A tragic incident occurred on Wednesday evening when four members of a family drowned in the Saraswati River near Patan town during the immersion of a Lord Ganesh idol. The victims identified as Shital Prajapati (37), her teenage sons Daksh (17) and Jimit (15), and her brother Nayan Prajapati (30), all residents of Verai Chakla locality in Patan, met with this unfortunate fate.
According to officials, the incident took place around 5 p.m. when the river's strong currents swept away seven individuals during the immersion ceremony. The residents managed to rescue two men and one woman immediately, but the four members of the Prajapati family were reported missing.
Upon receiving the distressing news, district authorities launched a comprehensive search and rescue operation. Collector Arvind Vijayan informed that 15 divers were mobilized from Patan, Mehsana, and Siddhpur to aid in locating the missing family members. Additionally, 15 tractors and earthmovers were deployed to use their headlights in the search area during the night.
After an exhaustive effort throughout the night, the bodies of the four missing individuals were recovered in the early hours of Thursday. The search and rescue teams worked tirelessly to find the victims, bringing the operation to a close with the recovery of the bodies.
This heartbreaking incident underscores the risks associated with river immersion ceremonies and highlights the need for increased safety measures during such events.
(Inputs from PTI)
