Rescue teams recovered the body of the second Kerala tourist who drowned in the frozen Sela Lake in Tawang district, Arunachal Pradesh, on Saturday morning.
The search operation, involving the Army, SDRF Bomdila, SSB, ITBP, and district police, resumed at 8 a.m. after being suspended the previous evening due to poor visibility. SDRF Bomdila and Army divers located the body around 10:10 a.m. Post-mortem examinations are underway before the bodies are handed over to the victims’ families.
The deceased, Dinu (26) and Mahadev (24), were part of a seven-member group from Kerala visiting Tawang via Guwahati. The tragedy occurred on Friday afternoon when one member slipped into the lake. Dinu and Mahadev went to rescue him but became trapped under the ice, while the first tourist managed to escape unharmed.
Authorities have urged visitors to follow safety guidelines and pay attention to warning signboards at Sela Lake. They also reminded the public of a December advisory that warned against walking on frozen high-altitude water bodies. Situated above 13,000 feet, the lake is a popular tourist spot but becomes extremely dangerous during winter.
