of Raj Bhavan, Kadakkal. The body was found floating in the sea by local fishermen and they informed the police. Akhil Sugathan, a native of Attingal, who also went missing, is yet to be traced.
The search operations are still going on to trace him. According to police, the incident took place around 6.30 pm on Friday when six final-year mechanical engineering students of VKCET College of Engineering at Chavarcode reached the Kappil estuary to bathe together as part of celebrating the completion of BTech exams. When the students ventured into the sea, Rahul and Akhil were swept away by undercurrents. Others swam to the shore safely.