A youth and his minor nephew went missing while taking bath in the Ib river at Brajarajnagar in Jharsuguda district on Sunday.
The missing persons were identified as Sandip Mehta and his 12-year-old nephew, residents of Lamtibahal village under Brajarajnagar block.
According to reports, the uncle-nephew duo was feared to have drowned having slipped into deep water.
Fire Services personnel and police launched a search operation in the river to rescue the two.