15-Year-Old Kurla West Boy Drowns at Pandavkada Waterfall in Kharghar
A 15-year-old boy from Kurla West drowned at Pandavkada waterfall in Kharghar on Wednesday morning after he went to the scenic spot with friends instead of attending school, according to police officials.
The deceased has been identified as Pranav Rakesh Mishra, a resident of Khot Chawl in Kurla West. His body was retrieved by firefighters after a search operation located him trapped inside a rocky crevice around 10 to 12 feet underwater.
According to police, Pranav had left his home on Tuesday, August 18, after informing his family that he was heading to school. Instead of going to class, he travelled to Pandavkada waterfall in Kharghar along with his friends, where he subsequently drowned.
When Pranav failed to return home, his worried parents approached the Kurla police to lodge a missing person complaint. While pursuing the case, the Kurla police received information from the Kharghar police department regarding a drowning incident reported at the waterfall.
A distress call concerning a person drowning had earlier been received by the CIDCO Kharghar fire station on Wednesday. A fire brigade team immediately rushed to Pandavkada waterfall and initiated a search operation in the water.
During the search, firefighters located Pranav stuck in a deep crevice under the water. The rescue team retrieved him from a depth of 10 to 12 feet and carried him down the hill on a stretcher.
The boy was rushed to Panvel Rural Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
The Kharghar police have registered an accidental death report under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Police officials stated that they are continuing to investigate why Pranav entered the water and the specific circumstances that led to his drowning.
The search and recovery operation was carried out by a fire brigade team that included fire rescuer Prashant Darekar, firemen N M Kadu, U M Patil, C C Pawar, and S B Mohite, along with driver and operator S V Patil.
