A 25-year-old man went missing after he got caught in the strong current of the Krishna River near Devasugur in Raichur district, while his friends were swimming by him. The incident happened under the Shaktinagar Police Station.
The missing youth is identified as Shivu, a resident of Shaktinagar. He is a contract worker at Yermarus Thermal Power Station (YTPS).
According to initial information, Shivu had gone to the Krishna River with a group of friends to swim. The group was in the vicinity under the Krishna River bridge when the incident occurred.
Youth seen struggling in strong current
Witnesses recorded footage on their mobile phones of Shivu struggling in the river after being caught in the water current.
The video shows the young man trying to swim and go back to safety, but the river is coming at him.
His friends, who were on the riverbank, saw that he was in trouble and immediately attempted to rescue him.
Friends try to reach him using a fishing boat
After Shivu was seen struggling in the water, his friends tried to launch a small fishing boat kept on the riverbank to reach him.
However, the boat had been locked up with a lock and tied to a pole by local fishermen. The friends had to release the boat before trying to take it into the river, according to the local fishermen.
By the time they had arranged the boat and moved towards the river, Shivu had disappeared beneath the water.
The increasing water flow in the Krishna River is believed to have made the rescue attempt more difficult.
Incident Near Devasugur
The incident occurred near Devasugur, close to the Krishna River bridge. Shivu and his friends had gone to the area for swimming when the accident happened.
Where was he?
The footage captured by people at the location is also expected to enable authorities to know the sequence of events leading up to the disappearance.
Search Operation Underway
After the incident, efforts are expected to be focused on finding Shivu in the river.
Local authorities and rescue personnel may use boats and other search equipment to conduct operations along the stretch of the river where he was last seen.
The strong current and increased flow of water are likely to present challenges for rescue teams.
Police under Shaktinagar Police Station jurisdiction will also gather details from Shivu's friends and eyewitnesses of the incident.
Caution is advised around the river during high flow
The incident has again highlighted the dangers of swimming in rivers in the presence of high water levels and currents.
Even experienced swimmers may have difficulty when water flows suddenly change. Strong currents can take a person from the riverbank quickly, and there is no way back to safety.
Authorities generally advise people not to enter rivers and other water bodies when water flow is strong or conditions are uncertain.
The search for Shivu will continue, and more news about the rescue and the reasons for Shivu's disappearance is awaited.
