Elderly German had lost fingers in 2022 incident
84-year-old German national Dieter Eichler lost five fingers in November 2022, when he tried to save himself from being hit by a motor paraglider at Colva beach while taking a walk with his wife.
MARGAO
As the Keri Beach paragliding incident has only brought back bitter memories of the 2022 Colva motor paragliding incident, wherein an elderly German national lost his fingers, NGOs and activists have once again knocked on the doors of the Colva police to stop motor paragliding at Colva beach.
With the Tourism Department granting permission for motor paragliding at the world-famous Colva beach, overruling the strong objection from the local Colva village panchayat, the Colva Civic and Consumer Forum has demanded an immediate halt to motor paragliding at Colva beach in view of the latest incident at Keri beach, which claimed the lives of two persons.
In November 2022, 84-year-old German national Dieter Eichler lost five fingers when he tried to save himself from being hit by a motor paraglider at Colva beach while taking a walk with his wife, Brunhild.
In her letter to the Colva police, Colva Civic and Consumer Forum Convenor Judith Almeida reminded that the Forum had sent a letter to the South Goa District Collector on December 12, 2024, with a plea for an immediate stoppage of motor paragliding on Colva beach due to the lack of infrastructure and safety for consumers, riders, and the public.
She pointed out that the motor paragliding accident at Keri Beach is a grim reminder of past serious accidents at Colva Beach due to the same sport. "Despite several complaints/communications from a villager, Simon Rodrigues, a stop-work notice from the village Panchayat of Colva, and a resolution passed at the Gram Sabha held in October 2024 to stop this activity, a letter addressed by the Village Panchayat of Colva to the Goa Tourism Development Corporation raising the serious danger to the lives of citizens has not evoked any response or action by any of the authorities to stop the sport that is endangering lives and the lack of infrastructure," she said.
Judith added, "It is clear that the letter dated 30.12.2024 sent to the Superintendent of Police, South Goa, has not received any response or action to stop the illegal activity on Colva beach. Knowing fully well that Colva Beach caters to thousands of tourists and local residents, henceforth, any such accidents that occur which endanger lives, including physically harming any person, this Forum will hold all the authorities, including the Colva police, liable for criminal action."
Social activist Simon Rodrigues has also lodged a complaint with the Colva police seeking the intervention of the men in uniform to stop motor paragliding at the crowded Colva beach in the interest of the life and safety of visitors and local villagers.
