CHENNAI: Two teenage boys drowned in the Kosasthalaiyar river near Periyapalayam in Tiruvallur district, about 50 km from the city on Monday afternoon.

The deceased boys – Harish (17) of Thirukandalam village and Venkatesan (15) of Nellore, Andhra Pradesh – were cousins, police said.

Harish had arrived last week with his family to spend summer vacation at his aunt’s house. On Monday afternoon, they had gone for a swim in the river when the incident happened.

The boys suddenly cried for help, after which locals alerted other villagers and attempted to rescue them. Shortly thereafter, police, along with TNFRS (Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Service) personnel, reached the scene, and after a search that lasted for hours, the bodies were recovered from the bushes downstream from the spot where they were last seen.

Police registered a case of accidental drowning and handed over the bodies to the families after a post mortem. Police have urged parents to monitor the movement of youngsters and also take measures to dissuade from visiting waterbodies and quarries.