Mounesh Vishwakarma

Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (EP)

Bantwal, July 25: A man who had ventured into the standing water of a quarry at Padavu, Kepu village here drowned on Monday, July 23 evening.

The deceased happened to be Sundar Naik (42), resident of  Padavu in Kepu village. He had gone to swim in the standing water of a quarry belonging to Dambe Koragappa on Monday evening.

The pond formed by the standing water here is about 100 metres long and 35 ft deep. After he went swimming and reached a distance of about 75 meters from the edge, he suddenly drowned and went missing. His family members went searching for him to the spot as he did not return for sometime but he had already met water grave by then.

Local people and Vittal police were informed of the incident. As the pond is very deep, local fire brigade was also called. The fire personnel arrived and searched for the mortal remains of Naik but did not succeed in their efforts till late night. Therefore, they abandoned the operation and returned along with their vehicle.

'Friends Vitla', a Vittal-based social organization, was approached with a request for help in the morning. Friends Vitla team, working under the leadership of Muraleedhar Vitla and members, Yogish Kashimath, Pratap Kashimath and Haider Ali Meginapete, arrived early in the morning and conducted search operation for five hours. The body of the deceased was found in the afternoon.

Police said that Sundar had consumed excessive doses of alcohol at the time he tried to swim across the pond, and that he was also unwell. A police case as per a complaint made by Naik's  wife Prema, stands registered in Vittal police station. Friends Vitla team came in for lavish appreciation from the general public for accomplishing a task that even the fire brigade was unable to handle.