Mandya:  A 16-year-old boy, who had gone for a swim along with his friends in the VC Canal on the outskirts of Gunnayakanahalli in the taluk yesterday, has reportedly met watery grave.

The deceased is Hemanth Gowda, a student of Navodaya School at Shivaragudda in Maddur taluk. Hemanth had written his SSLC exam and was awaiting results, it is learnt.

As there were holidays, Hemanth, along with eight of his friends, had gone to Melukote on a trip and while returning, they went to Gunnayakanahalli, the village of his friend Gunashekar. They later went to the VC canal on the outskirts and Gunashekar ventured into the water and was swimming. Hemanth, who did not know swimming, jumped into the canal with the help of a tube and was swept away.

Gunashekar and others tried to save Hemanth but in vain. Search is on to fish out the body of Hemanth.