One drowns, two missing at Versova beach

MUMBAI: A man died, while two of his friends are missing after they ventured into the sea at Versova beach on Saturday around 4.30 pm. Fire officials said the men

MUMBAI: A man died, while two of his friends are missing after they ventured into the sea at Versova beach on Saturday around 4.30 pm. Fire officials said the men had consumed alcohol and had been asked to leave by a lifeguard prior to the incident.

HT Image

The trio were part of a group of five. They have been identified as Rohit Tiwari, 27, Satyaprakash Chawan, 25, and Priyank Yadav, 25. They had come to the city recently from Bhopal.

Chawan and Yadav had been staying at Tiwari’s apartment in Model Town, Versova. They had come to Mumbai to celebrate Tiwari’s birthday this week, said police.

Senior fire officials said the three men, along with two others, had been drinking alcohol while hiding behind the rocks.

“They were initially removed from the spot by the lifeguard. When the guard decided to take a round, the three went into the rough sea. They struggled to swim and stay afloat due to the choppy waters,” said the fire officer.

Their friends, who remained by the shore, raised an alarm and called for help.

The lifeguards rushed to the area on hearing the commotion. The fire brigade was also alerted. The Versova police and the fire brigade rescue team reached the spot and managed to pull Yadav out. He was rushed to Cooper Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

The police were trying to locate the missing men till late Saturday evening. They said they would file an accidental death report and would record the statements of the two friends.