A 20-year-old college student drowned at Cox's Bazar beach after being swept away by strong currents while trying to retrieve a football from the sea. The tragic incident occurred at Sugandha Point on Friday evening.
The deceased Mofazzal Imam Simanta was a 12th-grade student at Wali Newaz Khan College and a resident of Sholakia, Kishoreganj.
According to eyewitnesses and beach staff, Simanta was among a group of nine friends who went into the sea to swim and play football. Around 6:00 PM, the ball drifted away, prompting Simanta and two of his friends to venture into deeper waters to fetch it. All three were quickly caught in a strong undercurrent and began shouting for help.
The 'Sea-Safe' lifeguard team immediately launched a rescue operation. While they managed to pull two of the friends to safety, Simanta went missing. The rescued tourists were rushed to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital for medical treatment.
Following a joint search operation by lifeguards, beach workers, and Fire Service personnel, Simanta's body was recovered near the 'Green Nature' area of Sugandha Point at 8:30 PM, two and a half hours after he disappeared.
Mahabubur Rahman in charge of the beach staff, urged visitors to exercise extreme caution and heed safety instructions. "Tourists often disregard our warnings and venture into dangerous depths to retrieve drifting items. Unlike a pond or swimming pool, sea currents become increasingly unpredictable and deadly the further out you go" he warned.
Authorities continue to urge tourists to prioritize their lives over lost objects while bathing in the sea.
