A man slipped and fell in a waterfall before being swept off while posing for Instagram reels in Karnataka's rain-battered Udupi district Sunday evening. The man has been identified as Sharath Kumar, 23, from Bhadravathi in Shivamogga district. The incident was captured on camera by the man’s friend at the Arasinagundi waterfalls which is located just 6km from the Kollur village.

The man who was standing on a rock overlooking the waterfall, swollen after heavy rainfall in the state. The man then lost his balance and in an instant, fell into the waterfall before disappearing under the roaring waves.

The police and emergency services soon reached the spot and did a search operation to find the man, however, the man could not be found. The search operations will still continue today, the police said. Torrential rains have pounded Udupi district in the last couple of days, inundating several areas. The Nandavara, Aladka, and Gudina areas near Bantwal taluk were the worst hit, with water entering homes and forcing residents to flee. The active southwest monsoon triggered floods as many streams overflowed and many low-lying areas flooded.

Following heavy rainfall, authorities have declared a holiday for schools and colleges in nine districts of Karnataka: Belagavi, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Haveri, Hassan, Shivamogga, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, and Kodagu. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall in all three coastal districts of Karnataka: Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, and Uttara Kannada.