Man falls into 70-foot gorge at Ajanta Caves while taking selfie. Dramatic video shows rescue

A video shows Gopal Pundlik Chavan being pulled up using a rope (Image credit: @sirajnoorani/Twitter)

A man in Maharashtra had a lucky escape after slipping into a 70-foot gorge while taking a selfie. The man plunged into the gorge near Saptakund Waterfall while visiting Ajanta Caves on Sunday, according to a Times of India report.

Gopal Pundlik Chavan, 30, was visiting Ajanta Caves with a group of friends when he had a narrow escape. The Nanded resident was taking selfies near Saptakund Waterfall at the historic Buddhist site when he lost his footing and slipped into the deep gorge with a river flowing underneath.

Chavan’s friends immediately alerted authorities and a rescue team was formed to save him. Cops, ASI personnel and other tourists all assisted in the rescue operation by deploying a rope to hoist him up. Dramatic footage of the rescue operation shows Chavan hanging onto the rope as he is pulled up.

A incident has taken place in the #AjantaCaves area. While taking a selfie at the view point waterfall in front of the Ajanta Caves, a tourist slipped and fell into a two thousand feet deep pit. The video of this incident has come to light."#Maharashtra #chhatrapatisambhajinagar pic.twitter.com/mGOmTKlDXc

— Siraj Noorani (@sirajnoorani) July 23, 2023

After the incident, authorities have again warned visitors to exercise caution while visiting tourist sites, especially in the monsoon season where it is easy to lose your footing and slip. Tourists have also been asked not to stand too close to water bodies while taking photographs and selfies.