Udupi, 29 Nov 2015: Two Ayyappa devotees reportedly drowned while bathing in a pond at Karamballi on Sunday.
The deceased are Ashok and Udaya.
Sources say that Ashok with his nephew Udaya and neighbour Ganesh had gone to the pond in Venkataramana Temple. However, Ashok slipped and fell in the water and Udaya jumped in to save his uncle. But tragedy struck and both drowned in the pond. It is said that both of them were not skilled swimmers.
Ganesh also tried his best to save the duo but failed.
It is learnt that Ashok ran a shop while Udaya was employed in the Manipal press.
Though the fire personnel tried to retrieve the bodies they were unable to do so and it was only after nearly two hours later that the bodies were fished out with help from labourers from Odisha.
The bodies were shifted to the mortuary at Ajjarkad government hospital.
MLA Pramod Madhwaraj visited the mortuary and instructed the officials to conduct the post-mortem immediately.
A case has been registered.