Mysuru:  What was meant to be a memorable holiday turned into a tragedy for the families of three girls from the city, who drowned in a swimming pool at a private resort in Mangaluru this morning.

The deceased have been identified as M.D. Nishitha (21), daughter of Mallesh, a resident of Door No. 89, 4th Cross, Kurubarahalli; S. Parvathi (20), daughter of M.S. Srinivas, a resident of Door No. 89, 11th Cross, Ramanuja Road and Keerthana (21), daughter of S. Naveen Kumar, a resident of Door No. 2645, 2nd Cross, Hebbal 2nd Stage, Devaraja Mohalla.

According to the Police, the three girls, who were close friends, had checked into Vazco Beach Resort in Uchila, near Someshwara, on Saturday. The resort is situated at Battappadi Cross Road, Peribail in Someshwara village. 

After an overnight stay, they ventured into the swimming pool at around 8:30 am, where the tragedy occurred. Prior to entering the pool, the girls are said to have set their phones to video recording mode to capture moments of their fun.

CCTV footage reveals that initially, the girls were in high spirits. However, one of them, who had been playing in the shallow end, suddenly ventured into the deeper part of the pool and began to drown. Seeing her struggle, the other two girls rushed to her aid, only to be pulled under themselves, resulting in all three girls drowning.

The Police said that, based on the mobile phone recordings and CCTV footage, it appeared that the girls were not proficient swimmers, which led to the tragic incident. The footage has been retrieved for further investigation.

The incident came to light when resort staff noticed the girls had not returned to their rooms for an extended period. Upon searching for them, they discovered the bodies of the three girls floating in the pool.

Upon receiving the information, Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Anupam Aggarwal, DCP (Crime and Traffic) B.P. Dinesh Kumar and Ullala Police Inspector H.N. Balakrishna, along with staff, rushed to the site and conducted an inspection.

The resort is owned by one Manohar. The resort’s CCTV footage, now in possession of Balakrishna, is being examined as part of the investigation.

The families of the three girls soon arrived in Mangaluru after being informed. Ullal Police have registered a case and are continuing their investigation.