Manipal boating accident – students’ bodies retrieved

Manipal boating accident – students’ bodies retrieved

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, June 19, 2012: The rescue teams have retrieved the bodies of the two students who went boating on Manipal Lake and got drowned early in the morning of June 16, Saturday. 

Nikila of Hyderabad and Chandra Mouli of Bangalore, along with their friend Shaunak went boating at midnight on Manipal Lake. They “borrowed” the boat without the boat owner’s knowledge. The boat sank when it was in the middle of the lake and Nikila and Chandra Mouli drowned. Shaunak, who knew swimming, swam back to the shore. 

Nikila’s body was retrieved on the day of the boating accident in the evening. But Chandra Mouli’s body could not be found. The next morning, police officers who stood guard around the lake noticed Chandra Mouli’s body floating on the water. It was retrieved and sent for post-mortem by 6:30 a.m. 

After the post-mortem, the bodies were handed over to the respective families. 

Although the bodies have been retrieved, the peddle boat that the three borrowed is still to be found. Although the bodies have been retrieved, the boat is still missing. Reportedly, the peddle boat had a hole because of which it sank. But it ought to have surfaced and floated on the water as it was made of plastic. Police feel that it must have got stuck to mud in the bottom of the lake. 

Another surprising thing is that neither Nikila nor Chandra Mouli died of drowning because no water entered their bodies. Boralingaiah, the superintendent of police for Udupi, feels that they might have died of shock even before they fell into the water. The police are now waiting for the forensic reports to get more information on this strange fact.