Daijiworld Media Network - Rajkot

Rajkot, May 3: A family outing to a riverside temple turned tragic on Saturday evening when four relatives drowned in Aji Dam following a chain of rescue attempts, according to police officials.

The victims were identified as Bharat Jadav (42), a rickshaw driver, his sons Rohit (26) and Dhaval (18), and his nephew Dhruv Makwana (15). By late evening, authorities had recovered three bodies, while one individual was still unaccounted for at the time of reporting.

Police said the incident took place between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. near the Mogal Mata temple, located along the dam’s edge. Bharat had reportedly taken his family there in his rickshaw to wash the vehicle and offer prayers.

Preliminary information from a survivor suggests that Rohit first entered the water but slipped into a deeper section and began to struggle. In an effort to save him, Dhaval and Dhruv jumped in, but they too were unable to stay afloat. Bharat then entered the water to rescue them, leading to all four being pulled into deeper waters.

Emergency services were alerted shortly after the incident. Fire Officer D. V. Jadeja stated that the rescue team received a distress call in the late afternoon and rushed to the site, where they managed to retrieve three bodies and hand them over to emergency responders.

Rajkot Deputy Commissioner of Police Hetal Patel confirmed that the family had come for temple darshan when the tragedy occurred. She explained that one member slipped into deep water while washing up, prompting others to follow in an attempt to help, ultimately resulting in all four drowning.

Search efforts continued into the evening to locate the missing individual, Rohit Jadav. Officials from the Rajkot Fire and Emergency Services remained at the scene conducting recovery operations.

Police indicated that an Accidental Death report will be filed at Aji Dam police station after completing the required procedures.