Noida Techie Death: Meet The Flipkart Delivery Agent Who Played The Good Samaritan

Noida: A tragic death of a 27-year-old software engineer who drowned waiting for help in a flooded basement in Greater Noida's Sector-150 has taken the country by surprise. The techie had lost control of his car amid dense fog and crashed into a waterlogged construction pit located near a road turn. The incident on Friday night has raised questions about the city's weak urban infrastructure as well as its rescue apparatus.

What seemed to be a routine rescue operation by the local police, divers, and a team of the State Disaster Relief Force, who were all present at the spot well in time, the lengthy duration of it, ultimately led to Yuvraj Mehta's death. The techie even called his father, Rajkumar Mehta, before his death, saying, "I don't want to die." But the helpless father stood there, having no clue what to do next, but to wait.

It has been reported that first responders hesitated to enter the water, citing freezing temperatures and the hazard of submerged construction pillars. While the rescue team who were present at the spot did not have sufficient equipment to carry out the operation, and had to wait for the National Disaster Relief Force team, a Flipkart delivery agent reportedly volunteered to enter the ditch to rescue Mehta.

In a conversation with a private news channel, the delivery partner, Moninder described that he spotted the victim screaming for help from inside his car, still holding up a torch. Stepping up to rescue the young guy who was probably finding it difficult to breathe, Moninder jumped inside the dirty waters trying a rope around his waist, in a desperate attempt to save him. However, unfortunately Mehta had already died, before he could reach the car.

It wasn't until an NDRF team arrived from Ghaziabad that a specialized operation using steamers was launched. They recovered Yuvraj after two and a half hours, but he was pronounced dead at Kailash Hospital.

Who was Yuvraj Mehta

Yuvraj Mehta was a resident of the Tata Eureka Park Society in Noida Sector-150. He was a software engineer at Dunnhumby India in Gurugram. He mostly worked from home and used to visit his office occasionally.

Mehta was driving his SUV back from his Gurugram office on Friday and was just 500 meters away from his residence when thick fog obscured his view. He hit against a drain wall following which the vehicle plunged into a water-filled basement, where the high water levels caused the car to flip over and float.

'Don't want to die'

Mehta managed to escape the vehicle and called his father to report the accident. “Dad, I've fallen into a deep pit filled with water. I'm drowning. Please come and save me. I don't want to die,” were his last words, as quoted as saying by multiple media outlets. 

The victim's father was prompt to immediately dial up emergency services and rushed to the spot. The initial attempts of the rescue team proved unsuccessful. Yuvraj stood on the roof of his car, using his torch and cried for help to signal rescuers. However, the rescue efforts were severely delayed owing to dense fog and darkness. The car and Mehta went underneath the water surface around 1:45 am.

ALSO READ: Screaming For Help, 27-Year-Old Techie Dies After Car Falls Into Noida Mall-Site Pit Amid Dense Fog; Family Alleges Negligence