Chennai: Grandfather, 15-yr-old drown in lake

CHENNAI: A 60-year-old man and his grandson drowned in a pond while attempting to cool off from the intense summer heat.

The deceased were identified as Perumal (60), a resident of Chengeni Amman Koil Street in Pallikaranai, and his grandson Bharath (15). The boy’s younger cousin, Dinesh (14), was also present during the incident.

According to the police, Bharath and Dinesh, who were studying in Classes 10 and 9, had come to stay with their grandfather during their summer vacation following school holidays. On Friday, due to the severe summer heat, Perumal took both grandsons to the nearby Narayanapuram lake for a bath.

However, while Perumal and Bharath entered the pond to swim, Dinesh decided against it at the last moment and remained seated on the lake bank.

During swimming, Bharath is believed to have moved into a deeper section of the pond and began struggling in the water. Seeing this, Perumal rushed to rescue him but also slipped into the deep area. Both were unable to stay afloat and drowned.

Dinesh, who witnessed the incident from the shore, raised an alarm and called nearby residents for help. Locals rushed to the spot and attempted to rescue them but their efforts were in vain. The police and fire department were immediately alerted and fire service personnel from Medavakkam arrived at the spot and launched a search operation. After several hours, Perumal’s body was recovered around 1 pm, followed by Bharath’s body after 2 pm.

Pallikaranai Police sent the bodies to Tambaram District Government Hospital for post-mortem examination.