Madikeri: A team of rescuers led by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Sunday recovered the bodies of two villagers who went missing in the Hemavathi River near Neergund village in Shanivarasanthe hobli, close to Kodagu-Hassan district border.Nagaraj and Shivaraj, residents of Neergund village in Kodlipet hobli, went missing while fishing late on Friday night. Although a search operation was launched on Saturday, rescuers were unable to locate them.Nagaraj’s body was recovered around 9 am on Sunday, while the rescuers continued to look for Shivaraj’s body.According to authorities, the duo had gone fishing but failed to return home, prompting their family members to alert the police. Kodagu district police rushed to the spot and initiated a search operation. On Saturday, an NDRF team stationed in Kodagu for disaster management assistance joined the rescue efforts.The NDRF team, led by Rambaji, conducted an extensive search using trained personnel and specialised equipment in the deep waters of the river. However, no breakthrough was achieved on Saturday, and the operation was suspended after dusk due to poor visibility.The search resumed at 7.30 am on Sunday. Within an hour, Nagaraj’s body was recovered from the river, officials said. Later Shivaraj’s body was recovered.Madikeri MLA Mantar Gowda and Tahsildar Krishnamurthy visited the site and reviewed the rescue efforts. Authorities suspect the two men may have accidentally slipped into the river and were swept away by the strong current.
