Caught on cam: YouTuber Sagar Kundu swept away while making video at Duduma waterfall in Odisha; search operations on

KORAPUT: A 22-year-old YouTuber, Sagar Kundu, from Berhampur was swept away by strong currents while filming a video at Duduma waterfall under Machkund police limits on Saturday.Rescue teams comprising police, fire personnel, and ODRAF continued their search on Monday, but no trace of him had been found.According to police, Sagar was filming a live video when the incident occurred. He had ventured into the middle of the stream by jumping across rocks, despite warnings from his friends about the rising water level.“A joint team of ODRAF, fire services from Lamataput and police, assisted by local villagers, resumed the operation on Sunday morning. But till evening we could not locate him. We only recovered a bag containing batteries and other equipment which he had thrown into the water moments before being swept away,” said Madhusudan Bhoi, IIC of Machkund police station.Sagar, along with fellow YouTuber Abhijit Behera of Cuttack’s Jobra area, had visited the waterfall on Saturday afternoon with friends and captured footage at several spots, including drone shots before the mishap took place around 4.30 pm.Witnesses said that while others stayed on the bank, Sagar ignored repeated appeals to return. His friends even threw a rope to pull him back, but failed. Within minutes, the water level surged from the dam side, sweeping him away in front of the horrified group.Police said rescue teams would intensify the search once operations resume.