In a heartbreaking turn of events on Wednesday evening, 62-year-old Vilas Govind was devastated to learn that his daughter, son-in-law, and grandson were among the victims of a deadly boat accident in Mumbai.
The tragedy occurred when the Ahire family was traveling aboard the Neel Kamal ferry, en route from the Gateway of India to the Elephanta Caves.
Govind had decided to stay behind at the Gateway, waiting for his family’s return, unaware of the tragedy that was unfolding. He had even told his family, “I was not in a mood for a boat ride,” before they departed. Opting to remain by the waterfront, he patiently awaited their visit to the Elephanta Caves. But sadly, they never came back.
It was only when he arrived at the hospital in Uran that he was met with the heartbreaking sight of his daughter, Harshada Ahire (31), her 7-year-old son, and her husband, Rakesh Ahire (34), lifeless and victims of the fatal ferry accident.
Rakesh Ahire, a construction businessman, and his wife, Harshada, a homemaker, hailed from Pimpalgaon, a village in the Nashik region. The family had planned to catch a train to Nashik later that evening after visiting the Gateway of India. As per Ravindra Govind, Vilas’ brother, “It has come as a big shock to all of us. Rakesh Ahire frequently visited Mumbai for his medical treatment at Lokhandwala in the suburbs. However, on Wednesday, with some free time before their train back to Nashik, they decided to visit the Gateway of India for a ferry ride.”
Amid the tragedy, Nidhesh’s body was initially placed in the “unidentified” section of the hospital morgue until his grandfather came forward to identify him.
The death toll in the tragic boat accident climbed to 14 on Thursday after rescue teams recovered the body of another missing passenger. Authorities are still searching for a seven-year-old boy who remains unaccounted for. The ongoing search operation includes a naval helicopter and vessels from the Navy and Coast Guard, with eight boats deployed for the Search and Rescue (SAR) mission, as reported by PTI News Agency.