Pics of the spot and victims in p-common. File names :
Pavana Dam, Rana and Jadhav. Credit : Raj Thakar
Pune: A weekend trip turned tragic when two software engineers from a Hinjewadi-based IT firm drowned in the backwaters of the Pavana dam at Thakursai village, about 65km from here, in Maval taluka on Sunday afternoon.
Villagers fished out the body of Mohit Jadhav (26), who hailed from Chalisgaon in Jalgaon district, around noon, while a rescue team from INS Shivaji found the body of Ved Prakash Rana (28), who hailed from Indore in Madhya Pradesh, around 4pm. Jadhav and Rana were part of a nine-member group of software engineers who had gone on an overnight trip to the dam on Saturday.
The dam is a popular destination for weekend trips with attractions such as tent stay at multiple camping sites that provide facilities like a camp fire, barbeque, music, swimming in the lake and boating. Prominent forts like Lohagad, Tung, Visapur and Tikona are located around the dam.
Lonavla (rural) police inspector Ramdas Ingawale said the nine-member group included three women. "They had enjoyed the camp fire and other activities on Saturday night. On Sunday afternoon, four of them — Jadhav, Rana, Ajinkya Shinde and Shubham Bammi — went near the waters to click pictures and swim. Jadhav and Shinde entered the waters while Rana and Bammi were standing along the shore. Jadhav did not know how to swim. He and Shinde lost balance and started drowning," Ingawale said.
Seeing this, Rana and Bammi raised an alarm for help and jumped into the waters to rescue them. "Villagers along the shore also jumped in. Shinde somehow managed to reach the shore with the help of villagers and Bammi too was saved by them. However, Jadhav and Rana drowned before they could get help," Ingawale said.
