GOKARNA, Karnataka — Three employees of a Bengaluru-based company drowned after being swept by waves at Dubbanshashi Beach in Gokarna on Sunday, officials said, raising the death toll in the weekend outing tragedy to three.
The victims were identified as Shobha Das, 22; Mohammed Akram; and Vishwa AK, 24. All three were part of a 16-member team from Alorica Ecopace, a technology services company based in Bengaluru with an office in Bellandur, who had traveled to Gokarna for a corporate outing.
According to police and witnesses, five members of the group entered the sea at Dubbanshashi Beach on Sunday morning. Powerful waves quickly swept the group away from the shore. Two employees — Nishanth DV and Mohammed Kasim — were rescued by lifeguards and local fishermen. Despite rescue efforts, Shobha, Akram and Vishwa could not be saved.
The 16-member team had arrived in Gokarna on Saturday evening and checked into a private resort near the beach. A fourth team member, Vishvesh AK, 23, remained missing until Monday, when a joint search involving Gokarna Police, the Coast Guard and local fishermen recovered his body, bringing the confirmed death toll to three.
Uttara Kannada Superintendent of Police Deepan MN said warning boards advising visitors not to enter the sea had been installed at major beaches across the district. Police had educated tourists about the dangers, and hotel and resort owners had been asked to keep life jackets available. Despite these precautions, officials said some visitors continued to ignore warnings.
Gokarna police have registered a case and initiated an investigation into the incident. The bodies of the three deceased were shifted to the mortuary at Karwar Medical College, and families have been informed.
