PARADIP/JAGATSINGHPUR: A 38-year-old man drowned in Mahanadi river while trying to rescue his 14-year-old son who was swept away by strong currents near Bhutmundai bridge on the outskirts of Paradip on Sunday.
The deceased was identified as Ishwar Barik of Nimidihi village under Paradip Lock police limits.
According to reports, Ishwar had gone to the riverbank with his son Ninu Barik and other villagers to collect water for Bol Bom journey. Ninu entered the river to collect water but was swept away by the strong currents. Finding his son drowning, Ishwar immediately jumped into the river to rescue him. However, both were swept away.
Locals rushed to their aid and managed to rescue Ninu, while Ishwar disappeared in the river and could not be traced. Fire Services personnel launched a search operation for Ishwar. Assistant fire officer of Kujang Biswajit Rout said the rescue teams recovered his body from Mahanadi after an extensive search of around two hours.
The incident has raised questions over safety arrangements for Bol Bom devotees, as restrictions have been imposed on lifting water from the river ghats due to the flood situation. Despite the restrictions, devotees continued to gather near Bhutmundai bridge.
Meanwhile, in view of the flood situation, the Jagatsinghpur administration has imposed a ban on entry of Bol Bom devotees to river ghats along Mahanadi and its tributaries.