Mohammed Rizwan, 20, of Uthukuli in Tiruppur district, was working at a garment company at Kangeyam. He was a friend of Mohammed Jaffer, 22, who was working at an IT company in Chennai. The two along with three of their friends came to the canal at Pethampalayam, near Perundurai, on Sunday. While taking bath, the duo, who did not know swimming, drowned.
The Kanjikovil police along with Fire and Rescue Services Department personnel from Perundurai, with the help of fishermen, searched for the bodies till late evening. However, the bodies could not be traced and the search efforts were called off. On Monday, the bodies were retrieved and sent to the Government Erode Medical College and Hospital at Perundurai. Police have registered a case and are investigating.