A trip to a coastal destination in Mangaluru turned unfortunate as three girls from Mysuru drowned in a swimming pool of the resort. The deceased, who were all reported to be in their twenties, were identified as Nishita MD (21), Parvathi S (20), and Keerthana N (21) who were engineering students in their final year standing at a university in Mysuru. The incident happened at the private beach resort Wilma, which is located in Someshwara Uchila, at about 10 o’clock on Sunday morning.
According to police reports, the women arrived at the resort on Saturday and lounged by the swimming pool the following day. There was CCTV footage showing the moments before the drowning incident. The women had a phone set up to record and left their clothing on the side of the swimming pool before going for a swim. The three girls entered the deep end of the swimming pool even though they could not swim. One of the females started having trouble staying above the water, and when the other two women tried to help, they ended up in the water as well. Police officials stated that all three women drowned within a few minutes.
The resort staff, who were alerted to the situation, rushed to the pool after hearing the commotion and found the woman unresponsive. An alarm was raised, and a team from Ullal Police Station, led by Inspector HN Balakrishna, was dispatched to the scene. Upon arrival, the bodies were retrieved, and the women were declared dead.
Initial investigations suggest that none of the women knew how to swim, and they had attempted to navigate the deep side of the pool. In the video footage, one woman can be seen trying to reach floating pool tubes while struggling to breathe. Despite their efforts to stay afloat, they eventually succumbed to drowning.
The resort, which lacked a lifeguard on duty at the time of the incident, is facing scrutiny for security lapses. The depth of the pool was not clearly marked, and there were no warnings posted about the swimming pool's safety guidelines. Police have registered an FIR in the case, and the manager of the resort has been arrested for further investigation.
Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal confirmed that the deaths were the result of "accidental drowning," but added that the resort’s negligence had contributed to the tragic outcome. “Strict action will be taken against the resort for security lapses,” he said.
The families of the victims, who were in the area for a brief getaway, have expressed their grief over the devastating loss. The police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragedy, and further action is expected once the inquiry is complete.
