Incident Overview
A tragic incident occurred at Ganpatipule beach in Ratnagiri district on Saturday morning, where a 19-year-old youth from Bidkin area near Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar drowned, and four of his friends went missing in the sea. District disaster management officer Maroti Mhaske identified the deceased as Prem Deepak Admane. The missing individuals are Aaditya Santosh Raut (22), Aniket Bandu Hiwrale (20), Anand Raju Narwade (20), and Yash Rameshwar Kamble (19), all residents of Bidkin.
Group Details and Circumstances
According to Mhaske, the five youths were part of a group of 19 tourists from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar visiting the beach. Despite rough sea conditions, eight members of the group ventured into deep waters. After getting caught in strong currents, the youths began calling for help. Residents and personnel from the Indian Coast Guard rushed to their rescue. While three of them were safely brought ashore, five initially went missing.
Search and Recovery Operations
A large-scale search operation was launched immediately. During the operation, Admane's body was found. "His body was recovered from the shore nearly 2.5km away from Ganpatipule," Mhaske said. The search for the remaining four missing youths continues.
Background of the Tourists
Activist Kiran Kale said the group comprised college students who had been touring various places. "They visited the Jyotiba temple in Kolhapur and other tourist spots before reaching Ganpatipule," Kale said. He added that while some members of the group were dining at nearby restaurants, the younger members went into the sea for leisure. "Family members of the five youths have rushed to Ganpatipule following the incident," the activist said.
