Body of 26-year-old found days after he fell into Kodaikanal waterfall

The deceased, 26-year-old Ajay Pandian, had climbed onto the rocks next to a waterfall in Kodaikanal’s Pullaveli when he lost his balance and fell into the water.
Ajay Pandian, who slipped and fell into a waterfall in Tamil Nadu's Kodaikanal
Ajay Pandian, who slipped and fell into a waterfall in Tamil Nadu's Kodaikanal
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The body of a young man, who went missing after falling into a waterfall in Tamil Nadu’s Kodaikanal last week, has been found by forest officials. The man, identified as 26-year-old Ajay Pandian, had visited the waterfalls near Pullaveli on August 4 and had gone near the rocks beside it to take pictures. However, he lost his balance and fell into the gushing water.

Ajay’s friend recorded him posing on the rocks, and the tragic incident was caught on video. In it, Ajay is seen lowering himself onto a set of rocks beside the waterfall, while asking his friend to take a picture of him with the falls in the background. He then ventured further below, all the while asking his friend to record it on video and to take pictures. However, the video shows that while he was trying to adjust his balance, Ajay suddenly slipped on the rocks and fell backwards into the waterfall, while his friend screams for help in shock.

Since he went missing on August 4, the video recorded by Ajay’s friend has been widely shared on social media. The Pullaveli waterfall is reportedly highly dangerous, and due to the heavy rains that the region has been seeing over the past few weeks, the rocks from which Ajay slipped were very slippery. Further, the currents in the river and waterfall were stronger as a result of the rains as well. Reports state that as many as five people have died in the past few years after losing their balance on the rocks and falling into the waterfall.

A recent report by the state Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) showed that between August 3 and August 4, Tamil Nadu received 99% more rainfall than the normal 256.3 mm. Nilgiris district recorded the most rainfall this monsoon with 67.5 mm, followed by Coimbatore (45.46 mm), Dharmapuri (38.63 mm) and Thiruvannamalai (23.27 mm).

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