Body of Twenty-Four-Year-Old Vinay Vaz found near Ullal Bridge

Bellevision Media Network

Mangalore, 21 Jul 2013: Twenty-four-year-old Vinay Vaz, who reported missing whilst travelling in a train from Kerala to Karwar  when he accidentally fell into Netravati River on Friday July 19 at about 11.30pm was found dead near Ullal bridge at the backwaters in Kotekar here on Sunday July 21.

 

 

The body was recovered and shifted to the morgue at district Wen Lock Hospital here for autopsy.

 

Its learned that Vinay was one among a group of 700 people from Karwar diocese, who were returning from week-long youth retreat in Kerala. The group comprised 25 priests, 10 nuns and youngsters.

 

Vinay, who was a parishioner of Infant Jesus Church, Sirsi, was the leader of his parish group of 48 youth. He had booked the tickets of all and they had occupied berth numbers 8 to 12 in Netravati Express. The train was jam-packed.

 

Sirsi parish priest Fr Wilson said that on Friday July 19, at about 11.15pm, the train slowed down while passing through Ullal bridge. Vinay, who was new to this region, thought that the train had reached Mangalore and stepped out. He directly fell into the river below. The injury on his head indicated that his head might have hit barrier on the bridge before falling into the river.

 

The assistant leader of the group who was nearby heard the sound of Vinay falling and called the others. The train’s chain was pulled and railway authorities too arrived at the spot. The train stopped for about 40 minutes, and resumed its onward journey. Five persons of the groups including priests alighted at Mangalore Junction railway station, here while the rest continued their journey to Kumta.

 

Fr Richard Lasrado, parish priest of Thokur, who helped the group in dealing with the situation, said, ‘We are thankful to Sirsi Lokayukta DySP Umesh Shet who helped  in registering the case, as the city police had first asked us to approach the Railway Protection Force (RPF) police.’ The cases were registered in both Ullal police station and with RPF.

 

Vinay was the treasurer of Sirisi parish ICYM unit.

 

‘Vinay was a leader in the making. He had great dreams and wanted to become the event manager of Karwar. For this purpose, he had even bought a sound system all the way from Thailand,’ said Fr Wilson.