Russian national was rescued at Morjim over the weekend

Panaji, December 2023- A Russian national was rescued from drowning off North Goa’s Morjim beach over the first weekend of the busy month of December, even as lifesavers had to render medical assistance to two beachgoers, one of whom cut his feet on cut glass strewn in the sand. 

At Morjim beach, Drishti Marine lifesavers Ketan Nagvekar and Vijay Mote rescued a 35- year-old Russian male, who was inebriated when he ventured into the sea for a swim. 

The lifesavers noticed the man struggling to swim in the water and immediately launched a jetski and rushed to save him with a rescue board. On returning to the shore, his vitals were checked after which he was reunited with his companion.

A 39-year-old man from Hyderabad had to be administered first-aid at Anjuna beach, after he stepped on a piece of glass on the sand, sustaining a serious gash on the sole of his left foot. Broken glass bits strewn along beaches can be a cause for concern for beachgoers. 

A 68-year-old UK national was provided medical aid by Drishti Marine lifesavers Ashwin Ghag and Harsha Naik at Calangute beach, after she was injured when a beach umbrella fell on her, resulting in a cut on her forehead and minor scratches to her right leg. First-aid was immediately administered, before she was handed over to emergency services (108) personnel for a further checkup.

A young boy, aged 8 years, from Pune was traced by Drishti Marine lifesavers at Baga beach and reunited with his father after he was reported missing.

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Safe-swim zones open on Goa beaches for the new tourist season

~ Drishti Marine maps weather and sea conditions each morning and accordingly sets up ‘safe swim zones’ along the beaches. 

~ Drishti Marine lifesavers closely monitor 27 beaches across South Goa and 18 beaches across the North Goa stretch as well as Dudhsagar waterfalls and Mayem lake

Panaji, November 2023 – Even as the resumption of the tourist season in Goa has led to a large number of visitors flocking to the state’s coastline, Drishti Marine, the state-appointed professional lifesaving agency, has officially demarcated ‘safe swim zones’ along beaches. 

Drishti Marine, which is tasked with maintaining beach safety, maps weather and sea conditions each morning and accordingly sets up safe swim-zones along the beaches. The zones are constantly monitored by the agency’s lifesavers. Drishti Marine’s 450-strong lifesaving force patrols Goa's beaches throughout the year. 

While most beaches across Goa are safe to swim in, Drishti Marine advises beachgoers and swimmers to adhere to some basic safety measures. Swimmers should ideally swim only in the designated safe swim zones which are marked with red and yellow flags. Non-swim-zones are marked with red flags.  

Most beaches have swim zones marked, certain beaches like Cola beach, Betul beach, Canaguinim beach and Cabo De Rama due to their smaller size and rough sea conditions do not have swim zones. Larger beaches, such as Calangute, have two swim zones in North Goa, and in South Goa, Colva, Majorda, and Varca are beaches with two swim zones.

Anjuna, being a rocky beach, does not have a safe swim zone. Additionally, there are detailed signages at the entrance of every beach that explain the flags’ colour-coding and provide instructions and safety tips. Depending on the sea conditions, Drishti Marine lifesavers further mark no-swim zones 

89 easily identifiable boards bearing ‘No Swim Zone’ signages have been erected to caution visitors against wading into the sea along treacherous stretches. In addition to the signboards, red flags have been posted. Among the popular beaches in North Goa, Calangute, Baga and Candolim have four, four and five no-swim zone sign boards respectively. While in South Goa, Palolem and Agonda have four and three no-swim zone signages respectively.  

To avoid accidents and deter people from visiting risk-prone sites, Drishti Marine has installed 52 ‘No Selfie’ sign boards in such areas. No Selfie signs are also present at Vagator (six) and Anjuna (five) in North Goa, while Agonda beach in South Goa has six such signs. 

Through the year, Drishti Marine lifesavers closely monitor 27 beaches across South Goa and 18 beaches across the North Goa as well as Dudhsagar and Mayem lake 7:00 am to 6:30 pm (until sunset). 

South Goa: Baina, Bogmollo, Velsao, Hollant, Arrosim, Majorda, Utorda, Betalbatim, Colva, Benaulim, Taj – Benaulim, Varca, Zalor, Seranbatim Cavellosim, Mobor, Agonda, Betul, Cananguinim, Cabo De Rama, Pallolem, Cola Beach, Patnem, Rajbagh, Talpona, Galgibag and Pollem.

North Goa: Querim, Coco Beach, Arambol, Ashwem and Mandrem, Morjim, Vagator, Anjuna, Baga-1, Baga-2, Calangute, Candolim-1, Candolim-2, Sinquerim, Miramar, Vaiguinim–Donapaula, Siridao and Bambolim as well as Dudhsagar waterfalls and Mayem lake.

A total of 392 individuals have already been rescued from drowning off Goa’s beaches so far this year by Drishti Marine’s lifesavers, for whom safety of tourists and protection of life on Goan beaches is a top priority. 

Location

North Goa

Types of Signages
No Swim Zone - 49

No Selfie Zone - 33

Location

South Goa

Types of Signages

No Swim Zone - 40

No Selfie Zone - 19

#ListenToYourLifesaver: Safety tips by Drishti Marine, Goa’s lifesaving agency

• Keep a very close eye on children while on the beach and do not allow them to venture into the waters unattended, no matter how shallow the sea may appear. 

• Avoid choosing a secluded beach which is not manned by a lifeguard. Instead pick a beach that is surrounded by people and never swim alone. Lifesavers usually man such areas. 

• Stay alert, as lifesavers while patrolling, make announcements to caution and educate people via a public address system installed on their jeeps.

• Do not climb onto the rocks during low tide because they are usually slippery and mossy. 

• If under the influence of alcohol, make sure you do not venture into the water. 

• Always read and obey the safety signs found at the main entrance of the beach.

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Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Karnataka tourists, among 11 rescued over extended weekend

~ Rescues were carried out off Arambol, Baga, Calangute and Mandrem beaches.

~Three missing minors reunited with their parents at Baga and Calangute beaches

Panaji, November 23 -  Goa’s beaches witnessed 11 rescue operations conducted over the extended weekend, which included Guru Nanak Jayanti, which was celebrated across the country on Monday (November 27). 

Four men in their mid-20s, all of whom are residents of Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh were rescued off Arambol beach by Drishti Marine lifesavers Amit Kolmbkar and Umesh Phadte with the help of a rescue board and jet ski. The same beach also witnessed two separate rescues involving two men, including a resident of Hyderabad (25) and a resident of Rajasthan (23). Both victims were caught in a rip current while swimming, when Drishti Marine lifesavers Pritesh Kubal, Chetan Bandekar and Navnath Ghatwal rushed to save them with a rescue board, rescue tube and a jet ski. 

At Baga beach, five men aged between 22-26 years from Karnataka and Pune were saved in a rescue operation by lifesavers Fondu Gawas, Umesh Madaiker, Divakar Dessai, Sainath Gawas and Mantha Kinalkar. One of the five persons in the group had started to drown, which led his four friends to attempt to rescue him. But the would-be-rescuers themselves were caught in a rough current, forcing the Drishti Marine lifesavers to intervene and bring all five persons safely back to shore. First-aid was administered to the rescued men in order to stabilise them. 

Two single rescues took place off Calangute and Mandrem beaches respectively. At Mandrem beach, a 36-year-old Russian woman and a 21-year-old man from Bengaluru at Calangute beach, found themselves struggling in a rip current. Drishti Marine lifesavers Rohit Hirnayak and Darpan Revanka rescued the victims using rescue boards. 

Two missing children, a four-year-old girl from Madhya Pradesh and one child from Mumbai were located by Drishti Marine lifesavers at Calangute and Baga beaches. Drishti Marine lifesavers were also quick to reunite a missing child with his parents at Baga beach.

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Three International travellers among six rescued off Goa’s beaches over the weekend

~ Rescue incidents in Mandrem, Baga, Bambolim and Galgibag

~ Two missing minors reunited with their parents at Colva and Baga 

Panaji, November 2023- Mandrem beach witnessed three rescues over the weekend all involving foreign tourists - two ladies, one from Russia and the other from England and a male from Belarus. Goa saw three other rescues over the weekend, one each in Baga, Bambolim and Galgibag. Meanwhile two children were reunited with their parents.  

A Russian woman aged 24 years was engulfed in a rough wave requiring the immediate assistance of Drishti Marine lifesavers Karan Tandel and Hiren Keluskar who secured the victim with a rescue board and brought her to shore on a jet ski. The other rescue involved a 35-year old English woman who was caught in a similar situation. The Drishti Marine lifesaver Vitorino Desouza launched a jetski and rushed to the aid of the lady and brought her ashore. A 33-year old man from Belarus was rescued by a Drishti Marine lifesaver Jatin Girap with the help of a surfboard when a rough rip current deluged him at Mandrem.

Two single rescues took place separately at Galgibaga beach and Baga beach, where at Galgibaga beach, a woman aged 28 years from Bengaluru was retrieved by Drishti Marine lifesaver Sudhir Ankolekar with a rescue tube after a change in water level caused her to panic, while a 25-year old man from Pune, was found struggling to escape the rip current in Baga beach when the lifesavers Sushant Kamble and Laxman Usapkar immediately rushed to rescue the man.

At Bambolim beach, a 69-year old man was rescued by Drishti Marine lifesavers after he was engulfed by huge waves resulting in a spinal injury. The victim was rescued in an unconscious state but regained consciousness soon after and was administered CPR.  After recovering, the victim was taken to a nearby healthcare institute by the jeep stationed on the beach. 

Two missing children, a five year old girl from Rajasthan and a seven year old child from Goa were located by Drishti Marine lifesavers at Baga and Colva beaches who handed them over to their parents.

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Two Kazakhstan nationals among 17 rescued from drowning over long Diwali weekend

Panaji, November 2023: Two Kazakhstan nationals were among 17 persons rescued along the state’s coastline over the long Diwali weekend. 

The double rescue was conducted at Arambol beach, when the two Kazakhs aged 31 and 36 years who were caught in a rip current while swimming, were unable to make it to shore. The duo was rescued by Drishti Marine lifesavers Priyansh Gwas and Suhas Gawas with the help of a rescue tube and surfboard.

Another double rescue was conducted at the same beach involving two young men from Pune, who were saved from drowning by on-duty lifesavers. Two other persons were also rescued in separate incidents off Arambol beach. One incident involved a 26-year-old from Delhi and the other involved a 25-year-old from Bengaluru. 

Calangute Beach witnessed a triple rescue operation involving three women from Uttar Pradesh, between the ages of 21 to 24 years. Drishti Marine lifesavers Nakul Usapkar, Shubham Keluskar and Kartik Naik immediately rushed to their aid, after watching them struggling to swim and in danger of being swept into the deeper sections of the water. The three women were brought to shore and first-aid was administered. 

A 29-year-old male from Punjab was rescued at Calangute when he was caught off-guard by a rough wave, forcing Drishti Marine lifesaver Ashwin Ghag to rush to his rescue with a surfboard. Another 25-year-old man from Ahmedabad was also rescued at the same beach. 

At Mandrem, a couple aged 26 and 27-years-old were overcome by fatigue while trying to swim back to shore. With the assistance of a jetski and a rescue tube, lifesavers Priyansh Kubal and Manoj Parab, safely returned the couple to shore.

At Agonda, a 47-year-old man from Bengaluru who went fishing on his kayak, found himself stuck in a rocky area, unable to paddle back to shore. Local fishermen in the area alerted Drishti Marine lifesavers on duty, who swiftly launched a jetski to assist the man. 

Additionally, there were three single rescues conducted at Cavelossim, Morjim and Sinquerim beaches.

Two girls, aged five and nine years of age, who were reported missing at Calangute beach were traced by Drishti Marine lifesavers and re-united with their guardians. 

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Injured, jellyfish-stung National Games’ athletes provided first aid by Drishti Marine lifesavers

Panaji, November 2023: A 16-year-old triathlete from Manipur, who suffered a right-leg fracture, along with two other National Games participants who were stung by jellyfish, were on Tuesday administered first-aid by Drishti Marine lifesavers who are deployed for the safety of athletes participating in the country’s biggest sports event. 

The Manipur triathlete, who was participating in the running leg of a mixed relay event, sustained a right-leg Tibia fracture that saw his campaign end prematurely. The incident occurred at Miramar beach, where Drishti Marine lifesavers Pooja Bude, Punu Velip, Hitesh Gaude and volunteers Ramesh Gantali and Ujjawal Prasad were deployed for the safety of the athletes. The lifesavers and volunteers rushed to the aid of the injured athlete, helping him onto a spine board before rushing him to a Drishti Marine jeep stationed at the beach. The athlete was subsequently handed over to emergency services at Miramar circle for additional care, before he was taken to the Goa Medical College for further treatment. 

Drishti Marine lifesavers also administered first-aid to two athletes at Miramar beach who were stung by jellyfish. They treated their wounds with the help of vinegar, which is stored at every lifesaving tower for emergency situations involving jellyfish stings. 

16 Drishti Marine lifesavers have been deployed for the National Games along with two beach safety dogs from the Drishti Marine’s ‘Paw Patrol’ and two AI-powered robots, Aurus and Triton, which work in tandem to ensure beach safety and crowd control for the National Games.

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Two Russian children among 19 rescued off Goa’s beaches over the weekend

Panaji, October 2023: Two Russian children were among 19 persons rescued from drowning off Goa's beaches over the weekend.

The two Russian children aged 11 and seven years, were rescued off Arambol beach, after they lost their footing in the water and were rescued by lifesavers Navnath Ghatwal and Umesh Phadte with the help of a surfboard and a rescue tube.

In another incident on the same beach, a 26-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman from Rajasthan and Telangana respectively, waded into the sea despite being warned about strong currents by on-duty lifesavers Manoj Parab and Umesh Phadte, who later rescued them using a surfboard and a jetski.

At Baga Beach, an 8-year-old boy from Hyderabad, who was caught in a rip current was rescued by lifesaver Rohan Ghadi with a rescue tube. The youngster was brought safely to a nearby lifesaver tower and a search for his parents was initiated. The child was reunited with his parents in less than half an hour.

Baga beach also witnessed two other separate single rescue incidents involving a 32-year-old man from Karnataka and a 45-year-old woman from Russia. The man found himself caught in a rip current and had to be rescued by lifesaver Sachin Kinalkar with a rescue tube, while the Russian woman, who was also caught in a rip current was rescued by lifesavers Bhima Beli and Fondu Gawas using rescue gear.

At Baga, a 14-year-old girl from Bengaluru who had an ankle twist while playing in the water was administered first-aid.

At Anjuna beach, a 32-year-old man from Mumbai who found himself struggling in a rip current was rescued by lifesavers Shant Parab and Manish Narvekar, while in another incident at Ashwem beach, a 38-year-old woman from Delhi who was stranded in deeper sections of the sea was rescued by lifesaver Rajesh Dhuri with a surfboard and rescue tube.

Two double rescues were reported at Calangute beach, involving two women aged 32 and 33 years, both from Maharashtra and two men from Karnataka, aged 28 and 31 years. They were all stranded on a sandbar before being engulfed by water. Lifesavers Shubham Keluskar, Basan Beli and Sachin Kirloskar were involved in the two double rescue operations.

A 19-year-old man from Karnataka was saved by lifesaver Kartik Naik using a surfboard, after he ignored instructions from Drishti Marine lifesavers to swim in designated zones and later struggled in deeper sections of the sea.  

In separate incidents at the same beach, four middle-aged men who were caught in a rip current were rescued by lifesaver Hrutuj Rawool.

A 12-year-old boy from Bengaluru was also saved off Calangute beach after he was caught in a rip tide and was escorted to safety by lifesaver Hrutuj Rawool. A five-year-old child from Bengaluru was also traced at Calangute beach and reunited with parents.

Drishti Marine lifesavers including Harsha Naik, Ankush Asolkar and Hrutuj Rawool aided in the nabbing of a thief who had stolen a tourist's bag. The lifesavers alerted personnel of a watersports operation nearby, who caught the culprit before he was handed over to the police.

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Woman, infant saved at Dudhsagar waterfall, among 27 rescued in Goa over extended Dussehra weekend

Panaji, October 2023: Drishti Marine’s lifesavers had their hands full with twenty-seven rescue operations conducted across the state’s coastline over the extended Dussehra weekend, rescuing a woman and child from drowning at Dudhsagar waterfalls, apart from rescuing a Russian woman off Mandrem beach and a kayaker from drowning at Palolem. 

At Dudhsagar waterfalls, a mother and her 11-month-old daughter from Kolkata were rescued after the former slipped on the rocks near the waterbody, sending them both plunging into the water. While the woman managed to find a way out of the water, lifesaver Babu Gavli saved the infant, who was struggling in the water, with the help of a rescue board. 

A 55-year-old Russian woman was rescued off Mandrem beach after a rough current pulled her in the deeper sections of the sea. Drishti Marine lifesaver Sakharam Bandekar was able to save the victim with the help of a surfboard and bring her back to shore. Two 29-year-old Goan men were rescued off Mandrem, after they were engulfed by a rough wave. Lifesavers Nagesh Barge and Nutan Mote rushed into the water and with the help of a rescue tube and jetski brought the struggling duo back to shore. In a separate incident, a man from Siolim, aged 28 years, was rescued off Mandrem beach.

At Palolem, a 43-year-old male hailing from Karnataka had a kayaking mishap which led to his kayak overturning. Drishti Marine lifesaver Nilesh Velip was quick to respond to his distress and brought him safely to shore. 

There were eleven rescues conducted at Calangute beach, which included four double rescues, out of which six individuals were residents of Karnataka. Due to the rough sea conditions the individuals were pulled into the deep sea and were unable to swim back to shore. Drishti Marine lifesavers Leslie Rodrigues, Sajan Nagvekar, Suhash Patil, Nakul Usapkar and Ajay Kamble rushed into the sea ensuring the safety of all the individuals. 

One of the double rescues at Calangute beach involved two local males, aged 42 and 52 years, who found themselves struggling in the water while performing Durga visarjan. Lifesavers on duty managed to successfully rescue both of them. 

Calangute also reported three single rescues involving a 17-year-old, a 19-year-old  and a 20-year-old male hailing from Karnataka. 

A 29-year-old woman from Bengaluru was swimming with her family when she got pulled in the water near the Arambol sweet lake and began to drown. Lifesavers Sandeep Mhapankar and Chetan Bandekar rushed into water using a surfboard and rescue tube and brought the victim to shore. At the same beach, a 25-year-old man from Maharashtra was stuck in a rip current and was unable to get back to shore. Lifesaver Nitesh Gadekar and Sandeep Mhapankar rushed into water using a surfboard and rescue tube and brought the victim to safety.

At Baga beach, in three separate incidents, a 31-year-old male from Karnataka, a 33-year-old male from Andhra Pradesh and a 36-year-old male from Russia, who were pulled into the deep sea and were rescued by Drishti Marine lifesavers with the help of a rescue tube, surfboard and jetski. At Majorda, Agonda beaches, a 49-year-old from Hyderabad and a 29-year-old woman from Haryana were rescued. Two local lads from Seraulim, aged 15 and 16 years, who were stranded in the sea were saved from drowning with the help of a rescue tube by lifesavers Shyam Das and Yallesh Bagdi at the same beach.

Drishti Marine lifesavers provided first-aid t0 two individuals, one hailing from Bengaluru at Candolim beach and the other, a Russian citizen, at Keri Beach. A tree had collapsed on the latter’s bike and injured his leg. A Drishti Marine lifesaver immediately administered first-aid to the foreign national. 

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6 Russians among 12 rescued over the weekend

Panaji, Oct 2023 - Six Russian nationals, two each at Calangute, Mandrem and Arambol beaches, were rescued by Drishti Marine lifesavers over the busy weekend, which saw 12 persons rescued from drowning off the coastline. 

At Calangute beach, two Russians, including a minor and a 36-year-old woman were rescued after a sudden wave engulfed them, necessitating their rescue. At Mandrem, two other Russians, aged 38 and 34 years were rescued from drowning in two separate incidents by Drishti Marine lifesaver Sakharam Bandekar who used a rescue tube and a surfboard to save them. 

Mandrem beach witnessed a double rescue involving a couple from Chandigarh, both aged 32 years. After ignoring the lifesavers' warnings against entering the sea due to the rough currents, the couple struggled to fight against a rip current. Drishti Marine lifesavers, Avinash Maiskar and Tanaji Bhagat rushed into water using a surfboard and a rescue tube and brought both persons back to shore safely.

A 44-year-old resident from Karnataka was saved by lifesavers Nilesh Dhuri Chopdekar and Hari Chopdekar,  when a rough rip current engulfed him off Calangute beach. Over the weekend, a 13-year-old boy from Karnataka, who was reported missing, was located at Calangute Beach. He was handed over to his father by Drishti Marine lifesavers, who had conducted a search of the area within fifteen minutes after the boy was announced missing. 

A Delhi resident, aged 23 years, along with two other friends were swimming off Arambol beach, when they were suddenly engulfed by a rough wave. Drishti Marine lifesaver Umesh Phadte, rushed into water using a surfboard and brought the victim to shore. At the same beach, a 38-year-old man from Maharashtra suddenly got pulled into a rip current, forcing lifesaver Ano Malekar to rush with a jetski and rescue him. Another Russian couple, both aged 54 years, were pulled into the deep sea due to rough undercurrents at Arambol beach. Drishti Marine lifesaver, Chetan Bandekar rushed into water using a surfboard and brought both the individuals back to shore.

Patnem beach also witnessed the rescue of a 38-year-old man, who was struggling to escape the rip current. Drishti Marine lifesavers, Sachin Kirloskar, Vinesh Mugdekar and Vithoba Velip rescued the man with the help of a rescue tube and surfboard.

At Bambolim beach, Drishti Marine lifesavers assisted in the arrest of a thief, who had stolen articles belonging to two foreigners, one of whom was swimming. A thief grabbed their belongings and tried to make a run for it. Upon noticing their desperate hails, on-duty Drishti Marine lifesavers, along with the help of locals, caught the thief and handed him over to police personnel.

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17 persons, including Kazakh father-son kayakers rescued off Goa over the weekend

Panaji, Oct 2023: Seventeen persons were rescued from drowning by Drishti Marine lifesavers over the weekend, including a father-son from Kazakhstan, who were saved due to quick thinking by another kayaker and an on-duty lifesaver at Arambol beach. 

The Kazakhs were kayaking when they encountered a large wave, which put the lives of the 38-year-old father and his 12-year-old son in peril. A nearby kayaker rushed to their rescue, so did a lifesaver who eventually brought the duo back to the shore safely with the help of a jetski. 

Two persons from Pune, Nitesh Gadekar (31) and Rajesh Talkar (32) who were drowning in the sweet water lake at Arambol were rescued by an on-duty lifesaver. In another incident reported at Arambol beach, a 21-year-old person from Delhi was rescued by Dattaram Bandekar, a beach safety patrol officer, with the help of a surfboard. 

Calangute Beach also reported two double rescue operations. One operation involved two men from Karnataka, aged 20 and 27 years, who lost their balance and slipped into the deep end of the sea, forcing Drishti Marine lifesavers to quickly respond and bring them back to shore safely. Additionally, two 21-year-old residents of Jammu and Kashmir were secured and safely returned to the shore after they found themselves unable to swim back to the beach. The lifesavers involved in these twin rescue operations were Sonu Kumar, Rohit Hirnaik, Nilesh Dhuri, Prathamesh Damnekar, Santosh Takekar, Ashwin Ghag and Pandurang Halankar.

Drishti Marine lifesaver Hari Chopdekar was involved in two other rescues at Calangute beach on separate occasions over the weekend, one of which involved the rescue of a 27-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh and another involving a 26-year-old man from Rajasthan. Both men had waded into the deep sea and were unable to swim back to shore. Chopdekar used a rescue tube and surfboard to secure them.

At Morjim beach, two men from Rajasthan, aged 22 and 24 years, were caught in a rip current and were rescued by lifesavers Anand Parab, Raghavendra Kaskar and Amon Salgaonkar, while at Candolim Beach, a couple from Bangalore in their early thirties was rescued with the help of a rescue tube and surfboard. Additionally, while a 31-year-old man from Rajasthan was rescued at Baga Beach and at Anjuna, a Drishti Marine lifesaver on duty conducted a rescue operation for a 24-year-old man from Bangalore.

Two children, an eight-year-old from Rajasthan at Calangute beach and a four-year-old from Punjab at Baga Beach, who were reported missing were located by the Drishti Marine lifesavers on duty.

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