Nagpur: A 45-year-old security guard tragically lost his life after being swept away by strong currents while attempting to cross a flooded bridge over the Vena River in Wadgaon Gujar village, Hingna tehsil, on Wednesday night. His body was recovered by Hingna police on Thursday morning, about a kilometre downstream from the incident site.

The deceased has been identified as Nandvardhan Harba Shende, a resident of Lakhani in Bhandara district. He was temporarily residing at the Bhagat residence in Satgaon, Butibori, and was employed as a security guard at the Logistic Park in Wadgaon Gujar.

According to police sources, Shende’s duty ended around 10 pm on May 29. While returning home on his Platina motorcycle, he attempted to cross the bridge over the Vena River, which was overflowing due to heavy rainfall. Despite the dangerous conditions, he proceeded to ride across and was swept away by the powerful current.

Local residents spotted his motorcycle stuck on the bridge and immediately alerted Hingna police. Responding swiftly, a team led by Police Inspector Jitendra Bobade and Assistant Police Inspector Nale, along with staff members Rajesh Nare, Ananta Ghatmukulwar, Sanjeev Tayde, Anil Zhade, Pranit Band, and others, reached the scene and launched a search operation.

While the motorcycle was recovered from the bridge on Wednesday night, the search for Shende continued. On Thursday morning, his body was discovered approximately one kilometre away, entangled in a tree trunk along the riverbank.

With the assistance of local villagers, police retrieved the body and transported it back to the bridge. A post-mortem examination was conducted, and further investigations are underway.

Authorities have urged the public to avoid crossing flooded roads and bridges during heavy rainfall to prevent similar tragedies.