Man feared drowned at Juhu beach

Mumbai: Tushar Khanvilkar (32), a Santacruz resident is feared to have drowned off Juhu beach near Palm Court on Tuesday afternoon, after he went for a swim with a group of 11 friends. When Tushar’s friends saw him going in deep waters, they warned him, but he dismissed their request and went further during the high tide. The lifeguards and police have initiated a search operation to rescue him, but are yet to recover his body. The officials fear that he might have drowned.

According to the lifeguards stationed at Juhu beach, the incident took place on Tuesday noon at 12.17 pm, when the group of 11 men entered the water during the high tide despite the board warning the people to keep away from water. The group consisted of Tushar’s friends, who are living in the area of Santacruz and two of them were his colleagues.

Tushar, who knew how to swim, was enthusiastic about going deep into waters, and so he went ahead, despite his friends asking him to come ashore. Refuting the requests of his friends, he went deep into the water. When his friends did not see him, they immediately informed the lifeguards, who launched a search operation for Tushar, but did not find him until Tuesday evening.

Speaking to The Asian Age, lifeguard Ajay Gupta said, “The incident was reported at 12.17 pm and we have been looking for him since then, but we haven’t found him. We fear he might have drowned due to high tide and have repeatedly asked visitors not to enter the water during the high tides.”

On recent drownings

• On July 10, body of a 48-year-old man Ashok Shinde was washed ashore on Bandra’s Carter Road promenade. He had allegedly committed suicide.
• A 24-year-old Suraj Pandey drowned in Powai lake after he had gone for a swim with three of his friends on July 1.