What was supposed to be a fun-filled day-long picnic at Murud beach in Alibaug turned into a nightmare for a group of students from a Pune college after 14 of them drowned in the sea.

More than 100 students from Abeda Inamdar College had gone to Murud for a picnic along with 11 faculty members. Reports state that the teachers and some locals had warned the students to stay away from the water. But once the teachers left for sightseeing, some of the students did not heed warnings and went into the water to take selfies even as high tide was approaching. Tragedy struck soon after, and Coast Guard aircraft and local boats were pressed into action for search and rescue operations. Some local heroes also dived into the water to and managed to rescue six students. Very often, we see locals who know the sea well, jumping in to rescue swimmers in distress. While this is all very well, this has to be backed by technology and professionals.