The tourist, aged 35, who fell from a height of almost 150 feet into a gorge at Sinhagad Fort in Pune on Wednesday evening while trying to click photos of the setting sun, was rescued successfully, police officials said.
The tourist, Yogesh Mohan Shitole, had been to the historic hill fort in the evening, authorities said. Around 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm he started walking to the western border of the fort towards a place known locally as “Hawa Point” from which the sunset is a beautiful sight.
As Shitole was walking along the grassy and uneven ground near the cliff edge, he fell. He fell and slipped into a deep gorge, falling some estimated 150 to 170 feet. After the fall, he was unconscious for several hours.
Police sources reported that Shitole came to the conscious state sometime from 7:00 pm to 7:30 pm. He was able to call the emergency telephone number 112 and give the relevant information and approximate location.
Haveli police station officer Aniket Kale led a team who immediately went to work with the disaster management unit to put a rescue effort in place after the alert. The mission was a difficult one for the team in low-light and rough terrain. The rescuers were able to spot and retrieve Shitole in spite of the visual and safety restrictions. The rescue was described as “difficult but efficiently carried out” as the result of quick coordination and response, officials said.