Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: Drishti Marine lifesavers carried out multiple rescue and assistance operations along Goa’s coastline over the first weekend of 2026, rescuing 22 persons from drowning, tracing two missing children and administering first aid to five others. The incidents occurred as beaches across the state continued to witness heavy tourist footfall 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, first aid was provided to a person who sustained a scratch on the right leg while navigating a rocky stretch at Ashwem. The assistance was rendered by lifesaver Sudhir Parab.
At Morjim Beach, three tourists — two men from Delhi and a Russian woman — were saved in a triple rescue operation by lifesavers Prathmesh Kubal and Babaji Naik using a rescue board and jet ski.
At Baga Beach, two separate rescue incidents were reported. A 25-year-old man from Karnataka was rescued using a rescue tube by lifesaver Mahesh Kamabli, while a 60-year-old Russian tourist was rescued by Ankur Choudhary and Sushant Gaonkar using a rescue board and jet ski.
At Calangute Beach, a father-daughter duo from Delhi, aged 60 and 21, were rescued in a double rescue by Soma Latye, Ankur Kumar and Sujeet Kumar. In another incident, a teenage boy from Uttar Pradesh was rescued by Soma Latye, 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 a separate incident at the same beach, a woman from Kazakhstan was administered first aid after suffering a deep cut to her toe.
At Miramar Beach, lifesavers provided first aid to a person who complained of a jellyfish sting.
At Velsao Beach, two 30-year-old male 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 to safety.
At Colva Beach, a 27-year-old woman from Bengaluru was rescued by lifesaver Devesh Velip after drifting far out to sea and becoming exhausted. In another incident, a three-year-old girl from Ponda who went missing on the beach was traced nearly 700 metres away by lifesaver Ravindra Dhokare and reunited with her father after verification.
At Benaulim Beach, a seven-year-old child reported missing near a popular beach shack was later found some distance away and safely handed over to his father after due verification.
At Agonda Beach, two men in their mid-twenties from Pune were rescued after being caught in a rip current by lifesavers Satyavan Velip and Prahlad Velip using rescue boards. In another double rescue, a woman aged 26 and a man aged 28, both from Mumbai, were rescued after being caught in a rip current by Prahlad Velip on a jet ski and Bikas Velip using a rescue tube.
At Palolem Beach, two men from Andhra Pradesh in their mid-forties were rescued after being pulled nearly 100 metres into the sea by a rip current by lifesavers Praveen and Sameer. In another incident, a 32-year-old man from Bengaluru fell into deep water while kayaking around 800 metres from shore and was rescued using a jet ski. A separate incident involved a 25-year-old woman from the UK who complained of chest pain after a dolphin trip; she was transported over 500 metres by lifesavers and handed over to an ambulance for medical care. In another case, a 25-year-old man who suffered a jellyfish sting was administered prompt first aid.
Drishti Marine officials reiterated their appeal to beachgoers to follow safety advisories, swim only in designated zones, and heed instructions from lifesavers to avoid accidents, especially during peak tourist periods.
