A 22-year-old YouTuber, from Berhampur city in Odisha, has been missing for five days after being swept away by the strong currents of the Duduma waterfall in Koraput district while shooting reels, police said on Wednesday.
A senior officer said that a search operation involving disaster management and fire brigade personnel is underway, but the YouTuber identified as Sagar Kundu has not yet been traced.
According to police, Kundu and his friends visited the 175-meter Duduma waterfall on August 23 to film short videos. Despite repeated warnings from his friends about the rising water, he entered the waterfall.
“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 stated, citing a video of the incident, which went viral on social media.
YouTuber’s friend Abhijit Behera said, “Kundu was requesting me with folded hands for rescue. He threw the camera and other equipment, but we were not able to rescue him.”
Meanwhile, Sagar’s father Sarthak Kundu requested the local administration to trace him.
The inspector-in-charge (IIC) of the Machkund Police Station, Madhusudan Bhoi, stated that 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.
A fire service officer, Umesh Chandra Bagh, said they have requested the Machkund dam authorities to close the gates of the reservoir to help the search operation.
“Once the water level recedes, it will help us carry out the search operation,” he said.
Duduma is one of the highest waterfalls in Odisha and a popular tourist destination, located near the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border.
