Cuttack, March 4: A 17-year-old boy drowned in the Mahanadi River near Badamba T-Setu in Cuttack district on Wednesday while bathing with friends after celebrating Holi.

The deceased, identified as Jeeban Behera, was a resident of Tunapur village under the Badamba police limits.

Reports said Jeeban had gone to the river with two friends. During the bath, the duo was caught in a strong current and began struggling in the water. In an effort to rescue them, Jeeban moved into deeper waters. While his friends managed to return safely to the riverbank, Jeeban was swept away by the powerful current.

The boys alerted nearby residents, who initiated a search and informed the Baideswar Fire Brigade. Fire service personnel arrived promptly and carried out a search operation for several hours before locating and recovering Jeeban’s body from the river.

He was rushed to the Badamba Community Health Centre, where doctors declared him brought dead.