30 June,2026 07:13 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah Khan
Police identified the man as a 34-year-old resident of Appa Pada, Malad East. PIC/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
What could have ended in tragedy turned into a dramatic rescue operation after Dahisar Police personnel pulled a 34-year-old man to safety from a stormwater drain near the Western Express Highway in Mumbai on Tuesday.
According to the police, a control room alert was received reporting that a man had entered the drain and was allegedly injuring himself. Within minutes, a Dahisar Police mobile unit rushed to the location and launched a search operation.
The incident occurred near Ghartanpada, where the man had reportedly entered the drain and was being carried further by the flowing water.
Police officials said the man continued moving through the drain channel, passed beneath the Western Express Highway stretch, and eventually reached a chamber near the service road where the force of the water had intensified, creating a life-threatening situation.
Leading the operation, Assistant Police Inspector Mahadev Jathar and the Dahisar Police team reached the chamber and located the man trapped inside.
With access blocked by a protective metal grill and water continuing to flow below, the officers removed the grill and carefully approached the man. Rather than rushing in, the team first spoke to him, tried to calm him down and persuaded him to cooperate.
Moments later, the officers successfully pulled him out alive.
Police identified the man as a 34-year-old resident of Appa Pada, Malad East.
Speaking to mid-day.com, an officer from Dahisar Police Station said that preliminary information gathered from family members suggested the man had been under severe emotional distress and had left home on the pretext of visiting a hospital.
"The situation inside the drain was dangerous. Water flow had increased at that point and if rescue had been delayed, the outcome could have been different. Our team spoke to him, gained his confidence and brought him out safely," the officer said.
After the rescue, the man was provided medical attention and later handed over safely to his brother and mother.
Police said the operation was carried out by API Mahadev Jathar along with Police Constable Ghodke, Police Havaldar Suravase, ASI Kamble, and driver Parab.
Officials said the exact circumstances surrounding the incident remain under inquiry, but timely action by the police team helped avert a possible tragedy.
