NAVI MUMBAI: A monsoon outing near Gadeshwar Dam in Panvel turned fatal on Sunday evening when a 26-year-old man lost his life while attempting to save his friend from a powerful whirlpool. The friend was swept away by strong current and remains missing, with rescuers admitting that chances of finding him alive are extremely slim.The deceased has been identified as Sumit Yashwant Pawar, 26, a resident of Vichumbe in Raigad district. The missing youth is Nayan Mhatre, also from the same village.According to the Panvel Taluka police, the incident occurred around 5.30 pm near Prithvi Farmhouse at Waghachiwadi, where Pawar, Mhatre and nine of their friends had gone for an outing near the water body fed by the outflow channel of Gadeshwar Dam amid continuous heavy rainfall.Police said Pawar and Mhatre entered the outflow channel of the dam despite the dangerously strong current. Moments later, Mhatre was caught in a whirlpool and began struggling to stay afloat. Without hesitation, Pawar jumped into the waters to save his friend, but he too was trapped in the powerful whirlpool.The water swollen further following incessant rain, left the group with little chance to react. Mhatre was swept away by the fierce current before his friends could reach him. The group managed to pull Pawar out while he was being dragged downstream, but by then he had inhaled a large quantity of water and was gasping for breath.“He had inhaled a large amount of water and was struggling to breathe,” the investigating officer said. Pawar was rushed by his friends in a private vehicle to the sub-district hospital in Panvel, where doctors declared him dead at 8.18pm.Police have registered an accidental death report and are investigating the incident. Search operations to trace Mhatre were continuing till late Sunday, though rescuers said the chances of his rescue remain bleak.