Bhatkal Tragedy Could Have Been Avoided If One Person Could Swim, Says Rescue Team

Ten members of a family drowned in Karnataka’s Bhatkal Tattehakkalu river while collecting clams. Rescue teams said the tragedy could have been avoided if even one person knew swimming, as sudden tide changes left the group trapped in rising waters.

The news of 10 members of a single family drowning in the Tattehakkalu river in Bhatkal while collecting clams has sent shockwaves across Karnataka. The death toll, initially reported as eight, has now risen after additional bodies were recovered during an extensive search operation. The Gangolli rescue team involved in the operation has now explained the possible reasons behind the tragic incident.

Disaster Due To Lack Of Experience With Tidal Changes

According to the rescue team, all members of the family had entered the river to collect clams but had no experience or understanding of the changing water levels where the river meets the sea. The team, led by Dinesh Kharvi from Gangolli in Kundapura, said this was the primary reason for the disaster.

Rescue officials explained that the family entered the river when the tide was low and the water level was shallow. However, within a short period, the tide changed and the river began to swell rapidly. The sudden rise in water level reportedly caused confusion, and the group lost their way back, eventually moving towards deeper waters, which proved fatal.

If One Person Could Swim, The Outcome Could Have Been Different: Rescue Team

The rescue team said that even one person knowing how to swim could have made a difference and possibly saved lives. According to them, the group panicked as the tide rose and lost orientation in the water. With no one in the family knowing how to swim, they were unable to escape the rising current.

Gangolli Rescue Team Joins Operation

As soon as they received information about the incident, Dinesh Kharvi’s rescue team from Gangolli rushed to the spot as volunteers. They joined local authorities in the ongoing search and recovery operations.

Body Of Missing Woman Recovered

In a fresh update, the body of Nagaratna Naik, one of the two missing persons in the Bhatkal tragedy, has been recovered from the Tattehakkalu river. With this recovery, the confirmed death toll has risen to 10. Search operations are still underway to trace the remaining missing person.