Bengaluru: A holiday trek, organised through an Instagram group, ended in tragedy after a 30-year-old techie allegedly drowned in a water-filled stone quarry near Yellammanadoddi, close to Jigani, on Oct 2. His body was recovered Sunday morning, following a two-day search operation.The deceased, Ganesh Anjaneya Vinay, a resident of Halasuru, belonged to Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. According to the preliminary investigation, Vinay worked as an associate UX designer for a private firm in Bengaluru. Vinay, who had a master’s degree from IIT Delhi, was living in Bengaluru for the past four years.Vinay had joined a group of eight trekkers for the outing during the Gandhi Jayanti holiday weekend. Among those who joined the trek was Vinay’s fiancé, a veterinary doctor.During the outing, the group stopped at a huge stone quarry near Yellammanadoddi. Mining activity at the quarry had reportedly stopped around 15 years ago, and the abandoned pit had since filled with water. The group decided to swim in the quarry.According to police, the group members took a dive and were enjoying themselves when, at around 5.30pm, Vinay suddenly disappeared in the water.The other members tried to rescue him, but were unsuccessful. They alerted Jigani police, who rushed to the spot along with personnel from the fire and emergency services. Police and rescue teams searched the quarry and subsequently summoned personnel from State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), besides involving local divers in the operation.Jigani police later contacted Eshwar Malpe, a scuba diver known for undertaking underwater rescue operations, and his team from Malpe for assistance. After nearly two days of continuous efforts, rescuers finally located Vinay’s body around 9am Sunday.Based on a complaint filed by Vinay’s brother, Jigani police registered an unnatural death report (UDR).The trekking group had connected with each other through Instagram and had planned the trek through the social media group, a senior officer said. The Instagram account regularly shares details about trekking destinations on the outskirts of Bengaluru and in neighbouring districts.According to the members, they had been swimming for around one-and-a-half hours before Vinay drowned.What was meant to be a holiday trek and an adventurous outing ended in tragedy, leaving the group and Vinay’s family traumatised.
