Kaveri River Tragedy: Man Falls While Taking Photo in Mysore, Swept Away by Raging Waters
MYSORE NEWS -A viral video from Karnataka’s Mysore shows a man losing balance while posing for a photo near the Kaveri River.The powerful current carried him off with helpless friends looking on.
It was a routine weekend trip that turned out to be a fatal accident when a man was carried away in the strong currents of the Kaveri River. He fell while posing for the picture on a half-construction of a bridge at Srirangapatna region of Mysore.
The victim was Mahesh, 36 years of age and an auto rickshaw driver who had taken his friends on a picnic to the area around Krishnaraja Sagar. In a flash meant to be captured for the sake of demonstrating happiness, Mahesh sat at the edge of half constructed bridge so that he could position himself for a better photograph.But as he took a step back his foot reportedly hit a rough stone and he lost balance. In seconds he slipped and fell into the river that was flowing rapidly due to recent rain.
“He was smiling just a second before and then he was gone,” said his friend Ravi Kumar who was filming the moment on his phone. “We shouted for help and tried to reach him but the water just pulled him away so quickly.”
The Kaveri River was already flowing with great force when the incident happened and the accident was caught on video by Mahesh’s friend. That short clip has now spread widely on social media so many people have seen the moment that went from light-hearted to devastating.
Emergency services were called right away and the State Disaster Response Force or SDRF began a search operation at the site. Teams have been working since Sunday afternoon and are using divers and aerial scans to look for Mahesh. Still there has been no success.
“The current is too strong and visibility in the water is very poor which makes things difficult,” said an SDRF officer at the scene. “We are covering as much ground as we can with the resources available.”
Officials are now urging the public to stay away from dangerous riverbanks especially during monsoon season because water levels can change without warning and accidents can happen easily.
A Grim Reminder About Risky Photos
In India and many other places there has been a rise in accidents linked to photo-taking near rivers or cliffs. Experts believe that people sometimes ignore safety because they want a unique shot for social media or memories.
“Nature is not predictable and people often forget that,” said safety expert Vinay Joshi. “A photo is never worth losing your life over.”
Mahesh is survived by his wife and two children. His family has been waiting with hope while rescue teams continue the search.This incident has left the local community in shock and it is a strong reminder that life is always more important than any picture.