Baghiapada: A young engineer drowned while taking selfies at Palajhar dam under Baghiapada outpost limits in Boudh district Sunday.
His body was fished out Monday.
The deceased has been identified as R Mukundam (22), a native of Tamil Nadu. He was working at a mega lift irrigation project in the district.
According to a source, he along with his two associates had gone to Palajhar dam built across River Salunki to take a bath. The three were clicking selfies there when Mukundam’s mobile phone accidentally slipped from his hand and fell into the water.
To retrieve the phone, Mukundam jumped into the water. His friends were waiting for him near the spot from where Mukundam dived into the water. It was when he did not come out of the water even after long hours, they immediately informed the Boudh fire station.
Fire personnel and an ODRAF team reached the spot and carried out a search operation. They continued searching till the evening but could not find him. They had to stop the operation due to darkness.
The operation was resumed Monday morning and they eventually stumbled upon the body of the deceased engineer at a place one kilometre from the spot of the occurrence and fished it out.
On being informed, police reached the spot and seized the body for post mortem.
PNN