Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: Drishti Marine lifesavers had a busy New Year weekend, rescuing 22 persons from drowning, tracing two missing children and administering first aid to five others at various beaches across Goa, as large crowds continued to throng the coastline following New Year celebrations.
At Arambol Beach, a 36-year-old Russian tourist was rescued from nearly 50 metres into the sea by lifesavers Vishnu Kubal and Sandeep Mapankar, using a rescue tube and jet ski.
At Mandrem Beach, lifesaver Sudhir Parab administered first aid to a person who suffered a scratch on the right leg while navigating rocky terrain at Ashwem.
A triple rescue was reported at Morjim Beach, where two men from Delhi and a Russian woman were saved from drowning by lifesavers Prathmesh Kubal and Babaji Naik using a rescue board and jet ski.
At Baga Beach, two separate rescues were carried out. A 25-year-old man from Karnataka was rescued by lifesaver Mahesh Kamabli using a rescue tube, while a 60-year-old Russian tourist was rescued by lifesavers Ankur Choudhary and Sushant Gaonkar using a rescue board and jet ski.
Several incidents were reported at Calangute Beach. In a double rescue, a 60-year-old man and his 21-year-old daughter from Delhi were saved by lifesavers Soma Latye, Ankur Kumar and Sujeet Kumar. In another incident, a teenage boy from Uttar Pradesh was rescued by Soma Latye using a rescue tube, while two men from Noida, aged 28 and 43, were rescued by Sujeet Kumar using a rescue board.
At Candolim Beach, a 10-year-old girl from Moscow was rescued by lifesaver Rohit Kandolna using a rescue tube. In another incident, a woman from Kazakhstan was administered first aid after sustaining a deep cut on her toe.
At Miramar Beach, first aid was provided to a person who suffered a jellyfish sting.
At Velsao Beach, two 30-year-old tourists from Bihar were rescued after being caught in a rip current. Lifesavers Kachappa and Sunil Madar used a rescue board and rescue tube to bring them safely to shore.
At Colva Beach, a 27-year-old woman from Bengaluru was rescued by lifesaver Devesh Velip after drifting far into the sea and becoming exhausted. In a separate incident, a three-year-old girl from Ponda who went missing on the beach was traced about 700 metres away by lifesaver Ravindra Dhokare and reunited with her father after verification.
At Benaulim Beach, a seven-year-old child who went missing near a beach shack was later found and handed over to his father after due verification.
Multiple rescues were also reported from Agonda Beach, where two men in their mid-twenties from Pune were rescued from a rip current by lifesavers Satyavan Velip and Prahlad Velip using rescue boards. In another double rescue, a 26-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man from Mumbai were saved by Prahlad Velip on a jet ski and Bikas Velip using a rescue tube.
At Palolem Beach, two men in their mid-forties from Andhra Pradesh were rescued after being pulled nearly 100 metres into the sea by a rip current. In another incident, a 32-year-old man from Bengaluru who fell into deep water while kayaking around 800 metres from shore was rescued using a jet ski. Additionally, a 25-year-old woman from the UK complaining of chest pain after a dolphin trip was transported over 500 metres by lifesavers and shifted to a government medical facility by ambulance. In a separate case, a 25-year-old man was treated for a jellyfish sting with prompt first aid.
Drishti Marine officials reiterated their appeal to tourists to heed warning flags, avoid venturing into rough seas and follow lifesavers’ instructions to ensure safety along Goa’s beaches.
