Bantwal: Boatman goes missing in Netravati River; search operations underway

Team Udayavani, Jan 3, 2025, 3:26 PM IST

A boatman who ferried people across the Netravati River has reportedly gone missing since Friday, January 3 morning.Residents have launched a search operation to trace him.

The missing individual identified as Divakar, a resident of Barimaru in Bantwal taluk had been ferrying people across the Netravati River for nearly 30 years, serving as a vital connection between Barimaru and Sarapady.

On Friday morning around 9 AM, Divakar had gone from Barimaru to Sarapady to buy groceries for his home from a shop there. At around 11 AM, his boat was found floating near the pier at Barimaru, but Divakar was nowhere to be seen. His wife contacted the shop owner in Sarapady to inquire about him.

Locals found a bundle of grass, a mobile phone, and sandals at the riverbank near Barimaru leading to suspicions about his disappearance.

Notably, Divakar is known to suffer from epileptic seizures. In a previous incident, he reportedly collapsed by the riverside during a seizure and was revived by locals using metal objects. Authorities suspect that he might have experienced another seizure near the river, resulting in his disappearance.

Local residents are conducting an extensive search along the riverbanks and surrounding areas. Meanwhile, the Bantwal Rural Police have visited the site and initiated an investigation into the incident.