Kushalnagar: A 35-year-old man from Kushalnagar, Nishanth, tragically lost his life after diving into a shallow swimming pool in Chikkamagaluru yesterday.

Nishanth, the owner of a mobile phone shop in Kushalnagar, was on a bikers’ trip with a group of 12 friends riding on six bikes.

The group reached a homestay in Chikkamagaluru around 2.30 pm and relaxed by the pool after lunch. While they were unwinding, Nishanth suddenly got up and dove into the pool, unaware that it was only 4.5 feet deep — despite him being 5 feet 10 inches tall. On impact, his head hit the pool floor, causing a severe spinal cord injury.

Seeing Nishanth unresponsive and floating on the water, his friends immediately jumped in and pulled him out onto the concrete floor. Though unable to move his head and lower body, he was still conscious and responsive to their desperate queries.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors advised his friends to shift him to NITTE Hospital in Mangaluru for advanced treatment. However, his condition deteriorated en route, and he passed away before reaching the hospital. Nishanth had been married for three years.