Team Goemkarponn
CALANGUTE: A 6-year-old girl from Noida, Uttar Pradesh, tragically drowned off the Baga-Calangute shoreline late Sunday evening, after venturing into the sea unnoticed while in the care of a domestic help.
The victim, had gone for a walk on the beach with her 10-year-old brother and a caretaker.
According to police sources, the caretaker was momentarily distracted by a phone call, during which time the children wandered into the water.
The incident occurred at around 8:10 pm in a poorly lit stretch of the beach.
Zoya was swept away by the current as her brother called for help. Alert tourist police patrolling the area responded to the boy’s cries and immediately launched a search with assistance from fire services, lifeguards, and local police.
Despite their efforts, Zoya remained missing for nearly an hour.
Her body was eventually spotted floating in the water by staff at a nearby shack at 9:16 pm.
Emergency responders administered CPR and rushed her to the Candolim Health Centre, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.
Police Inspector Rahul Parab and Sub-Inspector Dhawalikar conducted a panchanama and the body was sent for a post-mortem at Goa Medical College.
An inquiry is underway into the circumstances of the incident and the role of the caretaker.
