MADURAI: An elderly swimmer, who belongs to Karnataka, died of cardiac arrest in high seas near Talaimannar, Sri Lanka. The deceased victim has been identified as Gopal Rao (78). He is one of the contestants among 31 in the swimming relay contest from Talaimannar to Tamil Nadu’s Dhanushkodi.

The swimming relay contest was organised by Bengaluru based academy for veterans. The incident occurred at around 12.10 pm, when he was ready to take his spot, sources said.

The body was brought to Rameswaram Government Hospital and after conducting a post mortem, the body was taken to his hometown. Tamil Nadu Coastal Security Group personnel conducted formal enquiries, sources said.