Panaji, May 2024: Four persons, including an 11-year-old child, were rescued by Drishti Marine personnel off Goa’s beaches over the squally weekend. Four children were also reunited with their families and two persons were administered first aid during the weekend.
The squall on Saturday resulted in an 11-year-old boy from Hyderabad and his parasailing instructor being left stranded in distress while parasailing off Varca beach. The two individuals were hauled to safety and rescued by patrolling lifesavers, who rushed to their aid with watersports operators and locals after the boat was beached due to strong winds, leaving them airborne.
At Calangute beach, a man aged between 26 and 30 years, was rescued by a team of seven lifesavers after he entered waist-deep water and refused to come out. He was handed over to the police after he was rescued.
At Morjim river point, a 30-year-old woman from Karnataka was pulled in by a rip current after entering the water. She was rescued by lifesavers Vikas Chavan and Dattaram Chavan with a rescue board and tube.
At Anjuna beach, a 25-year-old man from Anjuna was secured with a rescue board and saved by lifesaver Anand Parab after encountering a rip current.
Calangute beach witnessed three separate incidents of lost children being traced and handed over to their families by lifesavers. A 10-year-old boy from Punjab wandering on Calangute beach was found by on-duty lifesavers, who issued an announcement from the lifesaver tower. His family was located on Baga beach, brought to Calangute and the hand-over was completed after following the identification protocol.
A four-year-old girl from Maharashtra and a five-year-old girl from Hyderabad were reunited with their parents at Calangute beach after following the identification protocol by the on-duty lifesavers in separate incidents after extensive searches.
The recent lost and found children cases bring the total number of children reunited on Goa’s beaches in 2024 by the state-appointed lifeguard agency to 62.
First aid was administered to two individuals by lifesavers in separate incidents at Baga beach. A 35-year-old man from Solapur, Maharashtra, who sustained a cut from a glass bottle while swimming, was administered first aid. A 19-year-old woman from Karnataka got a cut on her nose while swimming, received first aid and was taken to the hospital in a private vehicle.