India, March 21 -- A carefree evening football game at Navapur beach in Virar turned fatal on Thursday, when two 16-year-olds ventured into the sea to retrieve their ball and were overpowered by strong currents.

Manthan Dhotre and Shlok Chindarkar, residents of Jivdani Pada in Virar East, had just completed their SSC examinations and had fallen into a daily rhythm of meeting friends at the beach each evening before the next phase of their lives began in junior college.

According to the Arnala police, the incident occurred around 6.30pm when a stray kick sent the football rolling into the sea. In a split-second decision that their friends recount, the two boys ran into the water to retrieve it.

Senior inspector Vijay Patil said the teen...