Missing doctor’s body found in Peb Fort foothills

Dr Nikhil Tannir had gone missing on Sunday afternoon after he along with his family and friends were descending the fort in the Matheran range. After a while, the family could not see him and they assumed that he lost his way and descended from another route

Navi Mumbai: The body of a doctor, who went missing during trekking at Peb Fort on Sunday, was found after a close to four-hour search operation by a Matheran-based trekker group on Wednesday.

Missing doctor’s body found in Peb Fort foothills

Dr Nikhil Tannir had gone missing on Sunday afternoon after he along with his family and friends were descending the fort in the Matheran range.

A team of rescuers had started looking for him on different sides of the fort, assuming that he had probably lost his way. The search operation was started at Panvel, Neral and Matheran areas of the fort.

Umesh More and seven other members of Sahyadri Mitra Apatkalin Samajik Sanstha, Matheran, who are trained in emergency rescue operations on mountain ranges and also under the Aapda Mitra scheme, launched a search at 12pm on Wednesday and started going downwards into the valley.

“After reaching around 600 feet down the Matheran valley, they noticed a foul smell and realised that the body was nearby. We then kept going and after crossing around 1000 feet, we found the body. We have requested for a backup team to bring the body back with the help of a stretcher and a rope. We estimate that by Thursday early hours, we should be able to bring it up to Matheran railway tracks,” More said.

“Many times, people go missing and lose their way in these areas. Hence, when the search starts, it is done simultaneously in all areas. While people losing their way is quite common here, a fatal fall is not. He might have fallen while descending. Going for a trek to the mountain is riskier, especially during the monsoon,” Raja Tendulkar, police inspector, Neral police station, said.

According to Tendulkar, the team of trekkers was descending the fort and Tannir was leading his group. After a while, the family could not see him and they assumed that he lost his way and descended from another route.

Earlier, Rahul Meshram, coordinator, Maharashtra Mountaineers Rescue Coordination Center, which deploys and coordinates with the rescue teams, had told HT, “Our team from Panvel had been trying to trace Tannir from Monday onwards. For two days his phone was on and would ring, but later it was switched off. We were thinking of deploying drones at certain points.”