CHENNAI: Two techies drowned off the beach near Panaiyur on Saturday evening. While rescue personnel secured a woman, search operations are underway to find her co-worker.

The deceased was identified as Mauyuri (25). Her colleague, Jaishankar (24), is yet to be found. They were employees at an IT firm on East Coast Road (ECR).

Police sources said a group of about ten colleagues from the same IT firm visited the beach near Panaiyur on Saturday evening when the duo ventured into the sea and got pulled in.

Fishermen in the neighbourhood rushed to the spot and managed to retrieve Mayuri after nearly an hour. She was rushed to a hospital where she was declared dead. Search is under way for Jaishankar. The Kanathur police have alerted all police stations along the coast.