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The bodies of three of the four boys, who were washed up by the high tide in Juhu Koliwada, were recovered on Tuesday, about 22 hours after the search operation began on Monday evening. The search for another missing child continued until 8:45 p.m. Tuesday.
All the victims are from Vakola and have been identified as Dharmesh Valji Fogia (16), Shubham Ojanya (16) and Manish Ojanya (16). Two of the deceased were surviving siblings of a single mother. The missing boy has been identified as Jai Roshan Tajbariya (16).
According to local residents, most of the victims came from financially modest backgrounds. The locals said that the boys were a tight-knit group as they grew up in the same vicinity as Data Mandir Road in Vakula.
A relative of the Ogaña brothers, who asked not to be named, said, “The siblings lost their father ten years ago and are survived by their mother and two older sisters. They worked in the local kirana shop in order to support their family.”
Speaking to The Indian Express, Ravi Pawad, a member of MFB’s Flood and Rescue Team, said that a group of eight boys had come to visit Juhu Koliwada on Monday evening. “While three boys were clicking selfies, five of them were sitting on the edge of the wharf. Due to the high tide in the sea, a 4.5-meter wave swept the five children away,” Bawad added.
Members of the rescue team said that high winds and tides, created by Typhoon Pebargui, were getting in the way of the rescue operation. To facilitate rescue operations, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has also issued orders for divers from the Navy and Coast Guard. The Indian Navy also pressed into operation a search and rescue helicopter at around 8:20 pm on Monday. Because of the tidal waves, bodies were pushed into the water and rescue operations took more time. Also, because there was a sporadic wave of rain, we had to stop several times during the operation, since visibility was also an issue,” said one of the officials.
Seeking to enjoy their vacation, the boys have planned a fun vacation that includes shopping and visiting the beach before resuming their school.
The cousin of the missing boy, Kushal Tajpriya, who was among the eight people who visited Juhu beach on the day of the accident, recounted, “We initially planned to go shopping in Santacruz. However, we decided to detour and took a bus to Korla. Our plans changed again halfway through as We decided to disembark at Juhu Beach.”
“While my friends and I were at a safe distance from the waves, the other five were sitting on the bridge. We shouted to them several times to come back, but they did not heed our warnings,” Tajbariya added.
According to the sources, the children’s rescuers, due to the signs of the hurricane, refrained from venturing into the water. “Since the monsoon is approaching, the water tends to be choppy. However, due to the cyclone and high tides, the force was more severe. Lifeguards, who were on duty at the time, alerted the children sitting towards the jetty to stay away from the water but they They didn’t heed their warnings,” a member of the lifeguards working on the beaches told Express on Tuesday. Adding that they always issue warnings to visitors during severe weather conditions.
Meanwhile, the search for the missing minor is still on in Juhu Koliwada.
On Monday evening, four young boys as young as 16 were feared drowned after five children who were sitting on the edge of the jetty at Juhu Koliwada near Juhu Beach were swept away. The incident was reported at 5.28pm.
While one of the five victims was rescued alive soon after by local fishermen, local rescuers, Flood and Rescue Team personnel, Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) and police services were pressed into endeavoring to conduct the rescue.
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