AHMEDABAD: A Diwali outing turned tragic in Junagadh’s Vanthali taluka when Army jawan Bharatbhai Bhetaria lost his life while saving his friends from drowning in the Ozat river near Tikar village.

On October 22, four friends went to bathe in the river around 4 PM when three were caught in a sudden, powerful current. Bharatbhai, serving in the Indian Army, immediately jumped into the swirling waters and rescued his friends one by one. In the process, he was swept away by the fierce current.

Locals alerted the Vanthali Fire Department, a rescue team conducted an overnight search. Family members and villagers waited at the riverbank during the operation.

Bhetaria’s body was recovered at dawn on October 23, concluding the rescue efforts.