Teenager drowns in a stone quarry

Bajpe: A teenager who had gone to have a bath in the stone quarry at Jari near Gundavu Padavu in the vicinity of old Mangaluru airport under Malavoor gram panchayat limits, lost his balance, he fell into the deep red stone quarry and lost his life on Sunday, July 15^th.

The deceased has been identified as Sanjay Kumar (16), son of Savitri, who is the junior assistant of women health at Bajpe primary health center and Ellappa, who is a driver by profession. Sanjay was a first PU student of Kateel pre-university college. The family is originally from Bagalkote. In 2015, Savitri had come to Bajpe and they resided close to a house near the primary health center.

On Sunday morning, around 8:30am, Sanjay informed that he was going over to his friend’s house and went to Gundavu Padavu with his friend Ranjeet who works as a welder at Kinnipadavu near Bajpe and is a native of Hosadurga. On reaching the inundated red stone quarry and though not knowing swimming, the duo nonetheless got down into the water filled stone quarry.

As Sanjay got down into the water, he slipped and drowned. Ranjit attempted to save Sanjay and his cries for help were heard by Purushottam who had come to the quarry to wash his bike. Purushottam then called other people in the vicinity and Sanjay was successfully fished out of the quarry by local youths Sanu, Sudarshan and Kartik.

After Sanjay was brought to the surface, he was provided first aid and also made to vomit the water that he had drunk as he was drowning. He was also swiftly shifted to the primary health centre at Bajpe, but he lost his battle for life when he was being shifted to a hospital in Mangaluru.

Post the autopsy of Sanjay’s body at Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru, his mortal remains was taken to his native place in Bagalkote for final rites.

A case has been registered against the stone quarry owner for not implementing any safety measures around the open stone quarry.