Two Teenagers Missing After Being Swept Away At Arnala Beach In Virar
Two teenagers went missing after being swept away by strong currents at Arnala beach in Virar on Thursday morning. The incident occurred around 8:00 AM when a group of four youths ventured into the rough sea despite a strict ban on swimming at the hazardous location. Lifeguards stationed at the beach managed to rescue two other members of the group.
The missing youths have been identified as Shoaib Khan, aged 17, and Ayan Mondal, aged 19. The two rescued individuals are Mohammad Abdul Hasmuddin Shaikh, 19, and Saad Akhtar Khan, 16.
According to police, the four friends were residents of Sakhar Mohalla, Navayat Nagar, and Burhan Chowk in Nalasopara West. They had left their homes around 6:00 AM to offer morning prayers before riding to Arnala beach on a two-wheeler. Despite the rough sea conditions, the group entered the water and was quickly swept away by strong currents.
Lifeguards deployed at the beach immediately launched a rescue operation when they saw the group in distress. They successfully pulled Shaikh and Saad Akhtar Khan to safety, but Shoaib Khan and Mondal remained untraced.
Following the incident, personnel from the Arnala Police, the Coast Guard, and search teams from the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation’s fire brigade rushed to the spot. A coordinated search operation was launched but was severely hampered by high tides and rough sea conditions.
"The sea was extremely rough and the youths failed to gauge its depth and the strength of the currents," said Kishor Patil, an officer at the civic body’s MHADA fire station. Patil added that the ongoing high tide made the search operation highly difficult, and the youths could not be traced by Thursday evening.
Arnala beach is considered one of the most hazardous beaches in the region due to its strong currents and frequent drowning incidents. While swimming is prohibited and warning signboards are installed, visitors frequently ignore safety advisories. Police had already prohibited entry to several beaches across the Vasai region as a precautionary monsoon measure.
