Pune, 21 July 2025: A 19-year-old youth drowned in Kasarsai Dam near Pune while on an outing with friends. His body was recovered nearly 24 hours later after an extensive rescue operation.
The deceased has been identified as Santosh Shahaji Raut, a resident of Sane Colony in Chikhli and originally from Malegaon in Kej taluka of Beed district. He had gone to the dam on Sunday, July 20, with four friends when the incident occurred around 11 AM.
Despite immediate rescue attempts, Santosh could not be located on Sunday. A search operation involving the Vanyajeev Rakshak Maval Sanstha and the Shivdurg Rescue Team from Lonavala continued overnight. His body was finally recovered at around 11:30 AM on Monday, July 21.
The rescue effort included dedicated volunteers such as Nilesh Garade, Sunil Gaikwad, Mahesh Masne, Rajendra Kadu, Akash More, Anil Andre, Shubham Kakade, Vinay Sawant, Anish Garade, Vikas Doddi, Harshad Kalokhe, Yogesh Dalvi, and Ajay Huge.
Officials have once again urged visitors to remain extremely cautious near water bodies, especially during the monsoon season when rising water levels and strong currents can pose serious dangers.