Piravom: A 42-year-old man drowned in the Pazhoor River after rescuing three people who had fallen into the water. The incident happened near the Pazhoor Manalpuram (beach) around 10.30am on Thursday. The deceased is Eroor native K M Manesh, son of Mani and Shantha. 

A group of 20 people had gone to Pazhoor to perform the 'bali tharpanam' ritual — homage to departed soul — to Manesh's maternal uncle.

Amal, Sajin and Suryadev who were standing by the river bank, slipped and fell into a pit in the river. Several pits have been formed in the river due to the sand mining that had been carried out earlier in the area. 

Manesh, who knew swimming, rescued all three and brought them to the safety of the shore; but then he drowned. The others in the group and those who were engaged in swimming training pulled Manesh out of the water and rushed him to the JMP Hospital, but he had died by then. 

The three who had fallen into the river and rescued were given first-aid at the AP Varkey Mission Hospital in Arakkunam. 

Manesh was an electrician. He is survived by wife Vidyalakshmi and children Daksha and Diya. His funeral was held on Thursday itself.