Pahalgam, May 31, 2026 : In a tragic incident, a 42-year-old man from Srinagar is feared dead after being swept away by the strong currents of the Lidder River while attempting to save his son near the Langanbal area of Pahalgam on Sunday.
According to officials, the victim has been identified as Mohammad Ashraf Mir, son of Ghulam Mohiuddin Mir and a resident of Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar. He was employed as an air-conditioning mechanic in the private sector and had travelled to Pahalgam with his family on a leisure trip.
Officials said the family was spending time near the banks of the Lidder River and taking photographs in the vicinity of Kolahoi Green Hotel at Langanbal when the unfortunate incident occurred.
During the outing, Ashraf’s son, Fahad, reportedly slipped into the fast-flowing river and was carried away by the strong current.
Witnessing his son in danger, Mohammad Ashraf Mir immediately jumped into the river in a desperate attempt to rescue him. However, due to the force of the water, he reportedly lost his footing and was swept away by the current.
Local residents and bystanders present at the scene rushed to help and successfully rescued the boy from the river. While the child was brought to safety, Ashraf disappeared in the turbulent waters and is feared to have drowned.
Soon after the incident, local authorities launched a large-scale rescue operation to trace the missing man.
Teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were deployed to the area, while professional rafting teams also joined the search efforts. Rescue personnel have been conducting extensive searches along the river stretch in an effort to locate the missing individual.
Officials said the operation was continuing till the filing of this report and all available resources were being utilised to trace the man.
The incident has cast a shadow over the tourist destination and left family members and local residents in shock.
Authorities have urged visitors to exercise extreme caution while visiting riverbanks and water bodies, particularly during periods when water currents are strong and unpredictable.
Further details are awaited as rescue teams continue their search operations in the Lidder River.
