Two drown in Mumbai as sea gets rough before rains

A 40-year-old man and a 11-year-old boy drowned in Mumbai, in two separate incidents on Sunday. Officials said lifeguards were at the spot in both cases, and that the sea was rough when the victims drowned.

Mahesh Shinde, 40, was at the silver beach near Iskon Temple in Juhu with his two children and their friend. A police officer from the Juhu police station said Shinde, an autorickshaw driver, asked the three children to wait at shore and went into the sea to show them how to swim. “Shinde was pulled in by the strong current. He drowned as his children and their friend watched,” the police officer said.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) disaster control officials said the drowning was reported at 2.37pm. The Mumbai fire brigade pulled Shinde out and took him to Cooper Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The police have registered an accidental death report.

The 11-year-old boy, Bhairava Bariya, drowned at Marine Drive. At the time of going to press, details of how the boy drowned were yet to emerge. The Marine Drive police station said they got a call about the drowning at 3.15pm. “Lifeguards helped pull the boy out, and we took him to GT Hospital, where he was declared dead. We are registering a case of accidental death,” said an officer from the Marine Drive police station.

Officials said that in both cases, there were lifeguards at the beach. “Our officials were also at the spot,” said an official from the Mumbai fire brigade. “BMC’s life guards are posted at several beaches in Mumbai to alert visitors to stay away from the water when the tide is high. But, in most cases, visitors are in groups and tend not to listen to the lifeguards,” the official said.

BMC posts between five and 10 lifeguards at all major beaches in Mumbai, including Marine Drive, Girgaum Chowpatty, Dadar Chowpatty, Juhu, Versova, Madh, Aksa and Gorai. The sea tends to get rough in the days leading up to the monsoon, and advisories are issued to visitors and fishermen to not get into the water. Ferry services from Gateway of India to many locations are also shut for the monsoon months.

First Published:
Jun 10, 2019 00:45 IST

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