VASCO: The untimely death of their second son Anil has left the Chauhan family residing at Shantinagar, Vasco shattered and devastated.
Anil (16) died of drowning in a laterite stone quarry filled with water at a secluded place at Cuelim, Cansaulim on Tuesday morning.
A Standard XI Commerce student, Anil had gone to the laterite quarry for a swim along with two friends and got drowned as he could not gauge the depth of the water when he entered.
Expressing grief over the Anil’s tragic death, the neighbours recalled that his elder brother Ashok too had met a watery grave in his native village in Karnataka 12 years ago.
Anil’s parents Shankar and Lalita and his cousins are in a state of shock and were unable to speak and inconsolable. Anil’s Shankar, who works as a labourer, has a daughter and a minor son, the neighbours informed.
Anand Lamani, a driver from Mangor, who retrieved the body, said that the water in the quarry was deep and the victim may have failed to gauge it.
He said that the three students did not know to swim and that Anil remained in waters for almost 20 minutes till he reached the spot after hearing their cries for help.
Lamani said that after entering the quarry he faced difficulty to locate Anil’s body and later retrieved it from 10-feet deep inside the quarry.
He expressed shock over the tragic death.
He said that youngsters particularly students should avoid such secluded places during monsoon as they turn dangerous and one cannot gauge the depth of the water.
The Verna Police have registered the case as unnatural death and are also yet to record the statement since the family was in grief and inconsolable.
It may be recalled that in September 2019, four students had drowned in an abandoned stone quarry at Tuem, Pernem.
Meanwhile, taking cognisance of the tragic incident, the South Goa District Magistrate has issued an advisory requesting people and tourists not to enter waters for swimming or bathing in mining pits and waterfalls during monsoon.
