Navi Mumbai: A potentially serious mishap was averted on Saturday after 13 employees of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), based in Thane, were rescued from the dense forests between Irshalgad and Prabalgad following a coordinated night-long search operation led by the Panvel Taluka Police.
According to police, the group had set out for a trek to Irshalgad on Saturday morning. After reaching the fort, they began their descent in the evening with plans to trek towards Machi Prabalgad. However, they lost their way in the dense forest and rugged hilly terrain. With darkness setting in and mobile connectivity becoming unreliable, the trekkers contacted the 112 emergency helpline seeking assistance.
Acting swiftly on the distress call, Senior Police Inspector Gajanan Ghadge of Panvel Taluka Police Station mobilised a rescue team. Shedung Beat Marshal-4 personnel Nitin Sonawane and Pradeep Popate led the operation, assisted by three police officers and seven police personnel, experienced local guides Navnath Pardhi, Harishchandra Pardhi and Nathuram Pardhi from Machi Prabal village, volunteers from Nisarg Mitra Panvel, and rescuers from Help Foundation.
Despite slippery terrain, steep cliffs and poor visibility, the rescue team continued the search for several hours before locating all 13 trekkers at around 10.30 pm. They were safely escorted down the hill without any injuries.
The rescued group included Aditya Ashok Vichare, Prakash Santosh Sawant, Abhishek Jayaprakash Bahadurkar and Chetan Shinde from Juinagar; Yatin Kalia from Vashi; Ruturaj Sadashiv Patil from Kamothe; Deepak Uttam Bankar from Nerul; Rahul Bankar from Sanpada; Ankit Mishra, Deepak Kumar Rajdev Mahato, Aniket Dubey and Rohit Kumar from Bhandup (West); and Prashant Panchore from Lower Parel. All of them are employed with TCS in Thane, said police.
"The rescue operation was launched immediately after receiving the emergency call on the 112 helpline. With the support of local guides and volunteer organisations, our teams successfully traced all 13 trekkers and brought them to safety despite the difficult terrain and darkness. We urge citizens to avoid trekking on unfamiliar routes during the monsoon without proper planning, local guides and adequate safety precautions," said Senior Police Inspector Gajanan Ghadge.
The Panvel Police have advised trekkers to check weather forecasts before venturing into the hills, avoid trekking after dusk, inform family members of their itinerary and take the assistance of experienced local guides while trekking during the monsoon.
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