An elderly man lost his life on Thursday after attempting to swim across the vast Abbasia Link Canal near Uch Sharif in exchange for a Rs1,000 bet.

According to Rescue 1122 officials, some locals dared 66-year-old Shabeer, a retired railway employee, to swim across the deep and wide canal, wagering Rs1,000 on the risky challenge.

Despite not being a trained swimmer, Shabeer accepted the bet and jumped into the water.

Eyewitnesses told Rescue 1122 that as Shabeer began struggling and drowning, onlookers laughed and recorded videos instead of helping. The footage was later uploaded to social media.

Someone eventually called Rescue 1122 when the man disappeared beneath the water. By the time the rescue team arrived, Shabeer had already drowned.

Divers later recovered the body and handed it over to his family.

As the video went viral, social media users condemned those who provoked the elderly man to take the dangerous dive and then failed to assist him, demanding their arrest.

However, Uch Sharif police have yet to take any action regarding the incident.