Youth drowns in Wayanad

KALPETTA: The body of a youth who had gone missing on Monday during raft training at the Valiyapuzha river near Venniyode in the district was recovered in a joint search led by villagers and members of the Thurkey Bazaar Jeevan Raksha Samithi, a social organisation in the district, on Tuesday morning.

The police identified the dead as Shal, 35, of Puthalan here. Shal fell into the river at Kadakkoni Kadavu near Venniyode on Monday evening when he was trying to launch a raft on the river along with a 16-member team as a part of the training, the police said. Though his friends tried to save his life, it was in vain. Shal was the secretary of the Thurkey Bazaar Jeevan Raksha Samithi and the organisation had undertaken many rescue operations in the district during the past 20 years. Shal is survived by wife, Sakeena, and two children.