Diveagar Beach Tragedy: Eyewitness Recalls Moments When Eight Alandi Students Were Swept Away

A surviving student recalls the moments when eight Alandi students were swept away at Diveagar beach, raising questions over safety arrangements.

Pune, October 3, 2026: A day trip from Alandi to Raigad and Diveagar turned into a tragedy on Thursday when eight students of Winners Academy drowned after entering the sea at Diveagar beach in Raigad district.

A surviving Class 11 student, Soham Gore, has recalled the moments leading up to the tragedy and the frantic rescue attempts that followed. According to his account, the students reached Diveagar at around 5 pm after visiting Raigad Fort earlier in the day.

The group included students and teachers from the Alandi-based coaching academy. Police and other reports have put the travelling group at around 42 students accompanied by teachers, while another police account has referred to a total group of 48 people.

Students Entered the Sea

Gore said teachers told students who knew swimming that they could enter the water, while others were asked to remain on the shore.

He said he chose not to enter the sea because he did not like swimming in salt water. From the shoreline, he saw several boys in the water along with teachers.

Within minutes, however, the situation changed.

Gore said he noticed police personnel and water-sports workers rushing towards the students. Teachers and students who knew how to swim also attempted to rescue those struggling in the water. Despite the rescue efforts, eight students lost their lives.

Eyewitness Raises Questions Over Safety Measures

Gore said he did not notice caution boards, dedicated lifeguards or life-jacket facilities at the beach when the students entered the water. His account has raised questions about the safety arrangements available at the popular tourist destination.

Other reports have also indicated that local water-sports operators and fishermen joined the rescue operation after the students were seen struggling in the sea. Police said the students appeared to have misjudged the depth and strong currents.

Eight Students Died

The deceased students were identified as:

• Rajveer Yuvraj Vahile
• Soham Tukaram Bhandwalkar
• Kaustubh Sandeep Daund
• Yash Kiran Wankhede
• Kaivalya Satish Wasankar
• Tanmay Dattatray Vahile
• Sumit Bharat Ahire
• Pranav Ramdas Bansode

Reports state that all eight were around 16 years old and studying in Classes 11 and 12.

The bodies were recovered and handed over to the families following postmortem procedures.

Coaching Academy Sealed

Following the tragedy, the Alandi Municipal Council sealed Winners Academy after officials found that the coaching institute was allegedly operating without the mandatory municipal permission or licence. The civic action was separate from the investigation into the beach deaths.

Police are examining the circumstances surrounding the excursion, including the supervision arrangements, the movement of students into the sea and the safety measures available at the location.

For the surviving students and the families of those who died, the Diveagar trip has become a painful reminder of how quickly conditions at the sea can change.

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