Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa government-appointed lifesaving agency Drishti Marine successfully rescued 13 students of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Dona Paula, after the fishing trawler they were travelling in ran aground on a sandbar around 200 metres off Miramar beach on Tuesday morning.
The rescue operation was anchored from Drishti Marine’s newly deployed floating Seahorse platform, stationed off Miramar beach. The temporary floating station enabled lifesavers to assess the situation swiftly and launch rescue efforts without delay, preventing any injuries to those onboard.
The incident occurred at around 10.15 am on January 13, when lifesaver captain Shahish Ballikar noticed a stationary trawler that appeared overcrowded beyond normal fishing capacity. Along with lifesaver Swapnil Khandolkar, he immediately launched a jet ski from the Seahorse platform to reach the trawler and assess the situation. The trawler crew sought assistance after the vessel got stuck on a sandbar during low tide.
An initial attempt to tow the grounded trawler with the help of a nearby fishing vessel failed when the towing rope snapped, leading to panic among the students onboard. As anxiety grew, Drishti Marine shifted focus to evacuation and deployed a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) in addition to the jet ski.
All 13 students — nine females and four males — were safely evacuated, provided with safety gear and brought ashore without any injuries.
Speaking about the operation, lifesaver Swapnil Khandolkar said the team had spotted the trawler grounded on a sandbar and noticed distress signals from a nearby boat. “The initial towing attempt failed as the rope snapped. We immediately shifted to evacuation and safely transported all 13 students ashore in a Drishti Marine rescue boat,” he said.
Ahead of the festive season, Drishti Marine has deployed four floating Seahorse platforms at high-footfall beaches — Calangute, Candolim and Miramar in North Goa, and Baina in South Goa — to enhance coastal vigilance. The platforms allow lifesavers to monitor beach activity from vantage points at sea and significantly reduce response time during water-based emergencies.
Once positioned, the Seahorse platform is stabilised by four legs, each about six metres long, anchored into the seabed. Depending on tidal conditions, it can be placed 20 to 30 metres offshore.
The Seahorse platform adds to Drishti Marine’s list of innovative beach safety initiatives, which also include AI-powered surveillance bots, a paw squad of trained canines for beach safety, and Sagar Safar, a guided sea-swimming experience that educates beachgoers about sea conditions, beach flags and safe swimming practices.
