Four teens drown in whirlpool at Kelwa beach

On Thursday afternoon, Atharva Nakre (13) student of class VIII, resident of Devipada, Kelwa, entered the water while playing, but he didn’t realise that the strong current would pull him down

Mumbai: In an attempt to save a 13-year-old boy from drowning, four teenagers, including the former, swept away by strong currents at Kelwa beach, on Thursday. While a 17-year-old boy, part of the group, was rescued by a local tongawallah. The latter were part of a student group from Nashik, who arrived at Kelwa Beach for picnic.

In an attempt to save a 13-year-old boy from drowning, four teenagers, including the former, swept away by strong currents at Kelwa beach, on Thursday. (Stock Pic)

On Thursday afternoon, Atharva Nakre (13) student of class VIII, resident of Devipada, Kelwa, entered the water while playing, but he didn’t realise that the strong current would pull him down.

What followed, according to eyewitness Shreyas Patil (30), led to tragic loss of lives. He shared, that after hearing the scream for help, four boys, identified as Krishna Shelar (17), Deepak Vadakate (17), Om Vispute (17) and Abhilekh Devre (17), residents of Nashik, rushed to the spot and dived into the water to rescue Nakre but due to strong whirlpool, four of them swept away.

Patil immediately alerted a local tongawallah who rushed to the spot and used a rope from his cart to save Devre as he knew swimming and was brought ashore while the four bodies were found along the coast and were rushed to the Mahim (not Mumbai) Primary Health Centre (PHC).

Nita Padvi, DySP, Palghar said, “We have registered a case of accidental death and the parents of the victims are on the way to take possession of the bodies.” According to Ashish Patil, a resident of Kelwa, there have been 50 drownings reported in a span of 15 years. There are 2 lifeguards appointed by the local grampanchayat but youths go to the eastern side of the beach where there are deadly whirlpools.

Despite warning boards posted at the beach, people do not pay attention and enter the water. On 17 June 2018, a group of 7 youths from Santosh Bhuwan area in Nala Sopara decided to have a day picnic at the same beach and four entered the waters and got caught in a whirlpool at Dadarpada in Kelwa and met a watery grave while three survived.