Missing for 2 days, 60-year-old comes out alive after jumping into river

The raging Kapila river in Karnataka's Mysuru district could send shivers to anyone, but not Venkatesh Murthy, a sexagenarian priest.

As the floodgates of the Kabini reservoir was opened, water inundated the Nanjangud town, 169 km southwest of Bengaluru. Many people had to take shelter in the relief camps leaving their belongings behind.

While others were in tears, Murthy saw an opportunity to challenge the swollen Kapila. On Saturday morning, Murthy took a plunge into the furious river and remained missing for more than two days.

The video of Murthy's daredevil act went viral on social media and many speculated that he was no more. News channels, too, counted him in the list of the flood victims. Murthy's family searched for him, but to no avail.

But, defying all the reports about him, Murthy emerged on Monday, much to the amazement of people. "Yes, he is alive. He had come to the police station in the evening," a Nanjangud rural police station officer told PTI.

This daredevilry and his safe return did not surprise his sister Manjula, who says this was not the first time that Murthy had jumped into the river. "He has been doing it for the past 25-30 years," she told PTI.

Though Manjula was confident of Murthy's return, his disappearance for two days left her worried.

"Never ever he took more than half-an-hour to return safe," she said. "This time he was trapped at a pillar of Hejjige bridge and remained there for two days."