Two Indian Air Force (IAF) airmen tragically drowned in Musatal lake, located in the Bhimtal block of the Nainital district, on Thursday afternoon. The airmen, who were stationed at the Pathankot Air Force base in Punjab, were vacationing with six other colleagues when the incident occurred.

According to reports, the group of eight IAF personnel, including four women, were on an outing. During the outing, four of the airmen decided to swim in the lake. Tragically, Prince Yadav and Sahil, both in their mid-30s, ventured into deeper water and began to drown. Their colleagues attempted to rescue them but were unsuccessful.

Local authorities and police were immediately alerted, and a rescue operation was launched. The bodies of the two airmen were recovered from the lake an hour later. Postmortem procedures are currently underway.

Circle Officer Pramod Sah stated that the area has seen multiple drowning incidents in the past. Despite the presence of warning signs, tourists frequently disregard them. Police have urged visitors to exercise caution around natural water bodies and avoid swimming in unsafe areas.

In April 2024, Bhimtal Lake was also used by the IAF to collect water to douse forest fires in the Nainital region. Helicopters were used to collect water from the lake and disperse it over the affected forests.