Pune man dies during Rajgad fort trek, cardiac arrest suspected

Those present attempted to revive him, including through cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but he did not respond

A 35-year-old Pune resident died after collapsing while trekking to Rajgad fort in Pune district on Saturday afternoon, with a suspected cardiac arrest believed to be the cause of death.

Jidhnesh was subsequently brought down from the fort on a stretcher and taken to Velhe rural hospital, where doctors declared him dead before treatment could begin. (HT)

The deceased, identified as Jidhnesh Sadashiv Khandalkar, originally from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, lived in Bhekrai Nagar, Hadapsar. He had visited the historic fort along with two friends and was trekking along the Pal Budruk route when he reportedly felt dizzy and collapsed near the entrance area.

According to Pune rural police, Jidhnesh’s friends, fellow trekkers and other people present at the fort rushed to help him. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) personnel Vishal Pilaware and Deepak Pilaware; local residents Shankar Rasal, Akash Jadhav and Lahu Kharat; and employees of the electricity distribution department also joined the rescue efforts. Those present attempted to revive him, including through cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but he did not respond.

Jidhnesh was subsequently brought down from the fort on a stretcher and taken to Velhe rural hospital, where doctors declared him dead before treatment could begin. His body was then sent to Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) for a postmortem examination to establish the cause of death. After the postmortem at Sassoon, the body was handed over to the family.