Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: Lifesavers from Drishti Marine had a busy Diwali weekend as they rescued as many as 19 people, including nine Russian nationals, from drowning incidents reported along various beaches in the State.
At Palolem, a 21-year-old man from Karnataka ignored warnings and was swept away by a strong current before being pulled to safety by lifesaver Vikas Mehta with assistance from Samir Kankonkar on a jet ski. A similar incident occurred at Butterfly Beach where a 25-year-old tourist from Gujarat was caught in a rip current while posing for a photograph and was rescued by Shekhar Velip.
In another case at Talpona, a 62-year-old man from Patnem panicked after being caught in a lateral current but was quickly brought ashore by lifesaver Arvind Girip. Two separate rescues were also carried out at Calangute Beach involving a 17-year-old from Chhattisgarh and a 29-year-old from Uttar Pradesh.
At Candolim Beach, lifeguards saved a 42-year-old Russian woman, a 25-year-old man from Chhattisgarh, and three Russian women aged between 50 and 59, all of whom were pulled out of the water in time. Baga Beach also saw multiple rescues, including two Russian women, a man from Karnataka, and two men from Tamil Nadu.
Additional rescues were reported at Sinquerim, Morjim, and Dudhsagar where both Indian and foreign tourists were caught in strong currents. In a separate incident, lifeguards attended to a four-year-old boy from Uttar Pradesh who suffered an epileptic seizure on the beach. The child was stabilised before being taken to a nearby hospital for further treatment.
Drishti Marine officials have once again urged beachgoers to heed safety flags and follow lifeguard instructions, especially during the busy holiday season when currents tend to be unpredictable.
