Mangaluru: A 23 year old Ayyappa devottee drowned at Nethravathi river near Thumbay vented dam in Bantwal on Saturday, January 5.

The deceased has been identified as Haraprasad, son of Raja, a resident of Madange in Kallige village in Bantwal taluk. Sources from Bantwal rural police station informed that the victim Haraprasad had visited Sabarimala four times. After wearing ‘Ayyappa Maala’, he was staying at Devandabettu Lakshmi Vishnu Murthy temple in Kallige village. The incident occurred when he was taking bath along with five other Ayyappa devotees near Thumbay vented dam on Saturday morning. Though, others at the spot attempted to rescue him, their effort went in vain, After a hour long search operation, the dead-body of victim recovered from the river, sources said.

A case has been registered at Bantwal rural police station in this regard.