Teen boy washed away in flashfloods at Old Courtallam waterfalls in Tenkasi

Tragic incident at Old Courtallam waterfalls as 17-year-old boy swept away in flashfloods, sparking rescue operation.

A 17-year-old boy was washed away in flashfloods at the Old Courtallam waterfalls on Friday, May 16, 2024, when he went in for a dip with his relatives.

The recent rains, induced by the weather system over the Gulf of Mannar and Kanniyakumari, have brought water into the Main Falls, the Five Falls and the Old Courtallam Falls at Courtallam for the past couple of days, drawing a large number of visitors.

Around 2.30 p.m., when a group of tourists were taking a dip in the Old Courtallam waterfalls, sudden rains in the Western Ghats triggered flashfloods. Caught unawares, many tourists screamed for help. Some of the police personnel deployed near the waterfalls and shopkeepers rushed to the rescue of the tourists. Even before everyone could get to safety, the water submerged the elevated steps leading from the waterfalls to the car park.

Only when the tourists managed to come out did they realise that Ashwin, a class 11 student of NGO Colony in Palayamkottai, had been washed away. He had come to Courtallam with his relatives.

Collector A.K. Kamal Kishore and Superintendent of Police T.P. Suresh Kumar reached the spot immediately, along with Fire and Rescue Services personnel, to launch a search operation.

Ashwin’s body, trapped between rocks about 500 meters from the waterfall, was retrieved at 5.10 pm