Pune: NDA Air Warrior Drowns in Khadakwasla Canal; Body Recovered After 26-Hour Search
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 1st June 2026: An air warrior attached to the National Defence Academy (NDA) lost his life after accidentally drowning in the Khadakwasla Canal near Pune on Saturday, while a separate rescue operation during the search efforts saved the life of an unidentified woman who had been swept away by the strong current.
According to officials, the incident occurred at around 12.30 pm on May 31. Sergeant Rajesh Kumar Verma and a group of friends were on a picnic along the banks of the Khadakwasla Canal outside the NDA campus when he reportedly slipped and fell into the water.
The fast-flowing canal and strong currents quickly swept him away. Despite immediate attempts by his colleagues to rescue him, they were unable to reach him due to the hazardous conditions.
Following the incident, the NDA launched a large-scale search and rescue operation with assistance from military units based in Pune, including the College of Military Engineering (CME) and No. 2 Wing of the Indian Air Force. Civil police authorities, divers from the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), and ambulance services also joined the operation.
The search continued through the night and into the following day. After extensive efforts, Sergeant Verma’s body was recovered at approximately 2.40 pm on June 1, around 1.5 kilometres downstream from the location where he had fallen into the canal.
In a separate incident during the ongoing search operation, rescue teams spotted a woman being carried away by the strong current upstream at around 10.30 am on June 1. The woman was pulled from the water in an unconscious condition.
Rescuers immediately administered first aid before she was shifted to Sassoon General Hospital for further treatment. Officials said the timely medical intervention helped revive her, and her condition is now reported to be stable.
The identity of the woman has not yet been established, and efforts are underway to ascertain her details.
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