The bodies of two 16-year-old boys, who went missing in the sea off Tharuvaikualm coast near Thoothukudi on Sunday, have been found.

The deceased boys, X. Joshua and M. Manoj Kumar, both residents of Tharuvaikulam, and five others from the same area ventured into the sea in a fibre boat on Sunday afternoon. After travelling a few hundred metres into the sea, the boat suddenly started to drift with the wind. Believing that they could swim back to the shore, Joshua, Manoj Kumar and two others jumped into the sea, while the remaining three stayed on the boat.

The three boys stranded on the boat were later rescued, along with two of those who had jumped into the sea. Police and local fishermen launched a search operation for Joshua and Manoj Kumar. Their bodies were later recovered from the same area where they had jumped and were sent to Thoothukudi Government Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination.

Published - July 27, 2026 08:56 pm IST