On Monday afternoon, a group of eight friends, aged 12 to 16, left their homes in Vakola, informing their parents that they were going to play cricket. They took a group photo and posted it on Instagram with a caption “Jio to asa jio ka apna akre pal haa” which means live every moment like it’s your last. Little did they know their outing took a tragic turn when five of them decided to explore the tidal waves off Juhu Koliwada, far from their initial plan.
4 Boys Drowned In The Incident
Around 4.30 pm, as the rough sea waves caused by Cyclone Biparjoy crashed in, four boys were swept into the sea. Fortunately, a local fisherman managed to save one of the boys. The remaining four boys, identified as Jay Roshan Tachpariya (15), Dharmesh Valji Bhojaiya (16), and brothers Manish Yogesh Oganiya (12) and Shubham Yogesh Oganiya (15), tragically drowned.
Rescue operation of 6 Boys of age group between 12 to 15 who were drowned inside sea at Juhu Koliwada in Mumbai. |
The police recovered their bodies on Tuesday afternoon and conducted autopsies before handing them over to their grief-stricken parents. The incident has been recorded as an accidental death by the police officials.
Insufficient Lifeguard Presence
Reportedly, while the boys ventured into the treacherous waters, there were only four lifeguards stationed at the beach, with 12 additional lifeguards supervising the entire shoreline.
Initial Plan Was To Play Cricket: Survivor
According to one of the surviving boys, their initial plan was to play cricket. However, due to the rain, some of them suggested going for a swim at the beach, while others were hesitant. Eventually, they decided to go to the BMC garden at Juhu Koliwada to play cricket, with those interested in swimming planning to venture into the sea.
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