KOLHAPUR: A 24-year-old youth from Battis Shirala of Sangli district drowned in a lake located at Rangana fort in Bhudargad tehsil of Kolhapur district.
Every year, deceased Omkar Bhimrao Patil and his friends visit the Rangana fort for cleaning it ahead of the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
They stay on the fort for two to three days and clean the plastic and other trash thrown by the tourists. They rearrange the stones displaced by the tourists, remove unwanted bushes developed along the path and also ensure that the tanks and lakes at the fort are cleaned.
Sanjay More, the police inspector at Bhudargad police station, told TOI, “After days work, Omkar went to the lake for bathing alone on Thursday. After he did not return for a long time, his friends started searching for him. Later some of his friends approached the locals for help and they, in turn, approached us. We called the rescue team from Kolhapur, but it was night, hence we could not continue the rescue work. On Friday morning, we began the rescue operation with the help of three divers. We found the body of the youth stuck in the sediments of the lake. We removed the body by around 2.00pm.”
Omkar’s body has been sent for post mortem. The friends of the deceased told the police that Omkar was a good swimmer.