PUNE: A 10-year-old boy from Saswad was rescued by local villagers after he accidentally fell into a 400ft gorge while trekking with his father at Kenjalgad fort in
Bhor
taluka, about 60km from the city, on Saturday morning.
The boy, Mayank Urane, suffered a fracture on his arm and is undergoing treatment at a hospital.
On getting a call for help from the boy’s father, residents of Pakirewadi village —
Suresh Pakire, Sachin Pakire, Ananda Pakire and others — swung into action. They braved the slippery path and fog and tracked down Mayank to a clump of bushes.
“The boy was first taken to the hospital in
Wai
and then shifted to Satara. He is safe and has since been sent to Pune for further treatment,” sub-inspector Sanjay Motekar of the Wai police said.
The father-son duo were part of an eight-member trekking group, Suresh said.
“After reaching the top, the boy’s father was walking. Visibility was poor at the top due to clouds. To catch up to his father, the boy started running, when he slipped and fell into the gorge,” Suresh said.
The father and others tried to search for the boy. They could hear his cries but were unable to find him. “They came to our village and alerted us. Ten of us (accompanied by constable Suresh Dhule from the Wai police) went to the fort immediately and found him in 15 minutes,” Suresh said.
“In our tehsil, we still have Covid positive cases and it may be risky for visitors. Considering the potential risk, we have banned trekking completely in the tehsil. A separate order in this regard has been issued,” Bhor tehsildar
Ajit Patil said on Monday.