Special Correspondent
Pune: A monsoon trek ended in tragedy for a 28-year-old tourist, Abraham Shinse, who died after slipping on a wet rock near a waterfall at the base of Visapur Fort in Maval on Saturday. The incident occurred around 11:45 a.m., cutting short what was meant to be a joyful weekend getaway with friends.
Abraham, originally from Kerala and currently residing at the Bethany Church Ashram in Ramwadi, Pune, had joined a 20-member group for a day-long monsoon tour of Bhaje Caves, Visapur Fort, and Lohgad Fort. After visiting the popular Bhaje Waterfall, the group proceeded towards Visapur Fort. While climbing a waterfall in the valley below the fort, Abraham lost his footing on a slippery boulder and fell, hitting his head on a rock.
He suffered a severe head injury and died instantly. Lonavala Rural Police were alerted immediately and called in the Shivdurga Mitra emergency rescue team. Despite the challenging terrain and continuous rainfall, a team comprising Police Havaldars H.H. Bokad and Jay Pawar, along with volunteers Sagar Kumbhar, Sagar Dalvi, Moreshwar Mandekar, Yash Masne, Rajendra Kadu, Pintu Mankar, Omkar Padwal, and Ashok Umbre, successfully retrieved Abraham’s body using a stretcher and carried it down to the Bhaje Caves base.
The body was later sent to Khopoli for a post-mortem examination before being handed over to his friends. Lonavala Rural Police have registered an accidental death case, and further investigation is underway under the supervision of Constable H.H. Bokad.
Authorities have once again urged tourists to exercise extreme caution during monsoon treks, especially near waterfalls and rocky terrain, which become particularly hazardous due to slippery surfaces and unpredictable weather.
