In a harrowing incident in southern India’s Karnataka, a 19-year-old woman was rescued after slipping into a gorge while taking a selfie near the waterfall.

The incident took place near the Mandaragiri Hills waterfall of Tumkur district on October 28.

Visuals showed the dramatic rescue as personnel, along with local residents, brought the drenched young woman up from the rocky terrain, carefully assisting her to safety and rescuing her to a safer zone, out of the gorge.

According to reports, Hamsa, a B Tech student from Shivarampur village, had ventured to the falls with a friend from Bengaluru when the mishap took place. She fell into the gorge while attempting to capture a selfie at the base of the 30-foot-high waterfall. Alarmed by her fall, her friend quickly called for help, prompting villagers to gather and notify the police. A rescue operation was initiated, involving police and firefighters who worked tirelessly for 12 hours to retrieve her. Tumkur Superintendent of Police Ashok K V reported that the team managed to divert the gushing water using sandbags, facilitating the rescue.

After hours of searching, Hamsa was finally located among the rocks once the water flow subsided. She was transported to the hospital for first aid and is now reported to be stable. In response to the incident, authorities have restricted access to the area and urged the public to exercise caution when visiting the waterfall.