Father dies before children’s eyes during Pongal swimming event

A Pongal festival swimming competition ended in tragedy at Anaikadu village near Peravoorani in Thanjavur district, as a father drowned in a pond in front of his children, plunging the entire village into mourning. The deceased was identified as Manikandan, a daily wage labourer from the area. As part of Pongal celebrations, villagers had organised a swimming competition in a local pond, in which Manikandan also took part. According to eyewitnesses, the competition began with participants swimming rapidly towards the opposite bank. Within moments of the start, Manikandan reportedly got stuck in slushy mud inside the pond and began to struggle. Unable to free himself, he soon drowned.
Unaware of the danger unfolding in the water, Manikandan’s young children, who were standing on the opposite bank, continued cheering and shouting slogans to encourage their father to swim faster. Their cries turned to horror when fellow participants noticed Manikandan had not surfaced. Other swimmers rushed to rescue him and brought him ashore. However, by the time he was pulled out, Manikandan had already died.
News of his death spread quickly through the village, casting a pall of gloom over the Pongal festivities. Family members broke down in grief, and villagers gathered in shock over the sudden and tragic loss. Locals alleged that the swimming competition was conducted without any safety precautions. There were no life-saving equipment, ropes or trained swimmers on standby, which may have contributed to the fatal outcome. The Peravoorani police have registered a case and begun an investigation into the incident. Officials are examining whether negligence and lack of safety arrangements led to the death.
The tragic incident has sparked calls from residents for stricter safety measures during village festivals, so that celebrations do not turn into scenes of irreversible loss.