SDRF rescues four Nagpur friends trapped in Chhindwara waterfall

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Four young men from Nagpur nearly lost their lives on Sunday when the water level at Kukdikhapa waterfall in Chhindwara district, Madhya Pradesh, suddenly rose while they were visiting. Caught in the strong current, all four got stranded on rocks, but an SDRF team worked for about an hour and a half to bring them out safely.

The incident took place in the Mohkhed police station area. The four, all residents of Nagpur, were identified as Shyam Borkar (25), Atharva Oke (22), Manish Uike (25) and Satish Bawane (23), who had gone to see the waterfall.

The four friends had walked up to the rocks in the middle of the waterfall to take in the view. Meanwhile, rain in the upper reaches caused the water level to rise suddenly, and the current became so strong that the young men found it difficult to return. As the situation worsened, someone recorded a video of it and alerted the local police.

On receiving the information, police from the Umranala outpost reached the spot. Given the seriousness of the situation, an SDRF team was sent for the rescue. SDRF personnel arrived at the site with the necessary safety equipment and began the rescue operation amid a gorge around 150 feet deep and a strong current.

The team used ropes to climb down into the gorge and reach the young men. All four were given life jackets and lifebuoys and brought to safety one by one. After nearly ninety minutes of effort, all four were rescued unharmed.

According to SDRF company commander Ganesh Kumar Dhurve, the team received information about the incident around 2 pm. The team set out with rescue equipment and reached the spot in about an hour. The rescue operation then began between around 3 pm and 3.15 pm, during which personnel climbed down using ropes and brought the young men out safely.

The incident has once again raised questions about what safety arrangements are in place for people visiting waterfalls and river areas during the monsoon. When it rains in upper catchment areas, water levels can rise sharply within minutes, leaving people below with no time to react.

Officials and experts advise that during the monsoon, people should not go beyond marked safe limits at waterfalls, rivers, dams and other deep water bodies, and should avoid climbing onto rocks to take photographs or selfies.

The timely arrival of the SDRF team meant the four young men from Nagpur escaped safely and a major tragedy was averted. A video of the incident is circulating widely on social media.

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