Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Oct 24: A youth, who was trying to click a selfie in the company of his friends, slipped and drowned in the rivulet on Thursday October 22. The incident occurred at Kempuhole rivulet near Choudeshwari temple on Gundia border of Dakshina Kannada district with Hassan at Shiradi Ghat stretch.

The deceased was Suman (22), son of Lokesh, from Desihalli in Bangarpet taluk, Kolar district. He was employed in Times publication at Kolar.

Suman was a member of a ten-member group of youngsters who had planned to visit Dharmasthala. As soon as the vehicle climbed down the Siradi Ghat, the group parked vehicle about two km away from Choudeshwari temple and started to frolic in the water of Kempuhole rivulet. When trying to click a selfie by standing on a huge boulder in the middle of the rivulet, Suman lost his balance and fell into water. Among the group of friends, only two knew how to swim. They jumped into the rivulet and made herculean efforts to trace their missing friend, but to no avail.

It is gathered that the spot where the youth fell happens to be a deep pocket of the rivulet, and it is being analyzed that he would have been dragged by the strong water current. Thereafter, assistance of expert divers and fire brigade was sought. After prolonged search operation by the divers and firemen, the body of the youth was found from a spot located some distance away downstream.

As the spot of accident falls under Sakleshpur police station, the body was handed over to the police station there. Staff of Nelyady outpost, Uppinangady police station, Puttur assistant superintendent of police and other personnel, as well as Shiradi gram panchayat members, and teams of local youth participated in the operation launched to search for the body of the youth.