Pune Student’s Weekend Trip Turns Fatal as 20-Year-Old Drowns at Kashid Beach, Body Found After 43 Hours
Murud, 4th July 2025: A beach holiday which began as a joyful trip turned into a heartbreaking nightmare for four Pune college students when one of them drowned at Kashid beach on July 1. However, the body was recovered after 43 43-hour-long search mission. This incident has underlined once again the need for strict safety awareness along Maharashtra’s coastal regions.
A 20-year-old final-year undergraduate student, Tanishk Malhotra, had gone to the popular seaside destination with friends Mark Milton, Varun Tiwari, and Punya Patil for a brief weekend break.
The friends entered the sea for a swim, unaware of the dangerous undercurrents and erratic waves in the area. While three of them managed to reach the shore after a struggle, Tanishk was overpowered by the strong currents and vanished underwater before any help could reach him, according to eyewitnesses.
Emergency services responded swiftly. The Murud Police, Indian Coast Guard, local lifeguards, and volunteers from SVRSS came together for a massive search and rescue operation. Despite rough seas and limited visibility, they continued their efforts for nearly two days, using thermal imaging drones and a helicopter for aerial support in the later stages.
At around 7:45 am on Thursday morning, after a grueling 43-hour mission, Tanishk’s body was finally recovered from the sea and brought ashore. His remains were transported to Murud Rural Hospital for postmortem and formalities.
A Murud Police Station official described the death as a tragic yet preventable loss, highlighting that more than 150 people have died along the Murud-Kashid coastline in recent years due to ignoring safety guidelines or underestimating sea hazards.
