Vasai youth braves waterfall to rescue stranger on a picnic

Rinku (below) and his friends rescue the drowning man. Pic/Hanif Patel

In a heroic move, Vasai Sun City resident Rinku Mishra, 23, jumped into the Tungareshwar waterfall this week to rescue an unidentified youth who was drowning. According to Rinku, the place was filled with tourists, but instead of lending a helping hand, most people were busy capturing the tragedy on their phones.

According to local sources, eight deaths due to drowning have been reported at this waterfall since the start of this monsoon.
The incident took place on Tuesday evening, when the unidentified person, who was on a picnic with his friends, ventured into the waters. Speaking to mid-day, Rinku said, "I came to Tungareshwar temple along with my friends for a darshan. While returning, we saw some people enjoying the falls. Suddenly, we heard screams of 'koi doob raha hai'. I saw a head bobbing inside the water and, without wasting more time, I jumped into the stream to rescue the person who was drowning."

Rinku said the water current was so strong that at one point, he too seemed to be drowning. "I was having a tough time pulling out the drowning person. But I put all my energy into remaining afloat, pulling the drowning person by his hair. Then, my friends swam down to help me pull the person out. It's shocking that instead of helping everyone was recording the incident on their phones," said Rinku, who owns a pan shop in Vasai.

Inspector Sanjay Hazare from Waliv police station said the person was given immediate medical treatment and he's recuperating at a local hospital.