A YOUNG daredevil is feared dead after leaping into a rain-swollen river for a £4 bet.
Mohd Junaid, 19, was swept away after plunging into the raging Yamuna River in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Jam Press/TIMHe desperately tried to swim back to shore, but the powerful current dragged him downstream.[/caption]
Jam Press/TIMThe 19-year-old, named locally as Mohd Junaid, plunged into the raging Yamuna River in Uttar Pradesh, India.[/caption]
Jam Press/TIMThe teen is seen plunging into the murky, grey river.[/caption]
He had accepted a challenge from his friends for a £4 (500 rupee) wager.
Witnesses said he climbed onto the railings of a bridge before launching himself into the torrent.
The murky, fast-flowing waters surged just a few feet below.
Spectators can be heard cheering in a mobile phone video of the stunt.
The clip shows the youth, in a white vest and blue jeans, hitting the water and surfacing seconds later.
He desperately tried to swim back to shore, but the powerful current dragged him downstream.
The exhausted teen then appeared to vanish under the water.
The footage has since gone viral on social media.
Despite frantic rescue efforts, Junaid has not been found.
Police, divers and the State Disaster Response Force have been searching since the incident.
Officials said rising water levels, worsened by continuous monsoon rain, hampered operations.
According to police, Junaid and his friends had been hanging out on the riverbank when the dare was made.
Without hesitation, he accepted and jumped in.
Investigators are now probing the role of those who encouraged him and filmed the tragedy.
Police confirmed that a case will be filed against his friends.
“This kind of negligence will not be tolerated,” one official said, as quoted by TV9, warning of the serious consequences of encouraging such dangerous stunts.
Locals in Niwada village have voiced shock and anger over the loss.
Many are urging authorities to tighten safety and surveillance along the Yamuna’s banks.
Residents also said the tragedy should serve as a stark reminder of the risks of reckless behaviour for social media clout or peer approval.
Junaid’s tragic event is not an isolated case as many people around the globe are being coaxed into reckless challenges which end up in tragedy.
It comes after another horror daredevil incident when a man attempted to break a cliff diving world record and plunged to his death.
Dramatic footage showed Vali Graham at the top of Minnehaha Falls in Minnesota, psyching himself up for the big jump.
The 21-year-old was seen showing off and shouting before launching himself off the edge of the 139-feet cliff – the height of a 13-storey building.
Just moments later, Graham hits the waterhole in a tight “pike” formation, but instead of surfacing victorious, he is knocked out cold on impact.
Left unconscious with a shattered body, Graham sustained a burst eardrum, fractured vertebrae, a broken sternum and a fractured skull in the brutal fall.
Deadly dares are spiralling out of control as youngsters are risking their lives for nothing more than pocket change.
Investigations into Junaid’s incident are ongoing as Detectives piece together exactly what happened and widen the enquiry into the tragedy.
Jam Press/TIMWithout hesitation, he accepted and jumped in.[/caption]
Jam Press/TIMFriends continue to film as Junaid fights desperately under the torrent before disappearing.[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
