COIMBATORE: A 23-year-old college student died of suspected cardiac arrest while trekking the Velliangiri Hills near Coimbatore on Thursday night.
Police identified the deceased as Mukesh Kumar, a native of Dharmapuri and studying D.Pharm at a private college by staying in Telungupalayam near Perur in Coimbatore. He along with a group of eight friend's had set out on a trek to Velliangiri Hills to offer prayers at the hill shrine.
They began climbing the hills at night. “While climbing the fifth hill, Mukesh Kumar suddenly complained of chest pain. He then collapsed and lost consciousness,” police said.
Shocked by the incident, his friends attempted to rush him down the hill and also alerted forest department officials. Soon, the rescue personnel arrived at the spot and carried the youth in a dholi (makeshift structure).
The medical staff, who were stationed at the foothills, examined and found him dead already. On receiving information, the Alandurai police arrived at the spot and sent the body of the deceased for a post-mortem at Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH). A case has been registered and further inquiry is underway.
In May, last year, a 15-year-old boy fainted and died while climbing down the hills in the early morning hours. The Coimbatore forest department has already appealed to devotees with a history of medical illness like heart ailment, breathlessness, diabetics, obese, elderly persons and those with major health complications to avoid visiting the hills. The devotees were advised to undergo a complete body check up to ensure that they are fit for the sojourn.