A 35-year-old man and his seven-year-old son drowned in a check dam near Deolapar on Sunday morning after reportedly jumping into the water while trying to escape what they believed was a tiger attack.
The victims were identified as Jeevan Dharmaraj Kokode (35) and his son Jatin (7), residents of Dulara village. The incident took place around 9 am at the Lakhan check dam near Chhavari village in the Deolapar Forest Range.
According to police, Jeevan had gone fishing near his farmland along with his son and brother-in-law. During the outing, the brother-in-law, who was standing at some distance, reportedly spotted what appeared to be a tiger approaching and raised an alarm.
Panic-stricken, Jeevan allegedly picked up his son and jumped into the check dam in an attempt to escape. However, both became trapped in deep mud beneath the water and drowned. Jeevan reportedly cried for help, but his brother-in-law, fearing the tiger was still nearby, ran to the village to seek assistance.
When villagers reached the spot, Jatin’s body was found floating in the water, while Jeevan remained missing. Police and Forest Department officials launched a search operation and later recovered Jeevan’s body from the check dam.
The tragic incident left the village in shock, with grieving family members and residents gathering at the site.
Deputy Conservator of Forests Govind Luche and Deolapar Range Forest Officer Sheshrao Tule visited the spot and assured the family that financial assistance would be provided as per government norms.
Both bodies were sent to the Rural Hospital in Deolapar for post-mortem examination.Forest officials said the exact sequence of events, including whether a tiger was actually present at the time, will be confirmed only after a detailed investigation.
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