A family picnic ended in tragedy on Sunday when three members of the same family drowned in the Kanhan river at Mahadev Ghat in the Kamptee Cantonment area. The incident has left relatives and residents of Kamptee and Nagpur city in deep shock and mourning. According to police, around 13 to 14 members of a family from Indira Nagar in Jaripatka, Nagpur, and Kamptee had gathered at Mahadev Ghat at around 11 am for a picnic. While some family members were preparing food and enjoying time on the riverbank, others entered the river to bathe. During the outing, six-year-old Chaitanya Ambade, a resident of Indira Nagar, accidentally slipped into the river and began drowning. Family members noticed the child struggling in the water and cried out for help.

 

Hearing the screams, Chaitanya’s cousin Gautam Ambade (30) immediately jumped into the river in an attempt to rescue him. However, Gautam reportedly lost balance in the deep water and also began drowning. As panic spread among the family members, Rohit Nagdevte, a resident of Kamptee and the family’s son-in-law, entered the river to save both Chaitanya and Gautam. Unfortunately, Rohit too was caught in the strong current and started drowning. Witnesses watched helplessly as all three disappeared beneath the water. Family members raised an alarm and informed the Old Kamptee Police.

 

On receiving the information, API Manish Hivarkar and his team rushed to the spot. Army personnel from the Kamptee Cantonment, along with police officers and local staff, launched a rescue operation. After an intensive search, all three victims were pulled out of the river and rushed to the Sub-District Hospital in Kamptee. However, doctors examined them and declared them dead on arrival. Speaking about the incident, API Manish Hivarkar said, “It appears that the child accidentally slipped into the river. The other two victims entered the water one after another in an effort to save him. However, all three drowned before help could reach them. Further inquiry is being conducted.”