What was meant to be a fun activity turned into tragedy for a family from West Bengal when a 49-year-old man, Shashi Shekhar Prasad, who went parasailing met a watery grave after he landed in the water at Colva beach on Tuesday.
Activists cried foul over the incident, slamming the Tourism Department for its failure to ensure safety measures were in place, besides medical facilities, to meet any eventuality in times of emergency.
Acting Colva PI Gurudas Kadam said Shashi along with his wife had come down to Goa along with 30 persons for a two-day conference at a resort at Utorda, and were scheduled to leave the state on Wednesday.
The husband-wife duo visited Colva beach on Tuesday evening after the conclusion of the conference when the deceased decided to take a parasailing ride. The victim, who was hefty and well-built, is believed to have landed in the waters while on the ride before lifeguards and others ventured out with jet skies to his rescue.
While the victim was brought onshore immediately, activists pointed out that there was no ambulance around to take him to Hospicio hospital, and the lifeguards had to ferry him to the hospital. The victim was later shifted in a 108 ambulance stationed on the main road metres away from Colva police station.
PI Kadam said that Colva police have registered a case of unnatural death, and investigations are underway to ascertain the exact cause of the incident.
“The police is trying to find out whether the victim fell from the parachute due to negligence or whether he landed in the water with the parachute due to other reasons,” PI Kadam said, adding that the police team has gone to Hospicio to record the statement of the victim\'s wife.
Meanwhile, activist Laurel Abranches, who was at Colva beach with his child at the time of the incident, lamented the absence of safety measures, besides medical aid for victims in times of such emergencies.
“After the victim was brought ashore, we found the absence of vital medical equipment to attend to the victim. There was no ambulance around to immediately shift the victim to the hospital, forcing the lifeguards to transport the victim in their jeep,” Abranches said.
Local activist Judith Almeida sought to know whether the incident would now serve as an eye-opener for the Tourism Department to beef up safety aspects and medical facilities at the beach.
“The Tourism Department had done nothing to enforce safety measures at the beach when there are water sports activities being undertaken,” she said, while seeking to know how the victim drowned if he was wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident.
The Colva police is investigating the case.
