A 17-year-old boy, Ritesh Kumar Jena, went missing in the Bay of Bengal near Alupatana village, under the Krushnaprasad block of Puri district, Odisha, on Sunday.
The incident occurred around 4 PM when a group of young men from the village were enjoying a picnic by the seaside. After their meal, they decided to take a dip in the sea to cool off. However, the strong waves of the Bay of Bengal pulled four of them into deeper waters.
While three of the youths managed to swim back to shore, Ritesh was unable to return. Despite frantic efforts by his companions and local villagers to locate him, Ritesh remained missing as of the latest reports. The Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and residents have launched a search operation at the site, but no trace of the teenager has been found so far.
Ritesh, the only son of Prashant Kumar Jena, who is battling cancer, has left the village in a state of shock and grief. The community continues to pray for his safe return as rescue operations persist under challenging conditions.
