Three siblings drown at Pantai Cahaya, eldest daughter just months away from wedding

PORT DICKSON - In a devastating incident at Pantai Cahaya, here on Sunday, a husband and wife lost three of their daughters in a blink of an eye.

R Kalaivani (30), R Dawige (29), and S Sathiyadevi (19) were enjoying a day out at the beach with their mother K Anchalay (52), brother R Veeran (26), and Kalaivani's fiancé J Sathiswaran (29) when tragedy struck.

The eldest daughter of six, Kalaivani, was looking forward to her wedding in November. The incident has left the family and the community in shock and are mourning.

The victims' cousin, R Thammanty, 30 said Veeran was rushed to Port Dickson Hospital in critical condition but has since stabilised. He is expected to be transferred to a normal ward this evening.

Meanwhile, Kalaivani's fiancé, J Sathiswaran was in stable condition.

R.Thammanty looking through the image of her cousins who drowned.

She said her aunt's emotions were unstable and could not stop crying while recollecting the traumatic incident that took place before her eyes in a split second.

“She (aunt) is still shocked, it is the same for my uncle R Ravi (victims’ father). This was their first trip here as they would only go to Morib Beach in Selangor to relax and swim.

“Our families are at a lost for words because we were all close. Our home is just a few houses away,” she said when met by reporters at the Port Dickson Hospital forensic unit on Monday.

Thammanty further said that Kalaivani was engaged with Sathiswaran eight years ago and was in the process of planning their wedding.

R.Thammanty (left) and her sibling showing pictures of the three siblings who drowned.

“The lived in Taping, Perak and returned on Saturday to spend time on a holiday with their family in Banting, Selangor,” she said.

Sinar previously reported three siblings had drowned while their brother was in a critical condition after swimming in Pantai Cahaya on Sunday evening.

Port Dickson district deputy police chief deputy superintendent Muhammad Mustafah Hussin said the rescue operations were carried out by the Port Dickson and Telok Kemang fire and rescue department personnel.

“The victims’ bodies were brought to the hospital for an autopsy and the case was classified as a sudden death,” he said.

The victims' father Ravi (seated on the right) while waiting for the autopsy results at the Port Dickson hospital.