BHUBANESWAR: A 22-year-old YouTuber from Odisha's Berhampur city has been missing for five days after he was swept away by the strong currents of the Duduma waterfall in Koraput district while shooting reels, police said on Wednesday.
A search operation by a team of disaster management and fire brigade personnel is underway, but he has not been traced, a senior officer said.
According to the police, the YouTuber, identified as Sagar Kundu, along with his friends, visited the 175-metre Duduma waterfall on August 23 to shoot short videos.
Despite repeated warnings from his friends about the rising water level, Kundu ventured into the waterfall, the officer said.
"Suddenly, there was a surge due to water being released from the Machkund dam. Kundu was swept away by the strong currents, and those at the spot tried to rescue him but failed," the police said, citing a video of the incident, which went viral on social media.
Kundu was requesting me with folded hands for rescue. He threw the camera and other equipment, but we were not able to rescue him, the YouTuber's friend Abhijit Behera said.
Sagar's father, Sarthak Kundu requested the local administration to trace him. Machkund Police Station inspector in-charge (IIC) Madhusudan Bhoi said a search operation has been launched by a team of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and Lamtaput Fire Service personnel.
"We have so far recovered a bag containing batteries and other equipment which he had thrown into the water moments before being swept away. The rescue operation in the hilly area has been challenging because of the rugged and rocky terrain and incessant rainfall," the IIC said.
Umesh Chandra Bagh, a fire service officer, said, "We have requested the Machkund dam authorities to close the gates of the reservoir. Once the water level recedes, it will help us carry out the search operation."
Duduma is one of the highest waterfalls in Odisha and a popular tourist destination, located near the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border