A young tourist from Chhattisgarh lost his life while bathing in the sea at Puri’s famous Blue Flag Beach on Monday, even as lifeguards heroically rescued four other swimmers caught in dangerous rip currents the same afternoon.
The deceased has been identified as Piyush Kumar, a minor from Chhattisgarh. According to eyewitnesses and officials, Piyush was enjoying a swim at the Blue Flag Beach when he was suddenly pulled under by a powerful rip current. Fire service personnel rushed to the spot and pulled him out of the water before rushing him to the hospital. Doctors, however, declared him dead on arrival.
In a separate but equally alarming incident later that afternoon, four tourists bathing near Sector 4 of Puri Beach were swept away by the treacherous undercurrents. Thanks to the swift and courageous intervention of the lifeguard team, all four were rescued safely and provided first aid.
The rescued tourists are Ankit Nayak (22) from Mangalpur, Jajpur, Sunil Mahant (27), Amar Mahant (24), and Sachin Mahant (21) from the Kolar Road area of Madhya Pradesh.
The four friends had come to Puri for a vacation and were enjoying the sea when the rip current caught them off guard. Lifeguards Ramchandra Odi, L. Gobind Behera, P. Gobinda, Gangadhar Behera, S. Bijay Kumar, and A. Shyam Sundar displayed exceptional alertness and professionalism in pulling them to safety.
Puri, one of India’s most visited pilgrim and tourist destinations, has witnessed several such incidents this season due to strong rip currents, especially during high tide. The district administration has once again urged tourists to strictly follow safety guidelines, bathe only in designated areas, and heed lifeguards’ instructions.
