Tragic Monsoon Getaway: 3 Navi Mumbai Students, Including Minor, Drown in Matheran’s Charlotte Lake
Tragic Monsoon Getaway: 3 Navi Mumbai Students, Including Minor, Drown in Matheran’s Charlotte Lake
What began as a monsoon outing turned into a heartbreaking tragedy for a group of college friends from Navi Mumbai. Three youths — including a 16-year-old minor — drowned in Charlotte Lake, a popular tourist destination in Matheran, on Sunday.
The group of ten students, all from Koparkhairane, had planned a day trip to Matheran to enjoy the lush greenery and rain-soaked surroundings. After visiting the historic Pisharnath Temple, they proceeded to Charlotte Lake — a scenic but sensitive waterbody that also serves as the region’s primary source of drinking water.
Despite multiple warning signs around the lake prohibiting swimming, five of the students entered the water. One of them started struggling to stay afloat, prompting four others to jump in to save him. In the chaos that followed, two made it back safely, but three were pulled under and drowned.
The deceased have been identified as Sumit Chavan (16), Aryan Khobragade (19), and Firoz Shaikh (19), all residents of Koparkhairane. Local authorities and the Sahyadri Emergency Rescue Team were called in for an urgent search operation, which lasted nearly five hours before the bodies were recovered.
Rahul Ingle, Chief Officer of the Matheran Municipal Council, noted that while Charlotte Lake is not typically classified as accident-prone, the incident has raised serious safety concerns. “We are awaiting the postmortem reports to determine the exact cause of death,” he said.
Local vendor Megha Kadam, who owns a shop near the lake, said the group had ventured to a far end of the lake known to be risky during the monsoon. “Despite warnings, tourists often ignore the dangers — especially when the waterfalls are in full flow,” she said.
Authorities have reiterated that swimming in Charlotte Lake is strictly prohibited — not only due to unpredictable water conditions during the rainy season but also because of its critical role in supplying drinking water to the region.
This is the first reported drowning incident at Charlotte Lake in over 20 years — a grim reminder of how ignoring safety guidelines can turn joy into tragedy.
