Three-Year-Old Girl Swept Away in Swelling Stream Near Bodeli, Body Recovered After Overnight NDRF Search

Tragic news has struck Dhanpur Khos Vasahat in Gujarat’s Bodeli taluka, where a three-year-old girl lost her life after being swept away by strong currents in a flooded seasonal stream (kotar). The tragedy unfolded when a family was crossing a submerged causeway on their way back from their agricultural field. Following an intensive overnight search operation by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, the child's body was recovered the next morning.

Sudden Water Surge Overpowers Family on Causeway

The incident occurred when local resident Jayeshbhai Sureshbhai Rathwa was returning home from the fields alongside his father, Sureshbhai, and two young children. To reach their home, the family had to navigate a causeway built over a local stream that was rapidly swelling with overflowing water.

As they stepped onto the causeway, Jayeshbhai was carrying his one-and-a-half-year-old child, while Sureshbhai was carrying his three-year-old granddaughter, Riyanshiben. A sudden surge in the water current knocked all four off their feet. While Jayeshbhai, Sureshbhai, and the younger child managed to scramble out of the rushing torrent to safety, little Riyanshiben slipped out of her grandfather's grip and was carried away downriver.

NDRF Search Mission and Legal Action

Alarmed family members and local villagers immediately launched a desperate search along the banks of the stream before alerting authorities. An NDRF team based in Bodeli was dispatched to the location, carrying out search operations throughout the night despite challenging conditions.

Search crews located Riyanshiben’s body in the stream early the following morning. The tragic death has plunged the entire Dhanpur region into mourning. Bodeli Police have registered a case of accidental death and initiated formal legal procedures.