Senior Scientist Drowns in Kaveri Despite Locals’ Best Efforts

Bystanders fashioned a rope out of clothes to save Somashekar, but sadly the current was too high.

Mysore scientist drowns in Kaveri as rescue operations fail to save him.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Video Editor: Ashutosh Bhardwaj

Somashekar, a senior scientist at the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) was on a weekend trip to Chunchunkatte waterfalls with his family, when he found himself trapped in the Kaveri due to a sudden surge in the river’s flow.

On the 3rd of June at about 4:30 pm, a hydroelectric power station suddenly released water causing a massive surge in the flow of the river. Somashekar and another man found themselves trapped amidst the boulders in the river as a result of this surge.

Local villagers rushed in to try and rescue them. Two local men managed to make a makeshift rope using their clothes and rushed into the river in an attempt to pull out Somashekar. It was critical for the rescue efforts to be completed as soon as possible, before the water level rose any higher.

Two local men fastened a rope using clothes as they had to pull him out quickly before the water level rose further. That failed and resulted in the tragedy.

Lakshmisha, eyewitness

The rescue efforts took a turn for the worse when the makeshift rope snapped under his weight and Somashekar swept into the torrid water currents. Bystanders stood helpless, shrieking in horror as the river carried him away.

Locals said that the power station alerts people before discharging water by blaring a siren. Tourists such as Somashekar, however, usually don’t know the fact. The scientists body was found a day later, on the 4 June.