A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded this afternoon in Dhawadshet , Quepem, when two innocent lives were lost to the unforgiving waters of the Salaulim canal. The victims, mere toddlers, had wandered away from their home, only to meet a fate too cruel to fathom.
The children, identified as 15-month-old Rehan Shaikh from Karnataka and 18-month-old Wahid Hashmi from Uttar Pradesh, had unknowingly ventured just 50 meters from their home when they accidentally slipped into the canal. The powerful current carried their tiny bodies nearly two kilometers downstream before horrified locals spotted them.
The nightmare for their families began when they realized the toddlers were missing. Desperate searches led to a devastating discovery – the lifeless bodies of their beloved children floating in the water.
An eyewitness recounted the harrowing moment he spotted the tiny figures drifting along the canal.
It was an unbearable sight. I was returning home from work when I saw the bodies of the two little ones in the water. My heart sank. I ran and tried to stop them from being washed further by placing palm leaves and sticks near the culvert," he said, his voice choked with emotion. This should never happen to anyone’s children. Parents must always be vigilant
Eyewitness
Despite desperate attempts to save them, the toddlers were declared dead upon arrival at the Curchorem Health Center. Their families, shattered and inconsolable, struggled to come to terms with the unthinkable loss.
The victims' families were among 11 households residing in the area for several months.
Most of the men worked as laborers, while the women stayed home to care for their children and manage household chores. It was a cruel twist of fate that on this tragic day, the fathers of the two boys were at work in Verna when the catastrophe struck.
The mothers, who often visited the canal to wash clothes, were unaware that their children had strayed too far.
The canal, a silent but ever-present danger, had claimed their little ones in mere moments.
According to police, there is a protective wall behind the rented rooms, but since the toddlers could not climb it, they had unknowingly walked to the canal from the front side. A passerby at Betmoddi was the first to notice their small bodies floating in the water and immediately raised the alarm.
Despite swift action, it was too late. The doctors at the hospital could only confirm the worst—the toddlers had not survived.
A Painful Reminder :
This heartrending incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers that lurk unnoticed in our surroundings. A moment’s distraction, a few innocent steps, and two young lives were lost forever.
As the community mourns, questions remain—could this tragedy have been prevented ? How can such accidents be avoided in the future ? As grief-stricken families prepare to lay their little ones to rest, the pain of their loss echoes far beyond their rented home, touching every heart that hears their story.