the goan I network
CANACONA
Two youth from Pune had a near brush with death on Saturday morning when a foreign tourist swam into the Arabian Sea to save them, before lifeguards stepped in with a rescue board to bring both youth safe ashore.
According to reports, the two youth were noticed taking a stroll near the sea somewhere along the 2.9-km stretch of Agonda beach, when all of a sudden one man began shouting for help on noticing the other drifting away due to a rip current.
According to some locals, some foreign nationals also heard cries of help and one foreigner immediately jumped into the sea and began to swim towards the helpless youth, who was already in the deep sea.
“The youth, however, managed to stay afloat, but his desperate efforts to return to the shore only pushed him further into the sea due to the rip current,” said a local.
The other youth who also tried to help his mate found himself drifting into the sea. The foreigner managed to reach the youth who had drifted the farthest and helped him remain afloat.
In the meantime, the cries for help alerted the lifeguards personnel, who drove to the site in their jeep.
Due to the unavailability of a working Jet ski, one lifeguard rushed into the sea with a rescue board and swam to the farthest youth, put him on the board and together with foreign tourist, brought him back ashore. The lifeguard then assisted the other youth in reaching the shorel safely.
According to lifeguards, the two youth were identified as Bathan (23) and Minard (24) from Pune who were on a holiday at Agonda beach.
There are about 16 personnel posted at Agonda beach who work in two shifts (7 am-4 pm and 9.30 am - 6.30 pm). They are reported to have been handicapped without a working Jet ski.
However on Saturday, only three lifeguards were manning the entire Agonda beach, with one stationed on the tower (south of the beach), another on a round with the jeep on the shore and the third placed at one of the corner on northern side of the beach.
