A pleasant Sunday excursion turned into a nightmare for a group of teacher friends in Vadodara, resulting in the tragic drowning of two young educators in the Narmada Canal. The incident occurred near Jarod, approximately 20 kilometers from Vadodara city, casting a pall of grief over the local community.
A Fatal Stop on the Return Journey
According to officials from the Jarod police station, the four friends—identified as Rahul Yadav, Shubham Pathak, Vidyut Prasadsingh, and Ashit Oza—had spent the day at Pavagadh. On their drive back to Vadodara, they decided to take a break and stopped their car by the canal around 9 PM. What was meant to be a brief respite quickly escalated into a crisis.
Reports indicate that Rahul Yadav stepped into the canal to wash his feet. In a moment of misfortune, he slipped and was pulled into the deeper, fast-moving water. Hearing his desperate cries for help, Shubham Pathak, without a second thought, jumped into the canal in an attempt to rescue his friend. Tragically, the strong current overpowered both men, sweeping them away before the horrified eyes of their two companions.
Futile Rescue Efforts and Ongoing Search
Vidyut Prasadsingh and Ashit Oza immediately raised an alarm and called for emergency services. A team from the fire brigade was the first to arrive at the scene, followed by personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The teams launched an intensive search operation throughout the night.
However, the efforts proved unsuccessful initially. The search operation was called off on Monday night due to darkness and challenging conditions. Authorities confirmed that the search for the bodies would resume on Tuesday. "The teams conducted a search, but the bodies were not found. The search will continue on Tuesday," a Jarod police official stated.
Profiles of the Deceased and Community Mourning
The preliminary police inquiry revealed that the deceased were aged between 30 and 35 years. Shubham Pathak was a tutor at the IIT Ashram, while Rahul Yadav worked at a private school in Manjalpur. In a poignant detail, police shared that Pathak was known to be a proficient swimmer who regularly swam in the Ganga River near his native place in Uttar Pradesh. His attempt at a heroic rescue ultimately cost him his life.
The surviving teachers, Prasadsingh and Oza, are also educators, making the loss a profound one for Vadodara's teaching fraternity. The incident serves as a grim reminder of the hidden dangers of seemingly calm water bodies, especially canals with strong undercurrents. The local community and educational institutions are mourning the untimely loss of the two young professionals.
