Jogeshwari teenager drowns in Vasai waterfall, locals save five of his friends

It was a cool and pleasant monsoon evening on Tuesday and six college friends decided to make the most of it and visited the waterfall at Tungareshwar Hills in Vasai, approximately 70 kilometres from Mumbai. Tragedy, however, struck when one of them drowned there.

The six, all Jogeshwari residents, were on one side of the waterfall and were trying to cross over to the other when the force of the water became too strong for them to overcome and they were swept away.

While five of them were rescued by the locals soon after the incident, 19-year-old Akshay Jadhav couldn’t be found. His body was found on Wednesday morning.

Ramdas Wakode, assistant inspector, Valiv police station, said, “The three boys and three girls held hands and tried to cross from one side to the other, but the force of the water was too strong and they were pushed down into the flowing water.”

The police had launched a search operation for Jadhav amidst the heavy rains. They found his body the next morning.

Wakode said, “The youngsters were not drunk. We have conducted Jadhav’s post-mortem at Kaman primary health centre and handed over the body to his family members. We have registered a case of accidental death.”

A local vendor Suresh Mukne said, “The waterfall at Tungareshwar attracts thousands of Mumbaikars during monsoon. Due to lack of safety measures on the hills, it is very dangerous as the force of waterfall is very strong and several cases of drowning are reported during the season. Mostly youngsters and family members from Mumbai visit this place.”

Suvarna Patil, a local, said, “We have informed state authorities to set up safety measures near the waterfall several times, but no one has paid heed to our requests. Meanwhile, the number of deaths due to drowning continue to increase.”

Dos and don’ts
Do not jump into water pool as there could be boulders beneath.

Do not step on boulders covered with algae as you might slip.

Do not go too close to the falls as the water force could sweep you away.

Keep a torch, sunglasses and hat on you.

Seek locals’ advice before plunging into a stream to swim.