Water current sweeps away scientist

Mysore, June 04: Here is a weekend picnic to Chunchanakatte falls turned tragic as a CFTRI scientist was washed away in the gushing Cauvery water.

The deceased is Haryana-based Somashekar (40)was a senior scientist of the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), along with his family members and a few friends, was in the water when the level suddenly rose after the hydel power generation unit closed its production.

Somashekar helped his wife Prathima and two children move to a safer place but before he could come up, he was washed away. Though a few local vendors tried to rescue him with a rope, they could not pull him up because of the force of the water.

Though the hydel power unit sounded the siren and sent a warning signal, tourists who were playing in the water could not hear it. They started moving out only after they started feeling the rise in water level.

KR Nagar police, led by Inspector Shiva Prakash, visited the spot. Professional swimmers and local fishermen have been pressed to fish out the body. Many tourists who were in the spot urged that a siren be fixed near the river to avoid such mishaps.

Fire and Emergency Service personnel conducted search operation but they couldn't trace Somashekar. The operation will continue on Monday morning, said Ramachandrappa, of the Fire department.