Two stunt actors drowned during film shoot

Bengaluru: Two stunt actors were feared drowned in a lake while a popular film star was rescued after a helicopter stunt for a Kannada film shoot went horribly wrong Monday in neighbouring Ramanagara district.

The horrific scene of the incident caught on camera showed stuntmen Anil and Uday jumping off from the helicopter into the Tippagondanahalli lake from a height of about 50 feet.

They were followed by popular Kannada actor Duniya Vijay.

The actor who was trying to swim toward the shore was rescued by a fisherman who was on his country boat.

Anil and Uday are then seen splashing water in an attempt to save themselves, before they went missing. Both reportedly did not know swimming.

The stunt was being performed to shoot the climax of the film "Maastigudi".

The video also showed people on the shore shouting at a rescue diesel boat crew to rush towards the drowning stuntmen, but it could not move due to technical fault.

It is alleged that there were no expert divers on the spot.

According to locals, the place where stunt was being picturised was a dangerous spot as there is about 30-40 ft of silt below 15-20 feet of water.

There are also abandoned fishing nets at the spot.

Officials said lack of precautionary measures and faulty rescue boats were stated to be the main cause for the mishap.

"The rescue operations are still going on. We will be booking case against those responsible and also inquire into all aspects - whether all adequate measures and permissions were taken or not," Ramanagara Superintendent of Police Dr Chandragupta told PTI.

Speaking to a Kannada news channel before performing the stunt, Uday had said he was "scared" of the stunt and was not good at swimming.

"I'm very scared first of all. I have not done (such stunt) so far, nor have I seen anyone performing such stunt so far, so I'm scared. Whatever safety is done there is always a fear within oneself, despite that the situation is that I have to perform it....

He also said he was not good in swimming. "...I'm not that good in swimming, I can fall (into water) and come out, but I have never fallen into water from such a height, so there is some sort of fear within me."

Stating that precautionary measures had been taken by the team, he said "preparation is what they have done, they have said that once we fall they will come (in boat), we are dependent on it, if there is anything above it, there is God.