The deceased, Balaji, was an employee of a private software firm in Tidel Park and a resident of Vannandurai. Police said the incident happened around 7 am. “Balaji accompanied his daughter Revathi (11), a Class 6 student, to surf in the sea when the incident happened. Revathi who was training with the surfboard was suddenly sucked in by a giant wave and Balaji ran into the sea to save his daughter. Unable to swim in the rough sea, he drowned,” a police officer said.

Fishermen who noticed the two struggling in the water rushed and managed to rescue Revathi, but Balaji had gone missing by then. An hour later, his body washed ashore.

On information, Tiruvanmiyur police retrieved his body and sent it for post-mortem to Government Royapettah Hospital. A case has been registered and further investigation is on.

Police said that surfers usually do not practice when the sea is rough, but the father-daughter duo had arrived at Tiruvanmiyur since the sea was relatively calm compared to Besant Nagar.