SDRF Recovers Body From Wahniangleng River After Four-Day Search

Shillong: Meghalaya SDRF personnel pulled a body from the Wahniangleng River near Phra Mer in Mylliem on July 26. The recovery ended a grueling four-day search operation. It started on July 22 after a local resident disappeared. Teams worked through deep gorges and riverbanks.

Assistance came from the Mawngap Police and residents of Laitkroh and Phra Mer. The team used a rubber inflatable boat to comb the water from Mawphlang Dam. They searched upstream and downstream on July 23 and 24. They found nothing. Locals spotted the body on July 25 in a tight section of the river.

High water forced the SDRF to stop work that evening. Strong currents made the river dangerous. The rescue crews resumed the mission at first light on Sunday. SSL Marshillong, the Additional Public Relations Officer for the Directorate of Civil Defence and Home Guards, confirmed the outcome. The SDRF successfully retrieved the remains at 7:10 am.

Authorities handed the body to the Mawngap Police for legal processing. In a separate incident on the Umngot River, the SDRF also recovered a drowning victim from Shnongpdeng. The team used a boat and barbed wire to locate the man. They brought the body ashore at 4:10 pm on Sunday. Marshillong noted, "The body was subsequently handed over to the police for completion of all legal formalities." After procedures wrapped up, staff released the man to his family.