Techie Drowns in Noida Drain Amid Dense Fog, Pleads with Father: “I Don’t Want to Die”
Techie Drowns in Noida Drain Amid Dense Fog, Pleads with Father: "I Don’t Want to Die"
Yuvraj Mehta, a 27-year-old software engineer, tragically lost his life after his car fell into a deep water-filled drainage pit near his home in Noida’s Sector 150. During his last moments, he called his father, Rajkumar Mehta, pleading, “Dad, I’ve fallen into a deep pit filled with water. I’m drowning. Please come and save me. I don’t want to die.”
The accident occurred late on Friday night while Yuvraj was returning home from work. Dense fog and poor visibility caused his Grand Vitara to collide with the boundary of a high-ground drainage pit. The car plunged into a 70-feet-deep water-filled ditch. Eyewitnesses said Yuvraj briefly managed to climb onto the roof of his car, waving his torch and shouting for help, but darkness and fog severely hampered rescue efforts.
Passersby rushed to help, including delivery agent Moninder, who made a courageous attempt to save Yuvraj. “For nearly one hour and forty-five minutes, he kept pleading, ‘Brother, save me somehow,’” Moninder recounted. According to him, police, fire brigade, and SDRF personnel on the scene refused to enter the water due to extreme cold and submerged iron rods. Undeterred, Moninder tied a rope around his waist and swam nearly 50 meters into the water, searching for Yuvraj and the car for over 30 minutes but could not locate them. He left the site around 5:30 am, before Yuvraj and the vehicle were recovered.
Local police, divers, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) eventually recovered Yuvraj and his car after nearly five hours of rescue operations. Unfortunately, he was declared dead at the scene. Chief fire officer Pradeep Kumar Chaubey stated, “The rescue operation took time. We were at the spot till around 5 am.”
The incident sparked widespread outrage among residents of Sector 150. Many said they had repeatedly requested the authorities to install reflectors and signage along the service road, but no action was taken. Following the tragedy, Yuvraj’s father filed a complaint against MJ Wishtown Planner Limited and Lotus Green Construction Private Limited at the Knowledge Park Police Station, alleging negligence.
Rajkumar Mehta criticized the rescue teams’ lack of preparedness, saying, “The police did reach there, but they did not have a swimmer. If someone had, my son’s life could have been saved.” Friends of Yuvraj also blamed delayed rescue efforts and insufficient equipment for the tragic outcome. Preliminary police investigations identified dense fog and speeding as the main factors behind the accident. Assistant Commissioner of Police Hemant Upadhyay said, “A large drain, six to seven feet wide, had been dug there. Due to poor visibility and high speed, the driver lost control.”
Authorities reportedly filled the deep ditch with garbage and debris following the accident, a move that residents criticized as hasty and inadequate. Moninder, who risked his life attempting a rescue, remains deeply affected by the tragedy.
Yuvraj Mehta, a resident of Tata Eureka Park Society, leaves behind grieving family and friends. His father summed up the anguish, stating, “This accident was preventable. My son could have survived if proper safety measures had been in place.” The incident has reignited discussions about civic negligence, road safety, and the urgent need for preventive measures on fog-prone and poorly lit roads in Noida.
