VIJAYAWADA: A family outing turned tragic for five members from Gudivada when one drowned and another went missing at Palakayathippa beach in Hamsaladeevi on Sunday morning. According to DSP P Muralidhar, nine family members had visited the beach around 10 am for a weekend getaway. While swimming, they were caught by a strong current, trapping five of them in the sea. Police and expert swimmers quickly arrived and managed to rescue three, but Shika Fazala (26) was found dead, and Shaik Mushraf (20) remains missing.
The DSP reported that the three rescued individuals were admitted to a nearby government hospital in critical condition. Despite search operations continuing until evening, there was no sign of Mushraf. The search will resume on Monday with the assistance of the SDRF. A case was registered.