Idukki: Day two of the search operation for the two tribal men who drowned in Anayirangal dam on Sunday morning ended in disappointment as well. A six-member scuba diving team from Ernakulam and Thodupuzha continued their search for Nirappel Gopi (62) and Parakkal Sajeev (38) on Monday from 10.30 am to 4.30 pm.
“Mud on the bottom of the dam and underwater plants posed a challenge to the divers. There is also huge water pressure on the dam. Locating the exact spot where the boat capsized was also a problem. Gopi did not know how to swim and Sajeev swam some distance before drowning, according to an eyewitness. The search team found potatoes, bought by the duo, on the dam bed on Monday,” said Santhanpara SHO Manoj Kumar A C.
He said the search would continue on Tuesday in the areas where some of the commodities bought by the two men were spotted in the water.
There was a herd of eight wild elephants near the dam on Monday. However, their presence did not affect the search operation. A team of fire and rescue officials and officers from Santhanpara police station are supporting the scuba divers. As the search operation is physically exerting, a few members of the diving team will be replaced on Tuesday, the SHO added.
According to police, strong waves caused by the wind may have led to the small fibre boat capsizing. “The possibility of the tribesmen attempting to turn the boat after spotting an elephant herd, which eventually led to the accident seems far-fetched. The herd would have been visible to them from a distance and there are three different landing points for boats here,” said the SHO.
It was on Sunday that Gopi and Sajeev, residing in 301 Colony, drowned while returning home on a fibre boat after purchasing groceries from Poopara.
