Body of youth recovered from Sreevarahom pond

The body of the 21-year-old youth who went missing while swimming in Sreevarahom temple pond on Tuesday evening was recovered by the search team on Wednesday noon.

The youth, Akhil Ghosh of Valiyathura, had gone missing when he, along with two other friends, had gone there to practise swimming.

Reportedly, one of the friends sat near the pool, while Akhil and another friend ventured into the water. The two were engaged in swimming, when Akhil drowned. The panic-stricken friends informed the matter to the police, and the police and Fire and Rescue personnel rushed to the spot.

The rescue operation was conducted by the police and Fire and Rescue officials from Thiruvananthapuram, Neyyatinkara, Vizhinjam, Kattakkada, Attingal and Chackai stations. The search continued till midnight, when it was put on hold.

The search resumed on Wednesday morning.  Personnel from Coast Guard and fishermen from Valiyathura also joined the search. The friends and relatives of Akhil were present near the pond from early morning, mournfully watching the entire procedure.

Finally, the body was trapped in a fishing net cast by the search team. According to the local people, the pond has numerous pits filled with mud that can pose a threat to the life of those who venture into the water without prior knowledge of its topography.

According to Fort CI S Y Suresh, the youth  had got selection to the Air Force and had come to the pond to practise swimming. “The pond is quite big and is said to possess several trenches. The youth might have fallen into one of those trenches while swimming. The pond at places has a depth ranging from 12 feet to 16 feet,” he said.

The body was later taken to the Medical College mortuary for autopsy.