SUNDAY, MAY 05, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: A Valentine’s Day vacation ended tragically for a young couple who accidentally drowned to death off Palolem beach on Tuesday. The couple is believed to have entered the waters for a swim after having dinner and cocktails late Monday night.
The bodies of Supriya Dubey, 26, and Vibhu Sharma, 27, washed up on the Ourem stretch of the beach at different times and different locations. According to the police, Dubey, a native of Ghaziabad, UP, was found lifeless on the beach at around 7 am on Tuesday morning. Police said that they were unable to identify her, until they found a mobile phone left on the beach, and unlocked it using her fingerprint. From her phone, they obtained information about the deceased, and learnt that she was staying at a resort in the vicinity.
Sharma’s body was found floating in the water in the afternoon, a short distance away from where Dubey washed up. The police believe that Dubey was drowning in the water, and Sharma was trying to rescue her when he also drowned.
The police have ruled out foul play, as they found the couple’s belongings intact in their hotel room, as well as jewellery on Dubey’s body. Enquiries with hotel staff revealed that the couple had spent a few days in North Goa before arriving in Canacona on Sunday. Sources said that they had eaten dinner on Monday night and celebrated with a few cocktails before heading towards the beach. Some foreigners informed the police that they had heard some faint calls for help post-midnight, but were not sure of what they had heard.
The Canacona police have sent their bodies to the South Goa District Hospital for post mortem, and their families have been informed.
Supriya Dubey worked in a private company in Bengaluru and Vibhu Sharma, in Mumbai, and they are believed to be related. Their families were unaware that the couple had come to Goa.
