A 15-year-old swimmer died on Sunday after he complained of back pain while undergoing training at the Velachery Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) swimming complex.

S Sai Srivathsan was a student in class 11 at a private school near Tambaram. He and his father lived near Tambaram and he used to train regularly in one of the private swimming pools near his house.

According to the police, Srivathsan had come to Velachery for his training routine on Sunday morning with his father. Around 7 am, while he was doing his laps, he complained of wheezing and climbed out of the pool and informed his coach.

“The coach tried to give him first aid and that was when he became unconscious. The coach and a few people nearby tried to revive him and when the efforts seemed to be failing, they immediately took him to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival,” a police official told TNM.

His body was then taken to the Royapettah Government hospital for autopsy and later handed over to his father.

Speaking to TNM, an officer at the SDAT aquatic complex, said that Srivathsan was training for a state-level swimming meet, which is scheduled to be held in November.

“He has been coming to this complex only since the past two days. He had won medals at the district meet recently and his father wanted him to improve on his timing and techniques. Hence they came here. On Sunday morning, he came here with his father,” he said.

The tragedy comes as a blow to the father since his wife, Srivathsan’s mother, had died only six months ago. Srivathsan was their only son and his father had recently retired voluntarily from his job to take care of the boy. 

Although the Guindy police said that the teen’s death was no suspicious, they have registered a case of natural death. His visceral samples have also been sent for forensic analysis.