YouTuber Sagar Kundu, 22, was swept away in front of horrified onlookers while filming a video at the Duduma Waterfall in Odisha, India – footage shows him desperately clinging to a rock
Shocking new footage shows the moment a YouTuber was swept away by a waterfall while posing for a video.
Sagar Kundu, 22, from Berhampur in India, was using a drone to film footage near Duduma Waterfall on Saturday when he was taken by strong currents. One viral video of the incident filmed by onlookers showed him standing on top of a boulder in the middle of the fast-moving plunge pool before a torrent suddenly rushes up around him, causing him to fall into the water and cling desperately onto the rock.
A number of people are then seen attempting to pull him to safety, but Mr Sadu is swept out of view a few seconds later. One friend of the YouTuber, named Abhijit Behera, told Indian media that Sagar had thrown him his “camera and other equipment” amid the panic but they were “not able to rescue him”.
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The tragedy is thought to have unfolded after water was released from the nearby Machakunda dam following heavy rainfall. A major search operation was launched by authorities in the aftermath, though rescuers had only managed to recover his bag containing camera equipment as of Sunday evening.
Police claimed Mr Kundu had ventured into the waterfall after ignored repeating warnings from his friends about the rapidly rising water level.
Machkund Police Station inspector in-charge Madhusudan Bhoi said: “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.
“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.”
Umesh Chandra Bagh, a local fire officer, added: “We have requested the Machkund dam authorities to close the gates of the reservoir. Once the water level recedes, it will help us carry out the search operation.”
Sagar Kundu regularly uploaded photography videos to his YouTube channel capturing the Odisha region of India, and had 500 subscribers.
Duduma Waterfall is a major waterfall on the border of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, and is a popular spot for domestic tourists. It is formed by the Machkund River, and is one of the highest waterfalls in East India.