A tragic drowning incident at a resort in Surat district has sparked serious concerns over swimming pool safety and supervision standards after CCTV footage of the episode surfaced online.
The incident occurred on March 23 at Akshay Resort located in Talad village of Olpad taluka. A group of young men from Surat had visited the resort to spend a leisure day together. Among them was 22-year-old Pursottam Chaudhary, who entered the swimming pool around noon along with his friends.
What began as a fun outing soon turned tragic when Chaudhary reportedly moved toward the deeper section of the pool and began struggling in the water.
CCTV shows moments before drowning
According to available CCTV visuals, the young man appeared to be in distress while inside the pool. However, his struggle went unnoticed for several moments. The footage allegedly shows him gradually sinking and remaining motionless at the bottom of the pool before anyone realised something was wrong.
His friends later spotted him, pulled him out of the water, and rushed him for medical treatment.
Declared dead at hospital
Despite efforts to save him, doctors declared Chaudhary dead upon arrival at the hospital. Authorities confirmed that the death was caused by drowning.
Olpad police have registered a case of accidental death and initiated an investigation. Officials are reviewing CCTV recordings and examining whether safety protocols at the resort were adequately followed.
Questions raised over safety measures
The incident has triggered debate over the availability of lifeguards and emergency response systems at private resorts and swimming facilities. Preliminary concerns focus on whether trained personnel were present near the pool and if proper monitoring mechanisms were in place.
Experts note that drowning incidents often occur silently, making constant supervision critical, especially in pools with varying depth levels.
