Visakhapatnam: 3 Class 9 Students Swept Away by Sea Currents at Rushikonda Beach, 1 Body Recovered
Three Class 9 students were swept away by powerful sea currents at Rushikonda Beach in Visakhapatnam on Friday. Rescue teams and scuba divers recovered the body of one student, identified as Prasanth, while multi-agency search operations continue to locate the two missing boys, Suryaprakash and Nitish, who were visiting the beach on a holiday outing.
Three Class 9 students drown after being swept away by sea currents at Rushikonda Beach; body of one student recovered. Search operations underway for two missing students. The incident occurred on Friday during the Gandhi Jayanti national holiday, turning a casual seaside excursion into a tragedy near the IT SEZ junction along the city's coastline.
The victims were identified as S. Suryaprakash, Nitish, and Prasanth, all aged around 14 to 15 years and residents of the PM Palem and Madhurawada localities in Visakhapatnam. They were visiting the coastal stretch as part of a larger group of youngsters from their neighborhood. While the boys were playing in the water, powerful undercurrents and high surf suddenly pulled them away from the shoreline into deeper waters. Pune School Picnic Turns Tragic as 8 Students Drown at Maharashtra’s Diveagar Beach.
3 Class 9 Students Swept Away by Sea Currents at Rushikonda Beach
VIDEO | Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh: Three Class 9 students drown after being swept away by sea currents at Rushikonda Beach; body of one student recovered. Search operations underway for two missing students.
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/d8jp61yd2p) pic.twitter.com/03ArhuTiJa
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Holiday Outing Turns Tragic as Undercurrents Pull Students In
According to eyewitnesses and local residents, members of the group had ventured into the sea despite warnings from people on the shore regarding treacherous tide conditions. Within minutes of entering the water, large swells swept the three teenagers beyond the safe swimming zone.
The remaining companions raised an alarm immediately after noticing that the three boys were unable to swim against the rip currents. Beach visitors and local swimmers rushed to the water's edge to attempt an immediate rescue, but the force of the waves pushed the students further out to sea.
Multi-Agency Search Launched; One Body Retrieved
Emergency services were alerted, mobilising teams from the local law enforcement division, the Marine Police, municipal lifeguards, and specialist scuba divers.
Rescue personnel recovered the body of Prasanth shortly after launching coastal sweeps. The body was shifted to a nearby government healthcare facility for statutory post-mortem procedures.
Search operations remain underway along the coastal waters to locate Suryaprakash and Nitish. Coastal police boats and divers have expanded their search radius beyond Rushikonda towards neighboring beachfronts, navigating choppy sea conditions.
Senior police officials arrived at the beach to oversee operations and coordinate with the grief-stricken families waiting on the shore. Authorities reiterated cautions advising visitors and tourists against entering hazardous deep-water patches along Visakhapatnam’s coastline, particularly during high-tide phases.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 02, 2026 10:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
