Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (SP)

Beltangady, Oct 24: A woman drowned in a pond at Guripalla near Ujire in the taluk on Sunday October 23. A senior citizen who rushed to her rescue also drowned with her. This incident occurred near Lord Lokanatheshwara temple at Nidgal, Guripalla.

Ramachandra Hebbar (76) and Sandhya (35), died in this tragic incident.

Sandhya, who was residing a little distance away from Hebbar's house, used to work at his home. On Sunday afternoon, Sandhya, after finding that the pump set fitted to the pond was not lifting water, was filling water into the pipe of the pump in a bid to make the pump functional for irrigating Hebbar's farm, when she slipped and fell into the pond, it is said. Hebbar, who saw this, jumped into the pond to help Sandhya come out, but both of them got stuck in the silt accumulated at the bottom of the pond, and soon drowned as they did not know how to swim. Locals who came there later, retrieved the two bodies.

Hebbar is survived by two sons and two daughters. He had also served as trustee of the local temple. Hundreds of people visited the house of Hebbar to pay their last respects.

A case about this incident stands filed in the local police station.