10 hours of diving daily in freezing Satluj: How team of private divers from Himachal’s Sundernagar recovered body of former Chennai Mayor’s son from gushing river
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The Newz Radar
MANDI: Having performed more than 2,000 operations, a team of divers belonging to the Mahunag Diving Association of Sundernagar in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh has done it again.
This time, they recovered the body of Vetri Duraisamy, son of former Chennai Mayor, who had been missing after the Innova taxi he was travelling in along with his friend and a driver plunged into the Satluj river in Kinnaur district last Sunday (February 4, 2024) evening. While Vetri’s friend Gopinath was flung out of the vehicle and sustained grave injuries, he and the Innova driver remained trapped inside as it plunged into the Satluj. While the driver’s body was retrieved from the submerged vehicle, Vetri was washed away by the gushing Satluj.
Saidai Duraisamy had announced a reward of Rs 1 crore for anyone providing information on the whereabouts of his son. As days passed and there were no signs of his son, the former Mayor increased the reward to Rs 1.5 crore and appealed to the Kinnaur Deputy Commissioner and local residents for assistance.
Multiple agencies, including the Indian Navy, NDRF, SDRF, Home Guards and Uttarakhand diving teams, were mobilised to search for the missing youth in the treacherous waters of the Sutlej, but to no avail.
The Mahunag Diving Association at Talwali in Sundernagar, renowned for their expertise in search and rescue operations across the state, was approached too. It achieved success in recovering the body on Monday (February 12).
Led by Shiv Ram, the team, comprising Sant Ram, Tilak Raj, Shyam Lal, Mannu, Lakshman, and Ghanshayam, embarked on a gruelling six-day search operation. Working tirelessly for 10 hours daily, they battled subzero temperatures and they dived to reach the riverbed. They covered a 6-km distance downstream from the spot where the Innova had plunged into the river.
Speaking to TNR, Shiv Ram said his team members combed every inch of the target portion in the river, looking for the body with sticks between rocks and elsewhere. “It was a tough operation as the water was flowing in high speed. We braved freezing temperature. Starting our search from ground zero and pushing 6 km downstream, it was an arduous task, but we finally succeeded. More than money, it’s the closure that families get after the body’s recovery which soothes us. That’s more important,” he said in an exclusive conversation, praising his team’s dedication.
The district administration too commended the Mahunag Diving Association for their exceptional efforts, surpassing the capabilities of professional teams such as the SDRF, NDRF and the Navy, in retrieving bodies from the icy water.
