A government employee drowned in India after a diver refused to come to his rescue over money. Adityavardhan Singh, a deputy director of the state health department, drowned in the Ganga river while visiting the Nanamau ghat in Bilhaur, Kanpur, on Saturday (August 31).

Singh’s friends, who had accompanied him, requested the help of a diver who was present at the ghat (a series of steps leading down to a body of water) to rescue him.

However, the diver demanded 10,000 rupees (approximately $119) and said that he would jump into the river only after the money was paid, the Deccan Herald reported on Sunday (September 1).

As the friends did not have cash, they reportedly made online transfers of money. The diver, identified as Shailesh Kashyap, subsequently waited for the confirmation of online payment.

A government employee drowned in India while the rescue diver waited to be paid before attempting to save him

Image credits: LokmatHindi

Image credits: LokmatHindi

But it was too late for Singh, who consequently vanished in the water and tragically drowned. Kashyap reportedly started searching for Singh after receiving the money.

The greedy diver was unsuccessful in finding the official. Singh’s friends said that had Kashyap jumped into the river immediately, the victim could have been saved, the Deccan Herald reported.

Police sources reportedly said that Singh, who was working at Kanpur, had reached the Nanamau ghat on the bank of the Ganga on Saturday. As the official was bathing in the river, he slipped before being swept away by strong currents.

The diver refused to come to his rescue until the transaction went through

Image credits: Google Maps

Image credits: LokmatHindi

Moreover, Singh was taking a selfie when he accidentally slipped, according to the Deccan Herald. Senior district officials reportedly rushed to the spot where the incident took place.

Divers and motorboats were subsequently pressed into service to trace Singh’s body, but it could not be found. 

An uproar in the area was unveiled shortly after Singh’s family learned about their loved one’s fate. One of the official’s cousins is a senior Indian Administrative Service officer of the Bihar cadre, and the deceased’s wife, Shreya Mishra, is posted as a judge in the Akola district of Maharashtra.

Adityavardhan Singh was a deputy director of the state health department

Image credits: Senanur Ceylan (not the actual photo)

Image credits: LokmatHindi

Since Saturday, rescue operations have been going on in Unnao and Kanpur in search of the drowned officer, but so far, his body has not been found, ETV Bharat reported on Monday (September 2).

As many as 75 police officers have been reportedly deployed. Additionally, divers have also been engaged in the search as rescue teams, looking within a radius of 30 kilometers.

An estimated 38,000 people die every year from drowning in India, with a majority of those who have died due to drowning identified in the age group of five to 14 years.

He drowned in the Ganga river while visiting the Nanamau ghat in Kanpur on Saturday (August 31)

Image credits: pujayagna

Despite the alarming statistic, India does not have legislation on drowning, and policies on drowning are not updated, the New Indian Express reported in December 2023.

There is no compulsory swim skills training at the school level, according to the report on the strategic framework for drowning prevention in India, released by the country’s Union Health Ministry last year.

While swimming is a skill that can save lives, it is sometimes not enough to avoid a fatal accident when caught in rip currents, which are often difficult to spot until it’s too late.

When caught in a rip, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution recommends the following: Don’t try to swim against it, or you’ll get exhausted. If you can stand, wade, don’t swim. If you can, swim parallel to the shore until free of the rip and then head for shore. Finally, always raise your hand and shout for help.

“Diver should have assisted,” a reader commented

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