Daijiworld Media Network - Karkala (SP)

Karkala, Oct 29: A young man who had arrived at Jomluteertha at Santhekatte, Hebri, on Sunday October 28 evening in the company of some relatives, met watery grave. He has been identified as Sachin Shetty (24), son of Shekhar Shetty from Kadur Ganape near Kokkarne, Mandarthi in Udupi district.

Seven members of the family were on a visit to picturesque Jomluteertha to celebrate Deepavali festival together. Sachin reportedly slipped and got washed away by strong water current. A relative, overcome by anxiety and desire to save Sachin, also faced extreme danger. But he somehow managed to save himself by holding on to the branch of a tree.

Sachin, employed in a company based at Bengaluru, had come home to celebrate Deepavali. He had made all arrangement to celebrate it in a grand fashion. Thereafter, the relatives including the children had visited the falls. The sight of his mother grieving that her son, who had promised to come back by 4 pm to celebrate the festival in a grand manner, went to a place from where no one returns, moved many hearts.

Hebri police and forest officials, supported by locals, searched for Sachin's body for about seven hours. At around 10 pm on Sunday, the mortal remains of the youth were found about 500 metres away from Jomluteertha.

Hebri police have registered a case. The locals said that this area has been posing danger and many tourists have lost their lives. They have urged the concerned to build protective wall at the dangerous spot to ensure that tourists do not proceed perilously close to the falls and risk losing their lives.