A father’s heart-rending account of his son’s final moments has ignited widespread outrage over civic negligence and emergency response failures in Noida, after a 27-year-old software engineer drowned when his car plunged into a water-filled excavation pit near Sector 150.

The victim, Yuvraj Mehta, a tech professional working in Gurugram, was returning home late on the night of January 16–17 when his car skidded in dense fog and fell into a deep, unbarricaded pit at a construction site just a few kilometres from Delhi.

‘He was alive, crying for help’

Yuvraj’s father, Rajkumar Mehta, said his son survived for nearly two hours after the accident, desperately calling out for help as onlookers gathered.

“My son was alive. He was crying, asking people to save him. Some people were just making videos,” he told reporters, alleging grave administrative negligence.

Family members and eyewitnesses said Yuvraj managed to climb onto the roof of his partially submerged car and repeatedly signalled for help, even switching on his phone’s flashlight as the vehicle slowly sank.

Rescue that came too late

According to NDTV, Yuvraj was less than a kilometre from his residence at Tata Eureka Park when the accident occurred. He called his father in panic shortly after midnight.

Police records indicate that emergency services were alerted around 12.30 am. Local police and fire brigade teams reached the site within minutes, while the State Disaster Response Force and National Disaster Response Force arrived later.

Despite multiple attempts, Yuvraj’s cries reportedly fell silent after nearly 90 minutes. His body was recovered around 4.30 am.

Officials deny negligence

Police officials have rejected allegations of delay, citing dense fog, darkness, deep water and protruding iron rods at the construction site as major risks.

Additional Commissioner of Police Rajeev Narayan Mishra said cranes, ladders, ropes and searchlights were used, but visibility was extremely poor.

However, the family insists that the absence of trained divers proved fatal. “If expert divers had gone in, my son would be alive today,” Rajkumar Mehta said.

Repeated warnings ignored

Adding to the anger, reports said a truck had met with a similar accident at the same location days earlier, yet no barricades, warning signs or reflectors were installed.

A delivery worker, Mohinder, who attempted a rescue by jumping into the pit with a rope, said he arrived moments too late. “That turn is extremely dangerous in fog. There is no wall, no warning,” he said.

Probe ordered

The Noida Authority has ordered an investigation into the incident, stating that the road passes through a partially developed sector. Responsibility for barricading and safety measures is now under scrutiny.

For Yuvraj’s family, the tragedy remains deeply personal and painfully unresolved.

“He was so close to home,” his father said. “He kept waiting for help.”