A swimming trip turned tragic for two childhood friends living in the village of Mare Tabac late on Sunday afternoon, February 4. Drishtiresh Bhoyrub, 17, and Digambaresh Rhunghen, 18, had gone to the Moonkharry River in Mare Tabac with two other friends for a swim. At a certain point, the two friends found themselves in difficulty before disappearing from the surface of the water. Shortly before 10pm, the two bodies were fished out of the water by members of the Mauritius Police Intervention Group (GIPM). The autopsy performed on Monday morning February 5 at the Victoria Hospital morgue in Candos attributed their deaths to asphyxia due to drowning.
The alarm was raised at the Rose Belle police station by Mooneram Bhoyrub, father of Drishtiresh Bhoyrub, after he discovered two pairs of shoes, a grey T-shirt and a handbag containing a cell phone near the Moonkharry River, some two hundred meters from the Royal Road. He identified these items as belonging to his son and his son’s friend. A team of police officers, led by Inspector Adelaine, organized a search party at this location. A volunteer team of around 100 people was already on site. The search turned up nothing.
The GIPM was called in. These men, under the responsibility of Sergeant Salmy, sounded the river. This was after the two friends of two victims who were questioned by the police finally confessed that they had all gone swimming in the river. Panic-stricken after the disappearance of Drishtiresh Bhoyrub and Digambaresh Rhunghen, they rushed back to their homes quietly. The two bodies were recovered at 9.45pm and 9.55pm respectively on the evening of Sunday February 4th. A sobbing Mooneram Bhoyrub had the difficult task of identifying her son and his friend, before the two bodies were taken to the Candos hospital morgue for autopsy.
The autopsy, carried out by Dr Maxwell Monvoinsin, Principal Police Medical Officer, on Monday morning February 5, attributed the deaths of the two teenagers to asphyxia due to drowning.
An investigation has been launched to shed light on the exact circumstances of this tragedy.
