Navi Mumbai, July 10 -- An 18-year-old Kurla resident who undertook a solo trek on Wednesday to the KP waterfall in Khopoli, ignoring heavy rain and weather advisories, was rescued on Wednesday evening from near the mouth of the waterfall. Mohammad Juher Shaikh, the Kurla resident, had dialled 112, the national emergency helpline, after he slipped and crashed into a cliff during the trek. The operation to locate him and bring him down to safety lasted several hours, with rescuers navigating overflowing streams and slippery rock faces amid poor visibility, officers from Khopoli police who assisted in the rescue carried out by the Help Foundation told Hindustan Times. According to rescuers, Shaikh left his home in Kurla on Wednesday morning without informing his family and travelled to Khopoli by local train. Using directions on his mobile phone, he first reached the Zenith waterfall, then went towards the more hazardous source of the KP waterfall. "Shaikh trekked for nearly three hours through steep, slippery slopes, dense vegetation and fast-flowing streams before reaching the waterfall. After spending some time there taking selfies and photographs and eating the food he had carried, he began his descent," said police inspector Sachin Hire. At around 4.30pm, Shaikh reportedly slipped on a rock and crashed into a cliff, injuring his left hand and suffering multiple blunt injuries that left him unable to walk, rescuers said. "Fearing for his life, he dialled the national emergency helpline from his mobile phone. The distress call alerted Khopoli Police, who immediately assessed the situation and sought assistance from the Help Foundation rescue team," said a volunteer who did not wish to be identified. Around 5pm, trained rescuers from the nonprofit left for the site carrying ropes, rescue equipment and safety gear. "The operation proved extremely challenging as torrential waterfalls, waist-deep water currents, mud-covered slippery rocks and intermittent mobile connectivity made it difficult to trace the teenager's exact location," said the volunteer quoted earlier. After a few hours, the rescue team located Shaikh. They provided him with drinking water and food and administered first aid to his injuries before beginning the hazardous descent. Working together across slippery trails and strong water currents, the team safely brought the injured teenager down the hillside before nightfall, rescuers said. Shaikh was later taken to Khopoli police station, where inspector Hire counselled him and informed his family about the incident. "If his mobile phone had been lost, communication had been cut off, or he had fallen into a deeper gorge, locating him would have been extremely difficult," the inspector told HT....