The drowned student has not yet been identified. However she is suspected to be Sonali Patel (16), a resident of Haradi near Puttur, who went missing after school on Monday. But, so far there has been no confirmation of this.
The local swimmers were notified as soon as the incident occurred who rushed on a boat to save her. As she was being carried away by the current, they followed her for quite a distance before she submerged into the water, said the ones who had come forward to rescue her.
Acting on information provided by an eye-witness, the Bantwal town police have launched a search operation for the body around Thumbay vented dam.
The girl was seen crying near the bridge at Goodinabali by a local school girl. On enquiring, she had replied that she was awaiting a bus. Just a few minutes later, a two-wheeler rider saw her throwing her school bag into the river before jumping into it.
