PANAJI
The long weekend, which began on Thursday owing to Ambedkar Jayanti and Easter, saw a steep increase in the number of tourists and locals visiting the beaches of Goa. The long weekend witnessed 12 rescues along the coast by Drishti's lifesavers.
In south Goa, Palolem beach witnessed multiple rescues wherein a group of eight tourists aged 26-34 years, who were kayaking faced a mishap when their kayaks overturned.
All the victims managed to reach the rocks safely. Upon witnessing them being stranded, some nearby fishermen informed Drishti lifesavers Sameer Kankonkar and Praveen Sangekar who led the rescue plan and got them to safety on the beach.
Subsequently, there were two additional single rescues in the south, one at Cola beach, wherein a 23 yr old local male from Old Goa was rescued by lifesaver Pratap Kankonkar using a rescue tube.
The other was at Dudhsagar, where a 14- year old boy from Punjab jumped into the water without a life jacket. Drishti's lifesaver Shahnawaj Nadaf immediately sprung to action and rescued the victim with the aid of a rescue tube.
Meanwhile, an 8-year-old child was found wandering alone on the beach of Colva. Observing this a lifesaver inquired about the contacts of his parents, but the child only knew that his parents were doing a certain water sport activity.
The lifesavers located the parents and the child was handed over to his father in the presence of the police.
There was a double rescue at Baga which involved a 25-year-old male from Hyderabad who was rescued by lifesavers using a rescue tube, surfboard, and a jetski.
Drishti's lifesavers are the first respondents not only to beachgoers who venture into the waters but also to medical emergencies which arise along the coast.
In one such incident, a 36-year-old male at Calangute beach dislocated his knee while on a run on the beach. People alerted the lifeguard tower and immediately the lifesaving team came to assistance.
In an unfortunate turn of events, a dead body of an elderly man was found at Miramar beach. Police were informed and a panchnama was conducted.
