Indian expat dies in drowning-related incident

Tragedy struck a group of picnickers on Thursday after one of them drowned while bathing in the sea near Khor al Udeid, sources said.Indian expatriate Thomas John accidentally fell into a whirlpool and despite efforts to save him after being pulled out of water, he died before reaching the hospital. He was 45.The incident was reported from a place about 75 km south of Sealine beach, Mesaieed. The accident took place around 2.30 am. According to sources, the victim had been working for Qatar Engineering and Construction Company (Qecon).John was with a group of about 15 people who had gone to the beach for the Eid holiday, they said. The group comprised John's wife Elizabeth Thomas and his daughter Joan Maria. Elizabeth had been working at RasGas until a couple of months ago. "Along with John, three or four other members of the group also had reportedly been dragged into the whirlpool but they were rescued by others, including the locals who were present in the area," said a friend of the deceased."All including John were removed from the water and taken to the beach before the ambulance arrived. After being administered first aid, all except John could be revived," said the friend.The entire beach area was crowded with visitors making the most of their Eid holidays, inquiries found. Many visitors usually set up tents to spend the holidays there.Besides his wife Elizabeth and daughter Joan, a student at Birla Public School, John has left behind his son Steve Thomas, who is studying at Rajagiri Public School, Kalamassery, Kochi, in Kerala.Arrangements are being made to take the body to his native Kuzhikkala, near Kozhencheerry in Kerala's Pathanamthitta district.John, who had been in Qatar since 1996, was a member of Emmanuel Marthoma Church, Doha.He was also associated with the Mannai Malayali Samajam of which he was a member since its inception.John's body has been kept at the mortuary of Hamad Hospital Wakra.