A video posted to Twitter on Monday shows a young Indian man being swept away by a gushing waterfall, likely killing him, after he slipped and fell while posing for a picture.
VIDEO | A man died in #Karnataka‘s #Udupi after falling into an overflowing waterfall. (PTI) pic.twitter.com/l0EB59Q96g
— TOI Bengaluru (@TOIBengaluru) July 24, 2023
The man, identified by police as 23-year-old Sharath, slipped and fell while standing on some rocks atop the Arasinagundi Waterfall, according to the Times of India, which posted the video to one of its Twitter accounts.
While appearing to pose for a picture or video taken by his friend, Sharath wobbles and falls into the rapidly running Souparnika River, the Times recounts. (RELATED: Mother Of Two Falls To Her Death While Attempting To Save Teen On Hike)
Though his body has yet to be recovered, authorities believe Sharath likely drowned in the rapids, per the Times. Search and rescue operations are underway, led by a diving expert and assisted by local police and staff from the fire and emergency services departments, the Times reports.
Sharath and his family drove to the waterfall together at around 7:30 a.m. Sunday morning, according to a missing person’s complaint Sharath’s father filed with the Kollur Police Station. The complaint said the family traveled from Bhadravati to the Udupi district where the falls are located, Times News Now reports.
The Udupi district has been inundated with heavy rainfall, filling local lake basins and prompting local authorities to ban tourists from visiting the Arasinagundi Waterfall, per the outlet.