Two young men drowned while swimming in the Swarna River at Hermunde in Hirgana village of Karkala taluk in Udupi district. The deceased men are Bharath Poojary, 29, and Harshan Acharya, 23.
The tragedy happened when the two men went swimming in the river with three other friends. The five friends had decided to visit the river on a day when they were on leave from work.
According to the information available, the friends entered the Swarna River for a swim. While swimming, Bharath Poojary and Harshan Acharya went to a deeper part of the river. They then got into trouble and drowned.
As a result of the incident, the families and friends of the two young men are shocked. Residents were notified of the incident, and efforts were immediately made to locate the missing swimmers.
Firefighters Face Difficult Access to Spot
The rescue operation was challenging because there was no road access for vehicles to reach the exact location of the incident. Fire and emergency personnel had to walk for around three kilometres to reach the spot.
Once they arrived at the location, fire and rescue personnel began a search operation with the help of residents. The search and rescue teams worked for over the next three hours to locate and recover the bodies.
The difficult terrain and lack of direct access to vehicles increased the challenges for the rescue teams. Residents helped firefighters in the operation.
After an extended search, the bodies of Bharath Poojary and Harshan Acharya were finally recovered from the river and brought to the surface.
Five Friends Had Gone Swimming
The five friends visited the river on their day off for a recreational outing, but after two of them got into the deeper part of the water, one died— the other drowned.
It has once again highlighted the hazards of swimming in rivers and other natural bodies of water, particularly where water levels can change rapidly and unexpectedly.
Rivers have a powerful current, uneven riverbeds, and deep sections that may not be immediately visible from the surface. Even experienced swimmers have trouble when they go into new or deeper parts of a water body.
The deaths of the two young men have caused grief among their families, friends, and the community.
Rescue operation continues for over three hours
Fire and rescue personnel continued their operation for over three hours before recovering the bodies. The teams had to find the location on foot because they could not drive directly to the site.
The support of local residents was also helpful in the search and recovery operation. The bodies were recovered, and then the authorities started the work themselves.
The tragedy at Hermunde in Hirgana village has drawn attention to the dangers of swimming in deep sections of rivers. In natural water bodies, with no designated swimming areas, both residents and the public are asked to be wary.
The tragedy has left two families mourning young members, and their friends are also grieving the deaths of Bharath Poojary and Harshan Acharya.
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