17yo swept away in Ganga while trying to retrieve sunglasses

Haridwar: A 17-year-old boy from Dehradun was swept away by the strong current of the Ganga in Rishikesh on Sunday while allegedly trying to retrieve his sunglasses from the water.

Ayush Thapa, a resident of Chakrata Road in Dehradun, had come to Rishikesh with three friends. Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local police launched a search operation, but the teenager could not be traced till the filing of this report.

SDRF local in-charge Kavindra Sajwan told TOI, “Ayush Thapa entered deep water while trying to retrieve his sunglasses and lost balance due to the strong current. His friends attempted to save him but were unsuccessful. Search operations are underway. Tourists are advised not to venture into deep waters as the river flow is currently very high.”

Meanwhile, SDRF personnel rescued three pilgrims who were swept away by the Ganga’s current in Haridwar on Sunday. In another incident, SDRF divers recovered the body of a man from the Lakshman Jhula area. The deceased was identified as Mohammad Kaif, a resident of Amroha in Uttar Pradesh, who had drowned while bathing in the river with a friend two days ago.