Daijiworld Media Network - Chikkamagaluru (SP)

Chikkamagaluru, Mar 25: In an unfortunate incident which happened at Vidyaranyapura near Sringeri in the district on Sunday March 24, four members of a single family met watery grave.

The deceased were Ramachandra (38), a car mechanic from Sringeri, and his close relatives, Ratnakar (35), Nagendra (24), and Pradeep (26). Two other family members, Sudhakar, and Ritika, daughter of Ramachandra, who stayed on the river bank, survived.

All the above six persons had gone to Vidyaranyapura to have bath in the river on Sunday afternoon. Four among them drowned. Ramachandra, who was a native of Balehaklu near Belavinakodige in Koppa taluk, had opened a garage at Sringeri and was staying there since the last some years. The family was to perform puja at Balehaklu on Monday and Pradeep, who was employed at Bengaluru, had come here to take part in the programme. Pradeep, Ramachandra, and their relatives had together planned to take bath in the river.

Ramachandra, who swam in the river, returned to the bank after sometime. He was concerned to find that Pradeep had not yet returned. He went closer to the river and found that Pradeep was fighting for his life in the river. He and two others immediately jumped into the river to rescue Pradeep. It is said that all of them got trapped in the river draught and drowned.