A 24-year-old youth died after drowning in a mountain stream while returning from the Kareri Lake trek in the Shahpur subdivision of Kangra district. The deceased was identified as Shashank Aryan, a resident of Raja Ka Talab in Nurpur. He was pursuing Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) at the Institute of Dental Sciences.
According to police, a group of four to five youths had gone trekking to Kareri Lake on Sunday along with a local guide. On Monday, while returning from the trek, the group reached near Half Point Kareri, where Shashank reportedly insisted on bathing in a nearby mountain stream. Despite repeated warnings by the guide against entering the water because of the strong current, he allegedly stepped into the stream and was swept away by the fast flow.
The guide and other members of the group immediately launched rescue efforts and managed to pull him out of the water after considerable struggle. However, he was unconscious by then.
With the help of local residents, the youth was rushed to the regional hospital in Dharamsala, where doctors declared him brought dead. The incident came to light after Vijay Kumar, a resident of Kareri who runs camps in the area, informed police about the incident on Monday.
Police have initiated inquest proceedings into the matter.
