Father's Agony: Son's Drowning in Noida Ditch Exposes Rescue Delays
Raj Mehta cannot escape the haunting memory of his son's final moments. The retired SBI director heard Yuvraj's desperate cries for help echoing from a deep trench in Noida. He listened helplessly as those screams grew fainter over an agonizing hour before silence fell.
A Father's Helplessness
"Save me, papa" were the last words Yuvraj spoke to his father during a frantic phone call. The 27-year-old had just crashed through a damaged boundary wall near ATS Le Grandiose around midnight last Friday. His Grand Vitara plunged into a construction trench filled with water.
Raj immediately alerted police after receiving his son's distress call. "I reached the spot quickly, but I could only hear him crying for help," the devastated father recalled. "My son died before my eyes, and I felt completely helpless for the first time in my life."
Rescue Timeline Reveals Critical Delays
The response timeline shows concerning gaps in emergency coordination:
- Raj Mehta dialed the 112 helpline at 12:06 AM
- A police response vehicle arrived at 12:15 AM
- Knowledge Park police station team reached around 12:30 AM
- Fire brigade arrived at 12:50 AM
- SDRF and NDRF teams reached at 1:15 AM and 1:55 AM respectively
Yuvraj kept shouting for help until approximately 1:30 AM. His body was recovered around 4:30 AM. The autopsy confirmed death by drowning followed by cardiac arrest.
Systemic Failures Under Scrutiny
Raj Mehta questions why timely action didn't happen. "This is not just an accident - it's institutional failure," he stated firmly. The grieving father wants accountability for multiple lapses:
- Why did emergency teams take so long despite repeated alerts?
- Why was such a hazardous location left unsecured?
- Why didn't police have expert divers available through their helpline?
"Had expert divers gone in when we first reached, they would have saved my son," Raj insisted. He vows to fight for justice until those responsible face consequences.
Official Explanations Raise More Questions
Police sources revealed that initial responders weren't trained swimmers. "Civil police personnel aren't required to know swimming," a senior officer explained. Fire department officials reportedly hesitated to enter the ditch due to protruding iron rods.
Additional Commissioner Rajeev Narayan Mishra cited heavy fog hampering visibility. Rescue equipment including cranes, ladders, and makeshift boats proved inadequate for the 30-meter depth where the car settled.
An NDRF official acknowledged the challenges: "Our Ghaziabad base is over 40 kilometers away. Foggy conditions slowed our response. We had to carefully assess how to enter the dangerous pit."
Tragedy Strikes Close to Home
The incident occurred barely one kilometer from Yuvraj's residence in Tata Eureka Park, Sector 150. The young professional worked with customer data science company Dunnhumby India in Gurgaon. He was returning home when tragedy struck just 40 kilometers from the national capital.
Raj Mehta performed his son's final rituals in Haridwar on Monday. "No father should experience this nightmare," he said, his voice heavy with grief. The family's loss has exposed critical gaps in disaster response systems that failed when minutes mattered most.
