Youth swept away at Marine Drive, drowns

A 20-year-old sitting on the Marine Drive rocks was swept away by high tides and died at sea. The waves washed him ashore about eight hours after he was swept away.

A 20-year-old sitting on the Marine Drive rocks was swept away by high tides and died at sea. The waves washed him ashore about eight hours after he was swept away.

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Fire department officials said a passerby called the Colaba division at 8.45am, saying that a youth, about 20 years old, had managed to perch himself on rocks nearly 100 metres from the tetra pods on Marine Drive and was refusing to come back despite the waves.

“He was standing on the rocks and playing with the water. We lowered our ladder to bring him back. Despite all our warnings he continued playing there,” said DK Ghosh, assistant divisional fire officer, Mumbai fire brigade. “One moment he was there, the next he was gone,” said an officer of the fire brigade.

The fire brigade then called the Indian Navy in the hopes of finding the boy, or at least his body. “We immediately sent our Chetak helicopter to trace him. Chetak reached the spot by 9.30am,” said chief defence public relations officer, Captain Manohar Nambiar.

Five hours after he was swept away, the Navy and fire Brigade left the spot, posting officers to patrol the area. “We were in the sitting area near the rocks. We were amazed to see the helicopter at such proximity, but were horrified to learn why they were there. We walked away from the area immediately after,” ” said Krishna Shah, a 23-year-old student who had come to Marine Drive with his friends.

Around 4.30pm, the patrolling fire brigade officials noted the body of the youth stuck between the tetra pods.
The police confirmed that the body of the youth had been found and investigations were on to trace his identity, and have registered an accidental death report.