Mangaluru : An engineering student hails from Tirupati went missing at Panambur on Sunday September 17.

The student has been identified as Sahicharan, 20, from Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. The incident happened near Meenakalia, adjacent to Panambur beach, on Sunday .

According to police, Sahicharan arrived in Mangaluru with three friends – Vamshi, Chandan and Naveen – all aged around 20 on Sunday morning. At 4.30pm, they went to the beach.

While they were swimming, strong waves swept Sahicharan away . His friends and others at the beach could not rescue him. Panambur police inspector Rafiq and his team visited the spot.

Police said efforts are on to trace the body and they are likely to recover it within 24 hours. A missing person complaint has been filed.

Dakshina Kannada district administration Dakshina Kannada district administration had banned people, except local fisherman, from getting into the water during the monsoon.

The ban was effective till the end of the month in Ullal, Someshwara, Mogaveerapatna, Panambur, Tannirbavi, Sasihitlu and Surathkal beaches.

According to the authorities, 61 people have drowned in Dakshina Kannada district till July 31 this year. Drowning along the coast of Mangaluru and other parts of the district is turning out to be a major cause for concern for the authorities.

A total of 313 people have drowned in the Arabian Sea and rivers flowing into it in the last three years. A majority of those who have died are males in the age group of 10-25 years, and 70% of victims are from outside Mangaluru.