Mumbai: A day after five members of two families drowned at the Kalamb beach in Nalasopara, the four women, who were feared drowned at Arnala beach on March 21, were found dead on Friday, after their bodies washed ashore. Arnala police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) in the matter.
Hours after police retrieved Prashant’s body from the sea, four others who were feared drowned—Prashant’s mother Nisha, 36, his sister Priya, 19, their neighbours Kanchan, 35 and Sheetal Gupta, 32, were found lying dead on the sea shore. Arnala police rushed them to the civic-run hospital, where they were declared brought dead.
The two families, Gupta and Mourya, had gone to the Kalamb beach, Nalasopara, for a swim, after celebrating Holi on Thursday. Only one member of the six, from both the families, returned safely to the shore, said the police. All were residents of Gokul Park in Vasai (west).
According to the police, at around 2pm, the families had gone to the beach for a swim. They did not realise it was the beginning of the high tide and they were pulled back into the sea, by strong currents in the sea. Arnala Police received a distress call from the survivor, Dinesh Gupta, 35, around 4.45 pm. Police and fire brigade personnel immediately dispatched a team and began the rescue operation.
The complainant, Dinesh Gupta, told the police, he too had gone for a swim, but he returned to the shore immediately after judging the high tide had begun to set in. Dinesh said, he tried to warn the others, but it was too late for them to return ashore. As soon as Dinesh began crying out for help, the local fishermen and other revellers on the beach tried to rescue the victims, but in vain.