BERHAMPUR: In an unusual operation, a fire fighters team conducted an extensive search after a 10th class student lost his iPhone in a pond at Biju Patnaik park here.
On March 24, 16-year-old M Sidhartha Rao accidentally dropped his cell phone - an iPhone 16 Plus - into the water while boating with his friends.
Following the incident, he filed a complaint with the cyber police and requested the Berhampur Development Authority (BeDA) to assist in recovering the device.
Responding to the request, BeDA directed the fire brigade to conduct a search. An eight-member team spent several hours searching the pond using specialised equipment, including oxygen masks but failed to locate the phone on Thursday. Assistant fire officer Thakur Prasad Dalai confirmed the search was carried out as per BeDA’s instructions.
However, local residents questioned the extensive resources deployed for a missing phone, which required involvement of multiple government agencies in such a minor incident. They also questioned the minor’s access to the boating facility without guardians in company.