Mangaluru : Chelairuguttu Seetaram Heggade (65) resident of Bengaluru, who was holidaying at his guest house off here, drowned at sea on Monday.

The Surathkal police said S.R. Hegde, from Vijayanagar in Bengaluru, was staying at his guest house, 500 metres from the beach. On Monday morning, Hegde walked down to the beach along with his car driver and ventured into the sea for bath around 9 a.m.

He is survived by his writer wife Indira Heggade and a son and a daughter.

Heggade editor of Snehachintana publication of Buntara Sangha, Bengaluru, He was an ex-serviceman and had even won medal for distinguished services while in the Army.

The police said the driver saw Hegde struggling and sought help from local swimmers, who recovered the body around 3 p.m.

A complaint was filed by the victim’s cousin Ramakrishna Poonja.