Bhubaneswar, Aug. 13: An engineering graduate drowned and another went missing while bathing on the Puri beach today.

Police said the deceased and missing youth were part of a group of seven engineering graduates, which had come to Puri from the capital city. #The police further said that the deceased - Ashik Mohapatra, 22, a native of Jharsuguda - had hosted a feast along with his friend Satyajit Sahani after he got a job recently. Mohapatra was scheduled to join his job on Tuesday. The group of seven students had graduated from a Bhubaneswar-based private engineering college last year, the police said.

"Mohapatra was taking a bath along with Sahani and another friend, Soumitra Dhal, when they were all swept away by a high tide. Another youth, Nilesh Behera, could manage to rescue Dhal while Mohapatra died. Sahani is yet to be traced," said inspector in charge of Baliapanda police station Debasish Mishra. Another police officer said all of them came to Puri on motorcycles.

Retired chief engineer Dinabandhu Misra said: "People who can't swim should not venture into the sea."

"High waves occur due to strong wind from the sea. Sometimes, they reach a height of eight feet or above within a short time. Even the best swimmers cannot swim against such a rapid water flow and are pulled towards the sea, causing death. So, tourists must put on life jackets and take the assistance of lifeguards before venturing into the sea. In case a swimmer is drawn into a current zone, he/she should to try to move in the direction parallel to the beach to come out of the current," Mishra added.