In a tragic incident, a 34-year-old man identified as Anyak K Phom from Yongphang village under Longleng district drowned at the Doyang Dam viewpoint area Sunday afternoon.

According to Officer-in-Charge of Sanis Police Station, Suthungo, the deceased was serving as the driver to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Wokha district. The incident occurred between 11:50 a.m. and 12:00 noon, as reported by eyewitnesses.

Police said the deceased had gone on a picnic to Doyang with six friends, including another individual from the Phom community. While at the riverside, the group noticed a boat tied to the dam. Three members of the group decided to untie and take the boat out for a ride. Initially, the deceased refrained from joining, citing that he could not swim. Despite warnings from his friends, he eventually boarded the boat.

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Soon after he got into the boat, it capsized, throwing all four into the river. The police added that the boat was in poor condition. Although the shore was merely 15 to 20 feet away, only the three who could swim managed to reach safety. The deceased, unable to swim, tragically drowned.

By the time the police team, led by OC Suthungo, reached the site around 1:00 p.m., the body had already been retrieved by his friends with the help of local fishermen present in the area. Efforts were made to revive him using CPR, but they proved unsuccessful.

The family of the deceased declined a post-mortem examination. After completion of legal formalities, the body was handed over to members of the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO).

Police have registered a case of Unnatural Death (U/D) under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.

The ENPO initially transported the body to Wokha and later accompanied it to Longleng, following the arrival of the deceased’s parents.