ANGUL; An 18-year-old boy was swept away while bathing at the Garjankhol waterfall on the Angul-Keonjhar border near Nagira Panchayat under Pallahara police limits on Friday.
The boy, identified as Lipun Behera, had gone to the waterfall with two of his friends. Despite tireless efforts by fire service personnel from Keonjhar and Angul districts, the youth remains missing. The SDRF team from Angul also rushed to the spot today, but their efforts to trace the body were unsuccessful.
According to police, Lipun, along with his friends Subham Palei and Giridhari Palei, both from Balarai village under Nayakota police station in Keonjhar district, had visited the waterfall to bathe and shoot videos. While in the water, Lipun slipped and was swept away by the current. His friends managed to save themselves and raised an alarm.
Fire personnel from nearby Bansapal in Keonjhar reached the spot and launched a search operation on Friday, but failed to find him. Later in the night, Pallahara police were informed, following which the SDRF and fire service teams from Angul joined the search operation on Saturday morning. However, their boats could not reach close enough to the waterfall, hampering the rescue efforts.
Family members of the missing youth arrived at the site today and urged the administration to intensify the search.
Pallahara IIC Pradeep Mahanta said no formal missing complaint has yet been filed at the police station by the family members. The rescue operation has been suspended due to darkness and will resume on Sunday, he added.