Shimla, Sep 4 - Marooned for over 24 hours on a rock in the middle of a swollen river, a fisherman in Himachal Pradesh managed to swim his way to safety Friday while authorities failed to come to his rescue.

Sushil Kumar, 31, had gone for fishing in the river near Kangra town Thursday when he got trapped in the flood waters.

Strong currents swept Kumar to the other side of the river where he managed to climb the high rock, which was in the middle of the river. He spent more than 24 hours on the rock waiting for the water to recede.

Kumar braved heavy showers throughout the night. However, his family members and well-wishers managed to throw some food items and clothes towards him.

In the morning, by the time the administration could come to help him, Kumar managed to swim back to the safety by clinging to the rope thrown by the villagers.

Kangra subdivisional magistrate L.R. Negi told IANS that the rescue operation couldn't be carried out due to inclement weather.

'Due to bad weather, the helicopter could not be pressed into service,' he added.