Shillong, Nov. 1: An American tourist who came to Meghalaya for adventure sports drowned in the Umngi river near Trongpleng village in the Mawsynram area of East Khasi Hills district, police said today.

Mawsynram is about 55km from here.

The superintendent of police (city), East Khasi Hills, Vivek Syiem, said the tourist was identified as Will Hartman Guerringue, 27, a resident of New Hampshire.

Syiem said Guerringue drowned after his kayak capsized in the river. "The body was fished out yesterday with the help of locals and was brought to Shillong today," Syiem said, adding that a post-mortem would be conducted tomorrow.

According to Syiem, Guerringue had come to Meghalaya along with five friends.

Asked if the body would be flown to the US, Syiem said the relatives of Guerringue wanted to perform the last rites here and would take home his ashes. "We will consult them about this," Syiem said.

On November 5 last year, Elizabeth (Beth) Hume, a British citizen, went missing while kayaking in the Umngi near Kenbah-Phlangwanbroi village in the Mawsynram area# of East Khasi Hills. Her body was not found.

In June 2011, Christina Louise Reed, a British tourist, drowned after she slipped and fell into the swollen Umkynsan river at Nongriat village in Sohra.

Reed's body was recovered after a few days of search by the police and a rescue team.

The rivers in Meghalaya have recently become a hub for adventure sports, especially for foreign tourists. With its scenic beauty, rivers and the hills, kayaking has become an attraction for many foreigners who visit the state.