Puttur: Search operation on to locate missing youth, his scooter found near a stream

Team Udayavani, Jul 21, 2024, 11:38 AM IST

Puttur/Savanur: A youth went missing after parking his scooter near the Gauri stream on Friday night, prompting a search operation by the fire brigade on Saturday, but no clues have been found yet.

The missing person has been identified as Sanmith T. (21), son of Chandra Gowda of Tekkittadi in Kudmaru village and an employee at the Mahindra showroom near the Industrial Estate in Mukrampady. His scooter was found 150 meters away from the riverbank. His belongings including a mobile phone, purse, helmet, and tiffin box were found on the bike.

Call to Father

Sanmith usually commutes to Mukrampady by bus. On Friday, he took his scooter, informing his father that he would be late due to extra work and might return home by 10 PM. Around 9:30 PM, he called again, saying he would be home in half an hour. When he didn’t arrive by 11 PM, his father tried calling him again, but Sanmith did not answer.

Scooter Found During Search

At around 1 AM, when there was no sign of Sanmith, his father, Chandra Gowda, contacted a neighbour and began searching for him. Upon reaching the river near Sarve, they found Sanmith’s scooter. They immediately informed the Sampya police, who discovered more of Sanmith’s belongings at the spot.

Search Ops begin

On the morning of July 21, Sampya police and the fire brigade arrived and started the search operation. They searched approximately 3.5 km with two boats but found no clues.

Previous Accident

Sanmith had been employed in Bengaluru for a year before returning home and starting work in Mukrampady. He had previously met with a serious accident near Gadipila, causing severe injuries. After recovering, he resumed work only three months ago. This was his first time riding a scooter since the accident.

Memory Issues

It is gathered that Sanmith suffered a head injury in the accident, resulting in some memory problems. Besides this, he had no other health issues or financial problems, according to his father, Chandra Gowda. He was supposed to go to court with his father in Mangaluru on Saturday regarding insurance matters related to the scooter accident, which is why he had taken leave from work on Saturday.