Shimla, Aug 25 (IANS): In a toughest operation in the Himalayas, rescuers have recovered the body of a missing youth from the glacial-fed Chandertal or moon lake in Himachal Pradesh's Spiti Valley, officials said on Tuesday.

The youth, Amar Chand Thakur, 19, belonging to Manali town reportedly drowned in the Chandertal lake on August 22 while holidaying.

The police said the victim accidentally fell into the lake.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate Jiwan Singh Negi said the victim's body was retrieved after a day-long operation on Monday evening.

The body was handed over to the victim's family on Tuesday after a post-mortem examination.

A team of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) divers led by Birbal Singh retrieved the body from the lake that is a favourite tourist destination. The team reached the spot on Monday.

The Chandertal lake -- a crescent-shaped basin surrounded by the Himalayas -- is located at an elevation of 14,100 ft.

The lake is accessible only during the summer. In winter, it remains frozen.