Two men drown in Point Pedro seas

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 January 2004, 15:03 GMT]
Celebrating Thai Pongal festival ended tragically when Peranantham Umasuthan (29) and Sribalaganeshamoorthy Suthakar (23) were caught in strong currents and drowned while bathing near Katkovalam, a beach village 5km east of Point Pedro town Friday morning.

Umasuthan and Suthakar are from Maalusanthi in Karaveddy, a town 5km south of Point Pedro.

Several of their friends bathing with them shouted when they saw the two being dragged down caught in a heavy current. Fishermen and Sri Lanka security forces who were standing closeby went to their aid but could not save the two.

Others were brought safely to the shore.

The bodies were recovered after a long search and they have been transferred to Manthikai Hospital for postmortem examinations, hospital sources said.