A 27-year-old software engineer's car fell into a deep water-filled pit in Greater Noida on January 17, 2026. Moninder, a delivery agent at the accident site, said he himself jumped into the pit around 1:45 a.m. after seeing rescue staff struggling. He recalled, "I tied a rope around my waist and went into the water myself. I searched for the youth and his car for around 30 minutes." The rescue workers initially avoided entering the water because it was cold, visibility was poor, and iron rods were present. Moninder said the victim, identified as Mehta, was first seen standing on his car roof using his phone's torch to signal for help. He added that if help had arrived 10 minutes earlier, the techie might have been saved. The same ditch had witnessed a prior accident, where locals rescued a truck driver using ropes and a ladder. Police denied negligence. Additional Commissioner of Police Rajeev Narayan Mishra stated that police and fire teams used cranes, ladders, boats, and searchlights in the rescue attempt, but fog made visibility nearly zero. The Knowledge Park police station reported receiving information around 12:15 a.m. that a car fell into a pit at a construction site near Sector 150. After more than five hours, rescue teams including fire, SDRF, NDRF, and police recovered the body on the morning of January 17. Mehta's father, Raj Kumar Mehta, said he last spoke with his son just before the accident. "He told me he was on his way home," he said. His son later called in panic, saying his car fell into a drain and asking for immediate help. The father rushed to the site and tried to contact him, noticing a faint torchlight in the water. "Police and rescue personnel tried to throw ropes but failed," he said, adding that expert divers might have saved his son. The tragedy has raised questions about rescue readiness at the construction site. Moninder’s brave attempt stands out amid official challenges in the rescue operation.